For leading feminist changes in the public sphere
Helen L’Orange has demonstrated outstanding feminist leadership during her long careers in NSW and Commonwealth Government Departments, and in volunteering with the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL).
As head of the NSW Women’s Coordination Unit, Helen established a range of agencies that contributed to women’s needs, interests and services. As head of the Commonwealth Office of the Status of Women, Helen promoted Women’s Budget Statements and led committees on Violence Against Women, on non-English Speaking Women, and the Working Party on the Portrayal of Women in Media. Helen brought an international perspective to the raising of the status of women, focusing government attention on important women’s issues.
Through her active membership of WEL, Helen has lobbied for ending violence against women, for funding women’s refuges, and for addressing women’s homelessness.
Helen L’Orange has made an exceptional feminist difference through her effective leadership in both the government and voluntary sectors.
Photograph courtesy of Josh Garrard.
