Michelle Deshong

Michelle Deshong is an Indigenous Australian, an advocate for Gender Equality and Indigenous Women and the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute. She has spent the majority of her career in shaping Indigenous Affairs, national agendas including the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission and National Congress.

Education
Deshong is a Kuku Yalanji woman from Townsville, North Queensland, Australia. She grew up in Queensland in the 1970s and 1980s, and this experience drew her into the Indigenous rights field. She moved from Townsville to Canberra after high school, which taught her about the inner workings of government. She completed a BA with First Class Honours in Political Science and Indigenous Studies, with a PhD from James Cook University. Her thesis was on the "Participation of Aboriginal women in public and political life".

Deshong studied in Canada and the US in 2016, and was awarded a Fulbright fellowship on strategies on leadership, gender equity and Nation building.

Deshong was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, in 2017, to 'research and apply best practice on Indigenous governance and leadership models'. Her study involved immersive visits to diverse First Nations communities and institutions. The primary objective was to investigate and analyze various leadership and governance models. This research project uncovered a spectrum of self-government, sovereignty, and development approaches within these communities. The study also provided insights into the potential adaptation and implementation of research findings and best practices within the Australian context. The research also included concepts of nation building, cultural governance, sovereignty, and identity, all of which were explored in detail within the report.

Following the study, Deshong integrated key findings from the Fellowship into their role at the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute. In 2019, she implemented her findings from the fellowship into the role at the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute.

Career
Deshong has worked in the Queensland Government, in roles as a public servant at Centrelink, for 20 years. She is also a mother of three children, and she completed her BA while raising children as a single parent. She has also worked on the Justice Prevention Steering Committee, as well as Small Business Advisory Committee. She worked in contributing to the National Congress, the Coalition of Peaks, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Deshong was also involved in the 'Homeward Bound' project, a global transformational leadership initiative, with the goal of creating a diverse global community, with a female community of scientists who travel to Antarctica, focussing on scientific endeavour and taking action for sustainability. Deshong worked on Homeward Bound 5.

She founded Deshong Consulting in 2008. She was also a judge at the Supplier Diversity awards, 2023. She was on the board of Supply Nation, and holds directorship roles on Reef Restoration Adaptation Board, "'I believe knowledge is power, and there's no point if I'm the only one gaining that knowledge... I've always tried to impart and share the knowledge that I'm gaining, particularly with Indigenous women, by engaging in conversations that empower women to be change makers.'"

Gender Equity
Deshong is passionate about advocating for community and women's issues, and works to ensure the voices of indigenous women are represented at all levels. She has also worked for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Deshong is an advocate for community and women's issues, and a lead facilitator of the Oxfam 'Straight Talk Program', which is an organisation of over 900 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Deshong also was a representative for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Deshong gave a TEDX talk on 'Black women: tipping the balance'

Deshong has encouraged governments, businesses as well as community organisations to provide ways for opportunities for First Nations women to get involved in leadership roles. She commented that a way to better support First Nations women can involve stepping aside to make way for impact.

Deshong was a co-host and speaker at the Wiyi Yani U Thangani summit, together with June Oscar, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar. The summit was the result of a five year project, started in 2018, of listening to women's voices, travelling to 50 locations in remote, regional and urban areas, listening to more than 2000 Indigenous women.

Awards

 * 2016 - James Love Churchill Fellowship.
 * 2015 - National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year.
 * 2015 - Indigenous Professional Fulbright Scholarship.
 * 2013 - AFR/Westpac - 100 Women of Influence.
 * 2012 - Queensland Rural Woman of the Year: Runner Up.
 * 2001 - ACT Aboriginal person of the year.