Mary Crooks

Mary Crooks "has had a varied career in tertiary teaching, research, advocacy and public policy, covering such diverse areas as youth policy, the impacts of long-term unemployment on people, urban planning and design, dispute resolution, new right economics and politics, wood products and forestry policy, and water use and management.

"She has been the Executive Director of the Victorian Women's Trust for the past ten years. In this role, she has helped guide the Trust’s annual grants program to make real and lasting differences for women as well as undertaking research and advocacy on women in politics, women’s unpaid work, family violence, family-friendly work practices, discrimination and women’s economic security. She has been active in law reform campaigns on such issues as the elimination of provocation as a defence in violence against women.

"In her role as Executive Director, she has designed and led some ground-breaking projects including the Purple Sage project, Ordinary Women Extraordinary Lives, and the more recent Watermark Australia project.

"She was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for her services to women."

• Management Committee (Chair), Changemakers Australia