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For Imogen Gerraty, courage shows up quietly but persistently — in policy rooms, community halls, and conversations where children’s voices are too often missing. Working at the intersection of advocacy, systems reform, and human rights, she has dedicated her career to ensuring children and young people are not just protected, but heard.
As an executive at the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Imogen works alongside hundreds of organizations supporting children, young people, and families across Australia. Her role bridges practice and policy: listening deeply to those on the frontlines, bringing their collective insight together, and pushing for systems that keep children safe, connected, and empowered.
As a 2025 Global Fellow in Courage, Imogen is strengthening her resolve to drive change at the highest levels of government, informed by global perspectives and grounded in lived experience.
For Imogen, courage is not about visibility, but responsibility — the responsibility to ensure that children’s rights are reflected in the policies, systems, and decisions that shape their lives.
Being a Global Fellow in Courage has been such a burst of energy for my advocacy with children, young people, and families experiencing the greatest disadvantage in Australia. The fellowship has opened doors to leading human rights thinkers and a global network of peers.
I’ve found myself in rooms with extraordinary changemakers from Afghanistan, Canada, Nepal, Iraq, and Libya — people facing immense barriers but asking the same fundamental questions about equality and justice. Their creativity and courage have sharpened my focus and strengthened my resolve to push harder, work smarter, and collaborate more fiercely to drive policy change.
There’s that great line: “Courage is being afraid and doing it anyway.” To me, courage means going against the grain, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s about showing up day after day, especially when progress feels slow — which is often the reality of systems change.
I see the greatest courage in children, young people, families, and carers who are navigating systems that don’t always serve them. Their strength is what drives me. I do consider myself courageous too, but I see courage as a muscle — one I have to keep flexing every day.
I work on advocacy and policy change for children, young people, and families. Too often, children’s voices are not heard in decisions that shape their futures, and harm is happening right now. Nearly two in three Australians report experiencing some form of maltreatment as children.
Globally, the picture is even more stark. From Palestine to Ukraine and Sudan, children are living through unimaginable crises. Children’s rights must be a priority everywhere — and every adult has a role to play in keeping children safe and well.
One moment I’m especially proud of was leading work in Tasmania during a once-in-a-generation reform of the child and family system. My team and I spent months building trust with organisations, practitioners, and — crucially — children and young people themselves.
As a result, we now represent 30 additional organisations and the voices of 110,000 children and young people in Tasmania, ensuring their experiences shape the policies that affect their lives. Beyond the big projects, I’m proud of the steady, behind-the-scenes work — conversations, advocacy, and pushing for a human rights lens in every space.
It wasn’t one moment, but a series of experiences. Early in my career, I saw how reactive systems often fail children and families — and how little we invest in early, therapeutic support that could prevent harm altogether.
I want to dedicate my career to closing those gaps and moving systems, inch by inch, toward better outcomes for children and families. Knowing the work I do today can make a difference for every child who comes next is what drives me.
I want to see real accountability for children across government, services, and communities. Every decision affecting children should consider their safety, wellbeing, and voices — and adults should be held responsible for getting it right.
My work contributes by lifting lived experience, building coalitions, and connecting decision-makers with what actually works. Accountability isn’t just about reporting — it’s about influence and follow-through.
I look at what’s working in other countries and remind myself that change is possible. I also try to document the wins, big or small. In this work, it’s easy to move straight to the next problem — but pausing to see how far we’ve come keeps me hopeful and grounded.
Imogen Gerraty’s leadership reflects the heart of Global Fellows in Courage: principled, persistent, and deeply grounded in the voices of children and families. From community conversations to national policy reform, she is helping ensure children’s rights are not just promised — but practiced.
