Virginia Haussegger AM

Virginia Haussegger AM's Biography

Virginia Haussegger AM is a passionate women’s advocate, and communication specialist with unique expertise in leading powerful conversations. She is also an award-winning television journalist, writer and commentator, whose extensive media career spans 30 years.

Virginia has reported from around the globe, including Washington, New York and the Middle East, for leading current affair programs on Channel 9, the Seven Network and the ABC. She has anchored primetime national news programs and presented as state host in five capital cities, including 15 years as nightly anchor of the ABC’s flagship TV News in Canberra.

An intuitive and skilled interviewer, Virginia went on to become the youngest woman to host the ABC’s flagship current affairs program the 7.30 Report. In the early 90s she left public broadcasting for commercial television, first reporting for A Current Affair on Channel 9, then later as Senior Reporter for Network 7’s controversial public affairs program, Witness.

In 2001, after a couple of heady years in the corporate sector as a communications specialist with Cosway Australia, Virginia returned to broadcasting as the face of ABC TV News in Canberra. For the next 15 years she balanced media demands with a busy portfolio of NGO advocacy, public speaking and communications training; in addition to a writing a weekly column for The Canberra Times (2007-2010).

In 2009 Virginia made a self-funded trip to Afghanistan to highlight the plight of women and children. And in 2011 she curated the exhibition “Eye On Afghanistan”, to raise funds for the Australian based NGO Mahboba’s Promise. She later featured in the multi-award-winning documentary, ‘Love Marriage in Kabul’ by Iranian filmmaker, Amin Palangi.

By late 2016, driven to speed up the glacial global progress on gender equality, Virginia left daily media to take up a new position as founding Director of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, a bold new gender equality research initiative at the University of Canberra. In 2017, with an aim to improve public discourse around equity issues, Virginia launched the online news platform BroadAgenda, applying a gender lens to policy and practice. She served as Chief Editor until mid 2021.

When marking its 150th anniversary, The Age newspaper in Melbourne ranked Virginia’s seminal article on feminism and childlessness as among the most significant opinion pieces published in its 150 year history. Her book Wonder Woman: The myth of ‘having it all’ was launched by Julia Gillard in a live broadcast at the National Press Club.

Virginia is the recipient of various awards including the United Nations Media Peace Prize for coverage of Indigenous Affairs, and has been a judge for the national media Walkley awards over several years. She is a Member of the Order of Australia (AM); the 2019 ACT Australian of The Year: and was awarded the 2019 ACT Award for Excellence in Woman’s Leadership (WLA).

Virginia is a Board Director of the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI); and member of the Yindyamarra Institute for Democracy, Advisory Group (Charles Sturt University). She is Patron of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, and has previously served on a number of boards and committees including: UN Women Australia; The Rhodes Scholarship Australia at Large Selection Committee; the Snowy Hydro SouthCare Trust; Our Watch, Media Advisory Committee; and Women in Media, Canberra. Virginia also served six years as a Director on the ACT Government’s Cultural Facilities Corporation.

Widely recognised as a leading communication and media strategist, Virginia regularly hosts a broad range of public forums, conferences and panel discussions, covering diverse fields of knowledge spanning academic, public and private sectors. She has worked across Commonwealth departments on the design and delivery of bespoke communication and presentation masterclasses. Virginia is an ANZSOG Fellow and sessional Lecturer in the Public Policy Program (faculty of Business, Government & Law) at the University of Canberra.

To enquire about Virginia contact Helene Greenham directly: helene@platinumspeakers.com.au

Speaking Topics Include

Wonder Woman: The myth of ‘having it all’

Empowering Women to Lead

Women and Leadership

The Representation of Women in the Media

The 'Feminisation' of Politics in Australia

Feminism, Fertility and Childlessness

Work/Life Balance

Women, War and Conflict

Gender and Social Justice in Afghanistan