Brittany Higgins: Former political staffer and women’s advocate given new role at Global Institute for Women’s Leadership

Brittany Higgins has been given an important new job to help change the game for women in the Australian workforce.

Brittany Higgins has taken up a new role to further her work advocating for victims of sexual assault and harassment and for gender equality.

The former political staffer has been appointed as the first visiting fellow at the Australian National University’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL).

The institute is an international group led by former prime minister Julia Gillard that aims to better understand and address the causes of women's underrepresentation in leadership positions.

Ms Gillard applauded Ms Higgins’ new appointment, saying the young advocate was “a powerful force for change”.

“Brittany will be a wonderful advocate and I am delighted she has joined GIWL and ANU,” Ms Gillard said.

 “I applaud her courage in coming forward with her experiences and her determination to make sure other women do not ever have to go through what she has.”

GIWL chair Julia Gillard applauded Brittany Higgins’ appointment, saying the young advocate was ‘a powerful force for change.’ Picture: AAP Image/Brendan Esposito

Ms Higgins made headlines in February this year when she aired allegations she’d been raped in Parliament House by a male colleague while working for then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

A man has faced court and pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Ms Higgins.

In her new role, Ms Higgins will help advance work on a proposed code of conduct to prevent and respond to abuse, harassment and sexual misconduct in Parliament House and parliamentary workplaces.

She will also collaborate with GIWL to assist in implementing the Respect@Work report and advancing the outcomes of the independent inquiry into the commonwealth’s parliamentary workplaces.

Ms Higgins said she was looking forward to helping bring systemic change for women in Australia.

“I am dedicated to driving meaningful change in Parliament House, and all Australian workplaces, so that our systems work better to prevent and respond to inappropriate workplace conduct,” she said.

Ms Higgins has become a powerful advocate for women's safety and equality.

“All women have the right to feel safe and respected at work and in society more broadly.

“I am committed to ensuring that we are able to harness the momentum kickstarted this year to enact real change for Australian women so they can be better served by our major institutions.”

GIWL at ANU is a nonpartisan organisation that undertakes research and advocacy to support women’s leadership and improve workplace gender equality.

ANU is the first university in the world to partner with the original Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, established at King’s College in London in 2018.

Originally published as Brittany Higgins: Former political staffer and women’s advocate given new role at Global Institute for Women’s Leadership