Kathleen Maltzahn
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Maltzahn is an author, women’s rights and anti-trafficking campaigner. She is a former councillor for the City of Yarra
and was the Greens
candidate for the state seat of Richmond in the 2010 Victorian state election
.
, and moved with her family to the Northern Melbourne
suburb of Preston.
Maltzahn attended high school in Melbourne’s inner-east, and completed her Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1984. She commenced study at the University of Melbourne
the following year, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1988, returning in 1996 to undertake a postgraduate diploma in women's studies.
Maltzahn currently resides in the inner-city suburb of Fitzroy North.
From 1989 to 1990, and 1992–1995, Maltzahn worked in the Philippines on initiatives aimed at combating violence against women in the Filipino sex industry, working directly with Filipino sex workers. After returning to Australia, Maltzahn founded Project Respect, an organisation committed to challenging violence against women in the sex industry. Under her leadership, Project Respect successfully spearheaded a national campaign on trafficking for prostitution that led the Federal Government to change sexual slavery legislation, end the mandatory deportation of trafficking victims and introduce a $20 million package on trafficking.
In 2008, Maltzahn authored Traffic, the first book length account about the trafficking of women as prostitutes in Australia for the illegal sex industry, published by University of New South Wales
Press.
Maltzahn was also the executive director of Women’s Health in the North – an organization in Melbourne’s Northern metropolitan region for the prevention of violence against women, and the promotion of sexual health and female reproductive rights – from which she resigned in 2010 to campaign full-time as the Greens candidate for the seat of Richmond at the upcoming state election.
council from 2004 to 2008. During her tenure, she chaired council’s Disability Advisory Committee, Bicycle Advisory Committee, chaired the Finance and Human Services Committee, and instigated and chaired council’s Male Sexual Violence Prevention Policy Working Group.
In 2008, Maltzahn stood as the Greens candidate for Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne City Council, alongside fellow Green Adam Bandt
, who was running for the office of Lord Mayor. Bandt
and Maltzahn finished second on behind winner Robert Doyle
.
MP, Richard Wynne
, Maltzahn requires a swing to the Greens of 3.64%.
Maltzahn is running on a policy platform of increased availability of childcare services, increased public education spending, improved public transport, increased government support for culture and the arts, housing affordability, ending old-growth logging, sustainable urban growth and planning, and strong climate change action.
Though Maltzahn has said she thinks the "sale of sexual services should be decriminalised", she has also said she "supports the Swedish model", which makes it illegal to purchase a person for sex.
Her positioned has spurred a viral campaign to "send the Greens a message against running anti sex work campaigners as candidates".
City of Yarra
The City of Yarra is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 19.5 square kilometres, and at the 2006 census it had a population of 69,330...
and was the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
candidate for the state seat of Richmond in the 2010 Victorian state election
Victorian state election, 2010
The 2010 Victorian state election was held on 27 November. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party government, led by John Brumby, was defeated by the centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition, led by Ted Baillieu....
.
Background
Maltzahn was born in Morwell, VictoriaMorwell, Victoria
-Transport:The main form of transport in Morwell is the automobile. The Princes Freeway now bypasses the town to the south while the old Princes Highway which once passed through east-west through its centre is now Princes Drive and Commercial Road. The highway connects Morwell with other...
, and moved with her family to the Northern Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Preston.
Maltzahn attended high school in Melbourne’s inner-east, and completed her Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1984. She commenced study at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
the following year, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1988, returning in 1996 to undertake a postgraduate diploma in women's studies.
Maltzahn currently resides in the inner-city suburb of Fitzroy North.
From 1989 to 1990, and 1992–1995, Maltzahn worked in the Philippines on initiatives aimed at combating violence against women in the Filipino sex industry, working directly with Filipino sex workers. After returning to Australia, Maltzahn founded Project Respect, an organisation committed to challenging violence against women in the sex industry. Under her leadership, Project Respect successfully spearheaded a national campaign on trafficking for prostitution that led the Federal Government to change sexual slavery legislation, end the mandatory deportation of trafficking victims and introduce a $20 million package on trafficking.
In 2008, Maltzahn authored Traffic, the first book length account about the trafficking of women as prostitutes in Australia for the illegal sex industry, published by University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Press.
Maltzahn was also the executive director of Women’s Health in the North – an organization in Melbourne’s Northern metropolitan region for the prevention of violence against women, and the promotion of sexual health and female reproductive rights – from which she resigned in 2010 to campaign full-time as the Greens candidate for the seat of Richmond at the upcoming state election.
Local Politics
Maltzahn served as a Greens councillor on the City of YarraCity of Yarra
The City of Yarra is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 19.5 square kilometres, and at the 2006 census it had a population of 69,330...
council from 2004 to 2008. During her tenure, she chaired council’s Disability Advisory Committee, Bicycle Advisory Committee, chaired the Finance and Human Services Committee, and instigated and chaired council’s Male Sexual Violence Prevention Policy Working Group.
In 2008, Maltzahn stood as the Greens candidate for Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne City Council, alongside fellow Green Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
, who was running for the office of Lord Mayor. Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
and Maltzahn finished second on behind winner Robert Doyle
Robert Doyle
Robert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
.
State Politics
On July 3, 2009, Maltzahn was preselected as the Victorian Greens candidate for the state Legislative Assembly in the inner-Melbourne seat of Richmond. In order to unseat incumbent ALPAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
MP, Richard Wynne
Richard Wynne
Hon. Richard William Wynne MLA is an Australian politician and former Minister for Housing, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in the State Cabinet of the Government of Victoria, and has held the Legislative Assembly seat of Richmond in the Victorian Parliament since...
, Maltzahn requires a swing to the Greens of 3.64%.
Maltzahn is running on a policy platform of increased availability of childcare services, increased public education spending, improved public transport, increased government support for culture and the arts, housing affordability, ending old-growth logging, sustainable urban growth and planning, and strong climate change action.
Controversy
Maltzahn has been criticised as "ill-informed" and "meddling" by the Victorian Sex Industry Network, who say "It is clear... that she hasn't talked to local sex workers". The Australian said she "wants to take the regulated prostitution industry and make it illegal again, as it was in the 1950s", labeling her a "conservative" and "sex-negative feminist". The Australian Sex Party have accused her of being an "anti-sex campaigner".Though Maltzahn has said she thinks the "sale of sexual services should be decriminalised", she has also said she "supports the Swedish model", which makes it illegal to purchase a person for sex.
Her positioned has spurred a viral campaign to "send the Greens a message against running anti sex work campaigners as candidates".
Awards
In 2005, Kathleen Maltzahn was awarded the inaugural Dame Phyllis Frost Award from the National Council of Women of Victoria in recognition of her work as an anti-trafficking campaigner.Publications
- Maltzahn, Kathleen. (2008). Trafficked. Sydney, New South Wales. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 978-086840-913-9
- Dropping arts not the answer – http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/29/2555529.htm
- Paying to look or touch does not equal a licence to hurt and kill – http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/06/24/1182623736471.html
- So far, so good, but more can be done to end sex slavery – http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/so-far-so-good-but-more-can-be-done-to-end-sex-slavery-20090617-chsz.html
- The modern face of slavery - http://australiansonline.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/28/2316175.htm
External links
- http://vic.greens.org.au/
- http://www.kathleenmaltzahn.com/
- http://projectrespect.org.au/
- http://www.whin.org.au/