Angela Young, a proud Kullalli/Koa woman, is taking significant strides in Indigenous health and leadership. As the Executive Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement at Children's Health Queensland, she's set to speak at the upcoming First Nations Women in Leadership Summit in Meanjin / Brisbane & Online this May, organised by The Hatchery.
Her journey is deeply rooted in a passion for Indigenous health, justice, and human rights.
"My mum was a GP and she worked in every corner of the state and through her role in rural communities, she campaigned for better health outcomes for Aboriginal communities. She has finally retired now! And my dad, who is now resting in the Dreamtime, was a fierce advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, both in law, justice and in health through his music. I suppose the product of the two of them is, in fact, exactly what I do right now, which is building solutions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in health," she said.
Ms Young's professional journey began with a law degree, leading to roles in government law in Canberra and positions in the Department of Education and Employment. Ultimately, she found herself in Meanjin, working in policy roles focused on supporting the transition from school to work for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Her passion for youth and advocacy led her to the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, where she played a pivotal role in advocating for the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector as the General Manager of Policy and Advocacy.
"One of our greatest achievements was changing the Hospital and Health services legislation to include co-designed Health Equity strategies for improved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes," she notes.
"Working with QLD Government, we built that policy over a couple of years, now Hospital Health Services are required to co-design health strategies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. When the implementation of that legislation began, a role popped up at Children's Health Queensland, which is the combination of all of the work that I had been advocating for and my passion for young people, that's how I ended up here."
Ms Young emphasises the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, particularly for women.
"When young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls see women in leadership roles, it elevates community aspirations and economic hopes," she said.
"This generational aspiration lift is culturally significant and vital for our community's future.
"The matriarchs of the family really do hold the leadership role for the rest of the community, that's certainly the experience in my family. Elevating Aboriginal women in leadership I think this is just an adaptation of our culture in a modern world, in a professional sense."
Her vision for the summit is to strengthen a shared sense of community among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women leaders.
"I think we're in real danger in our community, particularly women in leadership roles, of being pit against each other… Politics and media interests create a sense of competition and a divergence from the way that we've always been, which is supportive of each other. It is important to remind ourselves that we all have different stories, but everybody's story is important, and it's the time that we spend together that's of the most value, not who's getting what funding and who's researching what and who's publishing what paper, or who's in what executive role… So, I'm excited about being at the conference to restore a sense of community and trust in this incredible female, empowered leadership community that we've worked really hard to build."
Angela Young's story is a testament to the power of leadership, community, and cultural heritage in driving positive change.
For more information about the upcoming summit, download the full program online.
