For feminist activity in the community
For all her adult life, Mary O’Sullivan has been committed to feminist activism. She was a founding member of Women’s and Gay Liberation groups in Newcastle in the early 1970s, and active in early feminist collectives such as the Scarlet Woman Collective.
Professionally, Mary was a Councillor for the NSW Teachers Federation, working on feminist initiatives to establish equal career paths for women in schools. This included policies and award provisions relating to maternity leave and sex-based harassment.
In recent years she has worked with feminists in the ALP, as a member of Emily’s List, and the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) on issues such as domestic violence, reproductive rights, abortion, and affordable housing.
Mary has always been concerned with building the intellectual authority and political voice of progressive feminism in the Australian community. She is a true feminist hero whose achievements and contributions are too many to be listed in full.
