Monash University's Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon has been selected as part of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders 2024 class in recognition of her academic and policy work in tackling violence against women and children. Professor Fitz-Gibbon is the only Australian in this year's prestigious group of passionate leaders.
The World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders is a community of exceptional individuals under the age of 40, recognised for their leadership, accomplishments, and potential to contribute to shaping the future. The prestigious global program aims to bring together young leaders from various fields, including business, politics, academia, civil society, and the arts, to engage in collaborative efforts to address global challenges.
Professor Fitz-Gibbon said she was honoured to be recognised for her accomplishments and commitment to addressing violence against women and children.
"Violence against women and children is perpetrated at horrific rates worldwide but this violence is preventable. I am committed to improving responses to, and the prevention of all forms of domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia and internationally," Professor Fitz-Gibbon said.
"As well as striving to inform government policy and practice, improving understandings of violence against women and children among the wider community remains central to my work. Shifting community attitudes is key to early intervention and prevention. Everyone in the global community has a role to play in driving the change urgently needed to ultimately eliminate all forms of violence against women and children.
"I look forward to learning from and collaborating with other members of the Young Global Leaders community to help drive solutions to the urgent global challenge of violence against women and children."
Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering congratulated Professor Fitz-Gibbon on her achievement and well deserved recognition for her commitment to informing and advancing homicide law reform and family violence policy in Australia and internationally.
"Professor Fitz-Gibbon's outstanding academic career reflects her relentless energy and commitment to build the evidence we need to eliminate violence against women and children," Professor Pickering said.
"Her work has bridged the gap between academia and public policy and has helped ensure we have better legal responses to intimate partner homicide across the country."
Professor Fitz-Gibbon has built strong relationships with governments across Australia to inform domestic, family and sexual violence policy. In 2021, she led the National Plan Consultation Project, contracted by the Australian government to inform the development of the National Plan to end Violence against Women and Children 2023-2032.
She has been published in leading peer reviewed journals in criminology, sociology and law, and her publications include seven books, seven edited collections, 50 refereed journal articles and 25 book chapters. Her research has been cited by the High Court of Australia, and also received significant media attention, being interviewed as an expert in domestic and family violence, children and young people, homicide law and its reform by Australian and international media outlets.
Professor Fitz-Gibbon will join the 2024 Young Global Leaders class at a meeting in Geneva in early May.
