An end of year message from GIWL Chair, Professor Michelle Ryan

Dear GIWL supporters,

As we wrap up another year, I just want to take a moment to thank you all for your support of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership in 2024.

I am so proud of everything the Institute has accomplished this year. Through our world-leading research, we have explored pathways to political leadership for women and gender diverse Australians, examined how to centre youth perspectives in policymaking, highlighted the most effective approaches to advance workplace gender equality, and so much more.

Our events have brought together academics, advocates and individuals passionate about gender equality to discuss everything from how gender shaped the 2024 US presidential election, to the “face” of Australian diplomacy and what needs to change to advance equality in international affairs.

Plus our Chair Julia Gillard welcomed a truly inspiring line up of guests to our podcast this season. Some highlights include interviews with the Matildas’ soccer superstar Katrina Gorry, trailblazing First Nations advocate Dr June Oscar AO, and internationally best-selling author, Elif Shafak – and we also launched our new A Podcast of One’s Own book club. You can read all about these stand outs, and everything else the team has been up to this year, in GIWL's 2024 Year in Review.

GIWL is made up of a global network of partners and collaborators and I want to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of these partnerships to our research in 2024. This year we hosted visiting fellows from Brazil, Scotland and Italy, collaborated with our growing international network of research affiliates and hosted delegations from Curtin University Vietnam and The Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program. Dr Elise Stephenson and I also visited Cambodia to work with female leaders working in public policy as part of our Gender Equality, Power, and Public Policy Program, delivered in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia Awards initiative. We were also delighted to welcome the new Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Gender Justice to the Australian National University and look forward to building on our partnership for years to come.

Thank you again for your support of GIWL this year – we hope you’ll  stay with us on our mission to advance equality for all women, girls and gender-diverse people as we head into 2025.

Best wishes,

Michelle Ryan
Director, The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership