Hannah McGlade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hannah McGlade
Born	(1969-06-06) 6 June 1969 (age 56) Perth, Western Australia
Alma mater	Murdoch University (LL.B., LL.M.) Curtin University (PhD)
Scientific career
Institutions	Curtin University
Thesis	Aboriginal child ... (CSA) and the criminal justice system: the last frontier (2010/2011)
Doctoral advisor	Linda Briskman
Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for the Pacific
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 2020

Hannah McGlade is an amazing Indigenous Australian academic, human rights champion, and lawyer. She was born on June 6, 1969. She is a Kurin Minang Noongar woman from the Bibulman nation. As of July 2025, she is an associate professor at Curtin University's law school. In 2016, she became a Senior Indigenous Fellow at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Since 2020, she has been a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Early Life and Education

Hannah McGlade was born in Perth, Western Australia. Her family belongs to the Kurin Minang Noongar people. This Aboriginal Australian group has strong ties to the southwestern coast of Western Australia.

University Studies

Hannah McGlade studied at Murdoch University. In 1995, she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree. She was the first Aboriginal woman to graduate with a law degree from Murdoch University. She was also the first Aboriginal woman to graduate from any law school in Western Australia. In 1996, she became a solicitor and barrister. This meant she could practice law in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

She continued her studies and received a Master of Laws degree in 2001.

Doctoral Research and Awards

In 2011, Hannah McGlade completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Her important research focused on protecting Aboriginal children's rights within the justice system. Her thesis won the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Stanner Award. This award is given to the best academic work by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander author. Because she won, her thesis was published as a book in 2012. The book was titled Our Greatest Challenge: Aboriginal children and human rights.

Academic Career

In 2016, Hannah McGlade became a Senior Indigenous Research Fellow at Curtin University. As of July 2025, she is an associate professor at Curtin Law School.

In 2020, she received a Churchill Fellowship. This special award allowed her to research the Indigenous Sámi Parliaments in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. She learned how these parliaments work to represent Indigenous people.

Championing Rights

Hannah McGlade is a strong voice for Indigenous Australians. She focuses on important issues like law, safety for women, and fairness for everyone. She works to end unfair treatment that some people face.

Fighting Discrimination

In 2002, Hannah McGlade took a federal senator to court. This was because he made comments that were unfair to Aboriginal Australians. She won the case, and the senator was found to have broken the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. This showed her dedication to fighting for equality.

Advocating for Women and Children

Since 2016, Hannah McGlade has worked hard for a national plan to keep women safe. Her efforts were successful with various United Nations groups. In 2020, she suggested creating a Council on Safety for Aboriginal Women and Children. This idea was in partnership with a national group called Our Watch. In June 2021, the Australian government created a special group. This group helps develop a plan to end harm against families in Australia.

Her long-term work for Aboriginal women and children led to the creation of Djinda. This was the first service in Perth to help victims. She also became the first CEO of the Aboriginal Family Law Services.

Protecting Cultural Heritage

Hannah McGlade has also spoken out about the destruction of a sacred site at Juukan Gorge in 2020. She believes that governments and mining companies must listen to Aboriginal people. She says it is vital to protect land and culture. A new law was proposed in 2021 to prevent similar situations. However, McGlade felt Indigenous people were not properly included in discussions about it. She and other Indigenous leaders asked the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to review the law. They believed it did not meet Australia's international promises about fairness.

International Roles

In 2016, Hannah McGlade was appointed Senior Indigenous Fellow at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. In this role, she helps the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). This group works to protect the rights of Indigenous people worldwide.

As of July 2025, she is a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She represents the Pacific region and started this important role in 2020.

Awards and Recognition