Michelle Deshong: Difference between revisions
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Michelle Deshong |
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| Nationality | Indigenous Australian |
| Education | James Cook University |
| Known for | Indigenous Gender Diversity |
| Title | Dr |
Michelle Deshong is an Indigenous Australian, a award winning advocate for Gender Equality and Indigenous Women and the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute.[1] She spent the majority of her career in shaping Indigenous Affairs, national agendas inclusing the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission and National Congress.[2]
Education
Deshong is a Kuku Yalanji woman from Townsville, North Queensland, Australia.[3] She grew up in Queensland in the 1970s and 1980s, and this experience drew her into the Indigenous rights field.[4] She moved from Townsville to Canberra after high schoool, which taught her about the inner workings of government. She completed a BA with First Class Honours in Political Science and Indigenous Studies, with a PhD from James Cook.[5] Her thesis was on the “Participation of Aboriginal women in public and political life).[6]
Deshong studied in Canada and the USA in 2016, and was awarded a Fulbright fellowship on strategies on leadership, gender equity and Nation building.[7][8]
Career
Deshong has worked in the Queensland Government, in roles as a public servant at Centrelink, for 20 years. She is also a mother of three children, and she completed her BA while raising children as a single parent.[9] She has also worked on the Justice Prevention Steering Commitee, as well as Small Business Advisory Committe. She worked in contributing to the National Congress, the Coalition of Peaks, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
She founded Deshong Consulting in 2008. She was also a judge at the Supplier Diversity awards, 2023.[10] She was on the board of Supply Nation, and holds directorship roles on Reef Restoration Adaptation Board,
I believe knowledge is power, and there’s no point if I’m the only one gaining that knowledge,”.
“I’ve always tried to impart and share the knowledge that I’m gaining, particularly with Indigenous women, by engaging in conversations that empower women to be change makers.”[11]
Gender Equity
Deshong is passionate about advocating for community and women’s issues, and works to ensure the voices of indigenous women are represented at all levels.[12] as well as working for the United Nations Commision on the Status of Women and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.[13]
Deshong is an advocate for community and women’s issues, and a lead facilitator of the Oxfam ‘Straight Talk Program’, which is an organisation of over 900 Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Deshong also was a representative for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.[14] Deshong gave a TEDX talk on ‘Black women: tipping the balance’[15]
Awards
- 2016 – James Love Churchill Fellowship.[citation needed]
- 2015 – National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year.[16]
- 2015 – Indigenous Professional Fulbright Scholarship.[citation needed]
- 2013 – AFR/Westpac – 100 Women of Influence.
- 2001 – ACT Aborginal person of the year.[17]
References
[Category:CEO Australian Indigenous Governance Institutes]]