This story contains allegations of sexual assault and may be distressing to some readers.
Former Australian of the Year has shared a message of support for friend and fellow advocate Brittany Higgins, praising her for her work despite the "brutal reality" of public activism.
On Wednesday night, Ms Tame shared a birthday message dedicated to Ms Higgins, 28, on Instagram, alongside a photo of the two women smiling during a photo shoot for a magazine.
Ms Tame, also 28, said in reality, the experience had been distressing and exhausting.
"The first image is nothing like the reality of that day," Ms Tame wrote.
"It was anxiety, distress, exhaustion, invasion of personal space, and a quarter of an hour spent in the bathroom decompressing afterwards at dinner. It was tears."
"This role is nothing like what it may appear to be at times. Such is the truth of public life behind the scenes, and of life in general: it is not glamorous. It is brutal."
Ms Tame was named for her work on the Let Her Speak campaign to abolish sexual assault victim gag-laws, and for sharing her story of sexual assault and grooming by a former teacher.
Ms Higgins stepped into advocacy after of sexually assaulting her in Parliament House.
In the months that followed, the two womenspoke at protests, fronted public campaigns, and were featured prominently in the media.
"Over the past 18 months of getting to know Brittany Higgins personally, as a close friend, I have had the honour of seeing a side of her I rarely see in digital or print media," Ms Tame wrote.
"Anyone who argues that words can't cause serious damage has never been the target of an insidious nationwide character assassination campaign like Brittany has."
Last week, ACT Director of Prosecutions Shane Drumgold announced Mr Lehrmann's trial had been aborted and the sexual assault charge against him dropped, saying Ms Higgins had faced a level of “personal attack” he had not witnessed during a two-decade career and expressing concerns for her health.
Mr Lehrmann has denied the allegation and maintained the pair never had any sexual interaction.
Ms Tame said since becoming a public activist, her friend had faced "layered injustice" and "relentless criticism".
"I have been awed and floored by her intelligence, kindness, vulnerability and determination to keep fighting for herself and others in the face of prolonged, layered injustice and heightened relentless criticism," Ms Tame wrote.
"Awards and public recognition can be useful vehicles of change. However, they are not endpoints, goals, solutions or sources of pain relief. Sometimes, they are the opposite."
Ms Tame said while she was grateful to have a public platform, it also came with increased pressure and public scrutiny.
"Whilst I am so grateful for the voice I now have, there is no question that healing is so much harder to do with eyes watching your every move," she wrote.
"At the end of the day it is you and you alone taking the bullets on the battlefield of your personal trauma."
Ms Tame praised Ms Higgins for undertaking her journey under heavy public scrutiny, describing her as a national hero.
"Brittany Higgins has taken every step of her excruciating journey under a microscope; with a nation breathing down her neck. This is no mean feat," she wrote.
"I am not a judge or jury, but I am a person who has also walked repeatedly in the line of fire - often alone - and it is not for the faint-hearted. I say this not as a point-scoring exercise, but as another statement of fact. However, it is not for this reason that I stand with Brittany. It is simply because she is a decent human being. That is all there is to it. I stand with Brittany because I have compassion for her.
"Brittany Higgins is a national hero."
Justice system lacks balance, Minister for Women says
On Wednesday, Australia's Minister for Women said the justice system does not have the right balance when it comes to supporting people who make sexual assault complaints.
Katy Gallagher said she cast "no aspersion" on the important principles of the presumption of innocence but the federal government had a responsibility to reform systems and processes to better support complainants who were predominantly women.
"We have a responsibility ... to see where we can make a difference to ensure that women do feel able to come forward, they are supported through that process, they are encouraged to report violence and that it will not cause them to be re-traumatised," she told ABC Radio.
"I don't think we've got the right balance at the moment."
While the minister would not comment on Ms Higgins' specific case, she said she was working with her state and territory colleagues to address problems with the justice system for sexual assault complainants.
"A lot of the levers are with the states and territories and many of them are looking at how they reform their laws in light of the experience women are having in the justice system," Senator Gallagher said.
But part of the challenge was about addressing a culture where violence against women was prevalent.
Senator Gallagher said sexual and domestic violence and coercive control were at "unacceptable" levels and those problems needed to be addressed before they got to the justice system.
"I fundamentally believe the Commonwealth government has to provide leadership in this space," she said.
If this story has raised any issues for you, there is help available at Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you or someone you know wants to talk about sexual assault or harassment, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit
. In an emergency, call 000.
