Awards for women in NSW or ACT
Edna Ryan Awards Awarded for making a feminist difference to women in NSW and ACT, Australia. Venue Sydney Trades Hall First awarded 1998
The Edna Ryan Awards , also referred to as simply "The EDNAS", are Australian awards established to recognise women who have "made a feminist difference". The inaugural Edna Ryan Awards were held in 1998, the year following the death of their namesake Edna Ryan . Ryan was a life-long feminist, labour movement activist, and mentor and role model for a whole generation of women.[ 1] These awards were created to honour her life and work by a group of her friends, particularly Eva Cox and other members of the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL).[ 2]
Ryan had been closely involved with WEL, particularly the Women in the Workforce group which she convened.[ 3] WEL hosted and administered the EDNAS from 1998 -2010, but from 2012 they were administered by The Edna Ryan Awards Committee and hosted by the Australian Services Union (ASU). In 2020 the Older Women's Network (OWN) NSW took over hosting the awards.[ 4] [ 5]
Nominees for the awards must be comfortable identifying as a feminist and must live or work in NSW or the ACT as Ryan did during her lifetime. A panel reviews all nominations and the awards are presented on an annual basis at an evening social event.[ 6] Since their inception the awards have recognised many high-profile Australian women for their feminist activity, including Eva Cox , Meredith Burgmann , Susan Ryan , Anne Summers , Wendy McCarthy , Jane Caro and Sally McManus . However, many of the recipients have been tireless advocates for women's rights who worked as community activists over a long period with very little other reward or recognition.[ 7] [ 8]
The award categories can vary but in recent years there have been awards in many fields including workforce, government, arts, community activism, media/communications, leadership, mentoring, sport and education.[ 9] The awards are not intended as simply recognition of women who are successful in their own field, but require evidence that their achievements or actions have made a feminist difference by improving the lives and status of women within the community. There is also a Grand Stirrer award for inciting others to challenge the status quo.
Grand Stirrer Award Recipients [ edit ]
Award Recipients–by year (all categories)[ edit ]
Name
Category
Sam Mostyn
Grand Stirrer
Deborah Cheetham Fraillon
Arts
Bree van Reyk
Arts
Kristine Hewett
Community Activism
Audrey Mims
Community Activism
Climate Writers: Marlene Baquiran & Eezu Tan
Community Activism
Sarah Rosenberg
Community Activism
Chrystina Stanford
Leadership
Ginger Gorman
Media Communication
Daphne Lowe Kelly
Mentoring
Shirley Randell
Mentoring
Pilar Lopez
Mentoring
Vanessa Donald-Smith
Mentoring
Anne Junor
Workforce
Meg Smith
Workforce
Neelima Kadiyala
Workforce
Name
Category
Chanel Contos
Grand Stirrer
Louise Hislop
Political Activism
Amanda Rose
Leadership
Annie Crowe
Community Activism
Brenda Gaddi
Leadership
Janice Paulson
Mentorship
Jenny Leong
Leadership
Julia Zemiro
Media Communication
Licia Heath
Political Activism
Lorraine Usher
Mentoring
Maha Abdo
Community Activism
Malaika Mfula
Leadership
Rizina Yadav
Leadership
Melina Georgousakis
Mentoring
Natalie Lang
Workforce
Renae Ryan
Workforce
Romy Listo
Leadership
Rosie Herberte
Arts
Sue Edmonds
Arts
Name
Category
Brittany Higgins
Grand Stirrer
Ann Reynolds
Community Activism
Adina Jacobs
Mentoring
Bobbi Mahlab
Mentoring
Catherine Gander
Leadership
Charmaine Huisman
Community Activism
Claire Couson
Arts
Clair Jackson
Arts
Danielle Villafana
Community Activism
Denise Thompson
Media/Communication
Diane Hague
Workforce
Dulce Munoz
