PROFILE
Chanel Contos founded Teach Us Consent, a campaign that mandated consent education in Australia. In order to achieve this, she worked closely with politicians from across the political spectrum, including prime ministers. She has also worked closely with Attorney Generals on impactful legal reform around consent and sexual assault.
Chanel was the 2021 recipient of the Australian Human Rights Award Young People’s medal, and in 2022 she was named as one of BBC World’s 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide. Chanel’s achievements were recognised by Prince William and Prince Harry when she was granted a Diana Award, which is one of the highest international accolades a young person can receive for their humanitarian work. Chanel was also named NSW Young Woman of the year for her persistent efforts towards eradicating rape culture.
Chanel has a first-class Masters in Gender, Education and International Development from the University College London.
Chanel is still the Managing Director of Teach Us Consent, which has recently been given $3.5million by the Australian Government to continue their work. Chanel consults for a range of companies and governments, and in 2023 she was appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee.
She is the author of Consent Laid Bare (2023).
SPEAKING TOPICS
Transformative Leadership: Galvanising communities to lead change
From sparking a petition to reshaping national conversations, Chanel Contos stands as a beacon of how purpose-driven leadership can challenge and transform society, institutions and culture.
In this presentation, Chanel unpacks how her mission to implement consent education at her high school evolved into a national movement revolutionising the education system and reshaping Australia’s discourse on consent. Audiences will be motivated and equipped with practical insights on leading and delivering meaningful change in complex environments.
Key Takeaways:
- Visionary Leadership: Understand what it takes to inspire and lead a national movement
– Harnessing Collective Power: Techniques for galvanising support and amplifying emerging voices to effect change. - Resilience in Advocacy: Overcoming obstacles and leveraging criticism as a catalyst for growth.
- Empathy and Engagement: The art of connecting deeply, understanding stakeholders, and building bridges in advocacy.
