BC broadcast journalist and author Virginia Haussegger has been made a Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division (AM) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours list.
Ms Haussegger is a Board Member of the Australian National Committee for UN Women and has been honoured for her significant service to the community – particularly as an advocate for women’s rights and gender equity – and to the media. She said that a trip to Afghanistan in 2009 proved a pivotal moment in her life.
“Here we were, night after night on the news delivering stories about the conflict in Afghanistan and it was a military story, it was an operational story, it was a political story,” she said.
“We weren’t hearing stories about the people and I knew… that there was a bigger story going on and that was the story of women. And women are at the centre of that battle, as they often are in these situations.”
The Executive Director of the Australian National Committee Julie McKay congratulated Ms Haussegger on her award.
“It is an enormous and well-deserved compliment to Virginia’s hard work, dedication and passionate commitment to women’s rights. We are all incredibly proud of her and pleased to see that her efforts recognised in such a way,” she said.
Ms Haussegger notes that the honour has inspired her to work harder to promote women’s rights and gender equality and paid homage to the support of women peers and colleagues in Australia and abroad.
“While it’s a great privilege to receive such a thing, it’s also a responsibility and it makes me feel like I have to work harder now. And I will.”
