Elizabeth Broderick

Elizabeth Broderick AO is an Australian lawyer, who was the Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner for over eight years from 2007 to 2015 and has been a United Nations special rapporteur for Discrimination against Women and Girls since 2017. She is a former partner and head of legal technology at Ashurst Australia (then called Blake Dawson Waldron), a global commercial law firm.

Early life and education

Broderick grew up in Caringbah, New South Wales as the daughter of a doctor and physiotherapist, Frank and Margot. She has two sisters including an identical twin, emeritus Professor Jane Latimer AO,[1][2] and Carolyn Broderick.[3] Elizabeth Broderick was head girl in 1978 at Meriden School, Strathfield while Jane Latimer was head girl at MLC School in neighbouring Burwood in the same year.[3]

Career

Broderick is trained as a lawyer. She has spoken publicly about her own experiences of sexual harassment by a client as a young lawyer.[4]

At law firm Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst), Broderick worked part-time for twelve years while she was a partner - the first partner at the firm to work part-time.[5] She also created a database giving people legal advice at low cost. Broderick was named "Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year" (2000–2001).[3]

Sex Discrimination Commissioner

Broderick was appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner by Prime Minister John Howard in 2007. Her term was extended by the Rudd government and again by the Abbott government.[2] As Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Broderick worked on equal-pay cases, "proposed a model for the paid parental leave scheme", and commented publicly on sexual harassment cases.[3]

Broderick persuaded some of "the most powerful men in the country" to publicly commit to being part of a group called Male Champions of Change (MCC) and take action on gender inequality.[4] The group is still active and has inspired the creation of many MCC groups in other sectors, including architecture,[6] property,[7] elite sports[8] and in Victoria.[9] Current members of the Founding MCC group include, Alan Joyce, Kevin McCann, Martin Parkinson, David Thodey and Lieutenant General David Morrison.[10]

The Male Champions of Change have released progress reports in 2011,[11] 2013[12] and 2014.[13] They also partnered with Chief Executive Women to develop a model for leaders to use in order to examine their own actions and "Leadership Shadow".[14]

In 2014, Broderick published a fourth and final report on gender-discriminatory practices in the Australian Defence Force.[15]

Broderick finished up as Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 2015 and was succeeded by Kate Jenkins.[2][16][17]

United Nations Rapporteur

Broderick established her own consultancy specialising in gender equality and was then appointed by the United Nations as a Special Rapporteur for the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls in 2017.[2] She works alongside four other female experts to report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on discrimination against women around the world.[2] She served until 2023 and she was succeeded by the American law professor Claudia Flores.[18]

In 2018, Broderick launched Male Champions of Change globally.[2]

Recognition and awards

References

  1. ^ Fifteen locals honoured in 2023 Australia Day Awards Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Maley, Jacqueline (9 February 2019). "How Elizabeth Broderick is taking soft-power feminism to the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Keenan, Catherine (4 March 2011). "Meet Elizabeth Broderick, the woman who can walk into any boardroom and strike a deal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Frankly Speaking With Elizabeth Broderick". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Thinkers No 4: Elizabeth Broderick". The Power Index. Crikey. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Champions of Change | ACA - Association of Consulting Architects Australia". www.aca.org.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Property Male Champions of change". www.propertycouncil.com.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Elite sports CEOs committed to promoting women in leadership". Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Leading men to champion workplace gender equality - Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission". www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Champions - Male Champions of Change". Male Champions of Change. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Resources & Reports - Male Champions of Change". Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Accelerating the advancement of women in leadership: Listening, Learning, Leading | Australian Human Rights Commission". www.humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  13. ^ "Male Champions of Change - Progress Report 2014 | Australian Human Rights Commission". www.humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  14. ^ "It starts with us - The Leadership Shadow". Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  15. ^ Snow, Deborah (26 March 2014). "'Significant progress' but Elizabeth Broderick warns of backlash in Defence over boosting women in the ranks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  16. ^ Donaldson, David (14 April 2016). "Kate Jenkins: turning co-operation into impact for women". The Mandarin. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Farewell to Elizabeth Broderick | Australian Human Rights Commission". www.humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Current and former mandate holders". OHCHR. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ Stewart, Claire (22 October 2014). "Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick wins 2014 Women of Influence award". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  20. ^ "Impact 25 2015 Winner | Elizabeth Broderick". impact25-probonoaust. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Elizabeth Broderick awarded UNSW's highest honour". UNSW Newsroom. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  22. ^ "Elizabeth Broderick". www.australianoftheyear.org.au. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  23. ^ "The Australian Award for Excellence in Women's Leadership". www.wla.edu.au. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  24. ^ "2016 Women's Agenda Leadership Awards" (PDF). Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Order honour for Elizabeth Broderick". SBS News. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
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