Community Activism
Elaine Evans
Leadership
Elizabeth Hill
Workforce
Emily Mayo
Media/Communication
Georgie Dent
Workforce
Hayley Foster
Leadership
Jess Hill
Media/Communication
Jo-Anne Cahill
Arts
Kim Loo
Community Activism
Kittu Randhawa
Leadership
Robynne Murphey
Workforce
Rosell Flatley
Arts
Sunita Gloster
Media/Communication
The Loveys
Arts
Yvette Kinkade
Community Activism
Name
Category
Mary O'Sullivan
Community Activism
Leonie McGuire
Community Activism
fEMPOWER
Grand Stirrer
Lee Lewis
Arts
Pearlie McNeill
Arts
Margot Oliver
Media/Communication
Deborah Brennan
Education
Helen L'Orange
Leadership
Marilyn Hatton
Leadership
Name
Category
Erin Wen Ai Chew
Community Activism
Jude Finch
Community Activism
Lewina Jackson
Community Activism
Simone White
Community Activism
Mary Konstantopoulos
Sport
Mehreen Faruqi
Grand Stirrer
The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe
Arts
Nina Angelo
Arts
Gabriele Jones
Arts
Erika Addis
Media/Communication
End Rape on Campus Australia (EROC)
Education
Hannah Wandel
Education
Rachel Cooper
Workforce
Marion Brown
Leadership
Name
Category
Billi McCarthy-Price and
Hannah Massingham[ 11]
Sport
Amanda Hill
Grand Stirrer
The Women's Library
Arts
Catherine Ordway
Sport
Lina Cabaero
Workforce
Janine Whiteman
Mentoring
Carol Booth and Liz Rickman
Leadership
Sharon McKinnon
Leadership
Darriea Turley
Government
Jozefa Sobski
Education
Jan Breckenridge
Education
Monica Davidson
Media/Communication
Julie Perkins
Community Activism
Jane Davidson
Community Activism
Heidi Zajac[ 11]
Community Activism
Name
Category
Ashleigh Thomson
Mentoring
Margaret Hickie
Mentoring
Louise Evans
Sport
Chris Ronalds
Leadership
Margaret Henry
Leadership
Sally McManus
Grand Stirrer
Betty Ferguson
Mentoring
Amanda Shalala
Sport
Tara Moss
Grand Stirrer
Finola Moorhead
Arts
Darelle Duncan
Community Activism
Jeannie Sotheran
Community Activism
Saba Vasefi[ 12]
Community Activism
Anjani Regmi
Community Activism
Frances Crimmins
Leadership
Name
Category
Roxanne McMurray
Leadership
Maeve Marsden
Arts
Vee Malnar
Arts
Lillian Howell Project
Community Activism
Marilyn Forsythe
Workforce
Bronwyn Culling
Mentoring
Lin Cooper
Mentoring
Bush Lemons
Leadership
Marian Baird
Workforce
Hawzhin Azeez
Media/Communication
Kate Rowe
Sport
McKenzie Raymond
Community Activism
Zoya Patel
Media/Communication
Dorothy McRae-McMahon
Grand Stirrer
Name
Category
Suzie van Opdorp
Community Activism
Shirley Kent
Community Activism
Anne Buttsworth
Media/Communication
Maree O'Halloran
Leadership
Kim Rubenstein [ 13]
Leadership
Destroy The Joint
Grand Stirrer
Ursula Frederick
Arts
Lee Grant
Arts
Rebecca Ordish
Mentoring
Fiona Miller
Mentoring
Wendy Herbert
Education
Dragica Sinikoski
Education
Danielle Warby
Sport
Heather Reid
Sport
Name
Category
Nadia Saleh
Workforce
Sonia Laverty
Workforce
Bronwyn Penrith
Mentoring
Natasa Nikolic
Mentoring
Sylvia Kinder
Mentoring
Teresa Savage
Grand Stirrer
Jenna Price
Media/Communication
Maree McDermott
Community Activism
Bronwyn Bancroft
Arts
Georgina Abrahams
Arts
Cigdem Aydemir
Arts
Jan McDonald
Community Activism
Name
Category
Ludo McFerran
Community Activism
Jennifer Dalitz
Workforce
Kat Armstrong
Battling
Debbie Carstens
Workforce
Shokufeh Kavani
Arts
Sue Salthouse
Community Activism
Nina Funnell
Media/Communication
Frances Plummer
Mentoring
Mary Dimech
Mentoring
Jane Pollard
Education
Dawn Atkinston
Education
Gabe Kavanagh
Community Activism
Rose Campbell
Community Activism
Susan Smith
Community Activism
Maggy Fargo
Community Activism
Name
Category
Edith Weisberg
Education
Charmaigne Weldon
Battling
Ruth Pollard
Media/Communication
Jane Caro
Media/Communication
Rhonda Wilson
Grand Stirrer
Julie Bates
Workforce
Patricia Griffin
Community Activism
Name
Category
Jo Kowalczyk
