Described by Forbes Magazine as a “youthful visionary”, Ashleigh Streeter-Jones has worked in youth advocacy and campaigns since she was a teenager. Ashleigh has been recognised by the Foundation of Young Australians as one of the Young Social Pioneers, and was named both the youngest ever Australian Capital Territory Woman of the Year and Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018. She is a passionate change maker and a strong believer in "lifting the floor". Her work focuses on closing societal gaps - particularly those faced by women and young people from traditionally marginalised backgrounds - she works within the community, provides advice to senior leaders to combat systemic inequality and create a more equal world.
In 2020, Ashleigh launched Raise Our Voice Australia (ROVA), a social enterprise to boost the presence of young female and non-binary voices in politics, domestic policy and foreign policy. ROVA has graduated over 100 young people from its programs, collected 603 speeches to the inaugural Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign, and has published research on young women/ gender diverse people and politics. Prior to this, Ashleigh co-founded the Girls Takeover Parliament program in 2017 (which she left in 2018). She is recognised as an international thought leader on the importance of young people in the public sector, and has written and presented on the topic to both domestic and global organisations including the World Economic Forum and World YMCA. Ashleigh is also a member for the Apolitical New Voices Council.
Ashleigh started her career in a foreign policy space, volunteering with VGen, World Vision Australia’s youth movement. As the Victorian State Director, she was a pivotal driver in the campaign that got child labour on the G20 agenda for the first time ever. Following this, she was appointed the inaugural National Director of Campaigns in 2016. In 2017, Ashleigh ran Young Australians in International Affairs’ annual Future 21 conference, and is an experienced foreign policy practitioner, having worked in international policy since 2018.
Ashleigh's change-making has had a global impact. She has delivered workshops at the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, and advocated for gender equality internationally, including at the United Nations, the YWCA World Council, and as one of 50 young global leaders to attend Davos at the World Economic Forum. Ashleigh is currently the Oceania Community Champion for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers supporting young change makers across Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Papua New Guinea to make change in their local communities.
Through her work towards gender equality, Ashleigh sat on the board of YWCA Canberra from 2018-2021, the final two years as the Vice President. She is the former Chair and co-convenor of the Canberra Women's March, and has had her writing published by organisations including the ABC, the IMF, and Women's Agenda. She is also an experienced public speaker, having spoken on topics ranging from politics, youth engagement, and the need to get more young women into politics and change making, to organisations including The Body Shop Australia New Zealand, She's On The Money, the University of Canberra, the Department of Defence, Youth Development Australia, and Women for Election Australia. Ashleigh has also provided advice to senior level leaders, including federal Government departments, on how to achieve better gender equality within their organisations.
Ashleigh holds a BA(Hons) in International Relations / Politics from Monash University, wrote an honours thesis on women, peace and security in peace processes, and completed a Masters in Diplomacy from ANU.
Looking for an inspiring professional speaker for your next corporate event? Ashleigh tackles difficult topics to bring motivation and fresh insights to your organisation.
Through Raise Our Voice Australia and in a personal capacity, Ashleigh is an experienced workshop facilitator with years of experience leading workshops for young Australians in various organisations, including campaigning, leadership, and governance.
Ashleigh brings her knowledge of change making, youth and gender equality to work with senior leaders to diagnose problems and work towards a more diverse and inclusive outcome.
If you’re looking for new perspectives from an internationally recognised advocate and change maker, Ashleigh has experience in writing compelling articles on current topics, and has been published by outlets such as the ABC, Sydney Morning Herald and Women’s Agenda.
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