Present Appointment: Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of English, Communications and Performance Studies, Monash University

Member IFUW Status of Women Committee, 2004-2007 Co-ordinator of Interdisciplinary Seminars for 2007 IFUW Conference, Convener 2004
President Australian Federation of University Women (2006-2009), AFUW 2000-2003
Leader of Australian delegation to the 2001 Conference; responsible for Australian invitation to hold 2004 IFUW Conference in Australia and early stages of organisation. AFUW delegate to that Conference.
Convener AFUW Standing Committee on Education 2004-2006: responsible for co-ordinating State and Territory actions and reports on education issues; policy formulation; advocacy and preparation of submissions to government enquiries. Active on Indigenous education issues. President AFUW-Victoria 2001-2002 and 2004-2006. As President oversaw a changed focus of scholarship programme towards disadvantaged (female) students, compiled Directory of Resources to assist Victorian Indigenous Students. Represented AFUW-Vic in matters involving the State Government's Office of Women's Affairs; was responsible for advocacy documents (most recently on psychiatric care for women prison inmates). As a Life Member of National Tertiary Education Union, conducted seminars and workshops for union members on equal opportunity issues and on University governance. I am a member of Action for Aboriginal Rights, Amnesty International, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, Australian Society of Authors, Liberty Victoria, PEN, UNIFEM, Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition, Women's Electoral Lobby. Feminist theory and women's writing have been a major interest in my academic teaching and research. After retirement in 1998 I was appointed an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the English Department of Monash University and am just completing editing a two-volume scholarly edition of the collected verse of a major early Australian woman poet, Mary Gilmore.

My goals would be to contribute to the work of IFUW in advancing the well-being of women world-wide: their educational opportunities; access to professional roles commensurate with their abilities and qualifications; economic independence; access to appropriate health services, especially in matters of reproductive health, freedom from violence and involvement in decision-making at all levels of private and public life. In particular I want to work for a world where all countries subscribe to and honour in practice CEDAW and its Optional Protocols, Security Council Resolution 1325, and UN Conventions on Trafficking and on the Rights of the Child. I believe that IFUW can contribute to making progress to these goals through its status at the UN and through its own capacity to act as advocate and to inspire its member NFAs to engage in advocacy and projects. I believe that I am articulate, experienced and committed to working hard to advance the aims of IFUW for the wellbeing of women everywhere and that these qualities will be of use to the Status of Women Committee.

Monash University, Victoria, Australia PhD, 1991, Australian Literature
University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia BA (Hons), 1954 English Language and Literature