Natasha Stott Despoja AO is a feminist trailblazer at every turn! Her tireless leadership spans decades: from the brutal politics of being Australia’s youngest woman to enter Federal Parliament at the age of 26, to her 13 years as a South Australian Senator and role as youngest Leader of the Australian Democrats. That alone was unprecedented. But this unstoppable changemaker then built a stellar career post-politics that propelled her on to the global stage as a warrior for women’s rights and gender equality. 

Natasha’s impressive diplomacy as Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls (2013-2016), and position on the World Bank Gender Advisory Council (2015-2017), won her many international admirers. In 2020 she was elected to the United Nations Committee to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 

But it is her fearless leadership as the Founding Chair of Our Watch, and her advocacy of primary prevention to end horrific rates of violence against women, that has made Natasha one of the nation’s most impressive current leaders.  

In a powerful address at the National Press Club in 2020 Natasha called out domestic violence as “one of the most heinous manifestations of gender inequality”.

Natasha's story is part of our Changemaker series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers’, which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?’. In this series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker.

BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.

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