Workforce
Liz Barlow
Government
Lesley Laing
Education
Jude Irwin
Education
Matina Mottee
Community Activism
Karen Lee Willis
Grand Stirrer
Elaine Odgers Norling
Community Activism
Judy James Bailey
Media/Communication
Beth Eldridge
Community Activism
Christine Sinclair
Community Activism
Tess Brill
Community Activism
Name
Category
Julie Velthuys
Mentoring
Ellie Ellis
Education
Rosemary Kariuki
Community Activism
Muyesser Durer
Battling
Kellie Tranter
Community Activism
Spiderlily Redgold
Media/Communication
Denele Crozier
Community Activism
Libby Silva
Community Activism
Marie Muir
Community Activism
Emily Maguire
Media/Communication
Rosalind Helyard
Education
Name
Category
Liz Ashburn
Arts
Betty Green
Community Activism
Jane Corpuz-Brock
Community Activism
Dorothy Hoddinott
Education
Joy Goodsell
Community Activism
Adele Horin
Media/Communication
Carmel Nola
Media/Communication
Catherine Fox
Media/Communication
Claire Moore (Senator)
Government
Victoria Abigail
Mentoring
Jude Stoddart
Workforce
Rosemary Richards
Workforce
Daphne Baxter
Workforce
Helen Westwood
Community Activism
Marie Coleman
Government
Anne Field
Government
Tegan Wagner
Grand Stirrer
Priscilla Lumsden
Community Activism
Dixie Link-Gordon
Mentoring
Judith Troeth (Senator)
Government
Lyn Allison (Senator)
Government
Name
Category
Merilyn Childs
Workforce
Josephine Conway
Community Activism
Alva Geikie
Community Activism
Nola Cooper
Community Activism
Bronwyn Moye
Government
Gerri Greenfield
Grand Stirrer
Margaret Kirkby
Access to Abortion
Julia Freebury
Access to Abortion
Jacqui Smith
Mentoring
Margaret Alston
Mentoring
Helen Campbell
Media/Communication
Anne-Mason Furnage
Battling
Stefania Siedlecky
Access to Abortion
Trude Kallir
Community Activism
Dorothy Cora
Community Activism
Name
Category
Muriel Hortin
Community Activism
Susan Ryan
Government
Margo Moore
Community Activism
Anne Summers
Grand Stirrer
Lucy Porter
Battling
Phillippa Hall
Workforce
Joan Lemaire
Mentoring
Dominique Hogan-Doran
Workforce
Julie Griffiths
Mentoring
Name
Category
Jean Slarke
Workforce
Denise Ferris
Arts
Di Graham
Grand Stirrer
Roseleen Healy
Arts
Cate Turner
Community Activism
Rebecca Reilly
Workforce
Aileen Beaver
Workforce
Suzan Virago
Workforce
Betty Johnson
Community Activism
Elizabeth O'Brien
Community Activism
Vicki Potempa
Community Activism
Clare Burton
Grand Stirrer
Susan Kendall
Government
Fran Hayes
Workforce
Name
Category
Rachael Oakes-Ash
Humour
Judy Horacek
Humour
Julia Baird
Media/Communication
Kathleen Swinbourne
Government
Elizabeth Dawson
Education
Wendy McCarthy
Grand Stirrer
Dorothy Symonds
Grand Stirrer
Janne Ellen
Community Activism
Joyce Stevens
Mentoring
Betty Little
Battling
Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre
Community Activism
Jan Roberts
Community Activism
Jill Bruneau
Arts
Name
Category
Kristine Cruden
Government
Robyn Plaister
Grand Stirrer
Erica Lewis
Government
Toni Modafferi
Media/Communication
Merle Highet
Community Activism
Pam Johnston
Community Activism
Maggie Smyth
Mentoring
Shirley Jones
Arts
Chrissie Shaw
Arts
Martha Ansara
Media/Communication
Kathryn McConnochie
Arts
NSW Teachers' Federation (on behalf of 13 women casual teachers)
Workforce
Pat Richardson
Battling
Emma Tom
Humour
Name
Category
Joan Bielski
Grand Stirrer
Gail Hewison
Arts
Noreen Hewett
Battling
Jane Gardiner
Media/Communication
Helen McDermott
Workforce
Cathy Block
Mentoring
Kate Lavender
Community Activism
Name
Category
Jenny Taylor
Battling
Meredith Burgmann
Humour
Juliet Richter
Lobbyist
Sheryle Bagwell
Media/Communication
Eva Cox
Grand Stirrer
Marlene Arditto
Political Potholder
Julie Compton
Battling
Misha Schubert
Young Woman
Ann Symonds
Government
Sharon Tobin
Workforce
Peggy Hewett
Arts
Lina Cabaero
Workforce