Be the change: How women’s stories at the National Library are inspiring giving in our communities
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Women’s voices in philanthropy have passed too long under the radar. The National Library of Australia (NLA), in partnership with the She Gives campaign, hopes to change that.
On Tuesday 13 May, the NLA launched an oral history project featuring extended interviews with twenty women philanthropists from across the country. It foregrounds the power, prevalence, and importance of Australian women visionaries across spaces like the arts, First Nations justice and inclusion, gender equality, and domestic violence prevention.
The initiative is produced in collaboration with She Gives, a twelve-month campaign looking to collect and share one hundred stories of women’s giving. She Gives is working at the crucial intersection of need within our communities and the great capacity of women for creating social change. By sharing stories of women’s giving, She Gives hopes to inspire giving in the wider community.
“The stories we preserve shape our national identity,” says National Library Director-General Dr Marie-Louise Ayres.
“Through this project, we are ensuring the stories of women philanthropists – whose acts of giving are deeply entrenched in that national identity – are honoured and preserved in perpetuity.”
She Gives campaign founder Melissa Smith believes in the enduring importance of women’s voices in shaping Australian history and culture.
“For too long, women’s contributions to social change – often made behind the scenes – have gone unrecognised. Through this partnership with the National Library, we are not only recognising women’s role as influential changemakers, but we are saying, ‘This is part of our national story’.
“This landmark project represents a critical milestone in the campaign and in our collective effort to grow giving in Australia at a time of significant need. It is our hope that through these 20 stories — and the 100 stories of giving shared by the broader She Gives campaign — the Australian community can better understand and be inspired by women’s giving now and in the future.”
Of the 20 awesome women from all over Australia featured in the project, a few include: Tanya Hosch (SA), a First Nations leader and changemaker within racial and gender equity in Australian policy, sport, and culture; Paula McLean (NSW), founding trustee of the McLean Foundation, who champions literacy, education, and environmental conservation efforts, initiatives combating domestic and family violence, and programs fostering Australian literature; and Gina Fairfax (QLD), longtime sponsor of rural and regional scholarships and funds and advocate for equal opportunity in leadership, arts, and education.
The 20 interviews will be recorded in 2025 and preserved through the National Library.
For more information, visit shegives.com.au
