Caitlin Figueiredo, is a proud multicultural Australian working nationally and internationally to tackle discrimination, disrupt democracy and drive inclusive opportunities to scores of young women and girls. As the Lake Nite Learning CEO, an organisation focused on upskilling 1600 young people a year, Caitlin is tackling the education and employment gap missed by many young people to ensure Australians, regardless of background, attain an excellent education, skills to find employment and support themselves with a strong community.
An accomplished global keynote speaker, Caitlin has spoken to thousands of people around the world from over 85 countries. Currently studying a double degree at ANU, she was identified by The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation and Chair of NAB, Ken Henry, as 'someone who is influential shaping Australia both now, and in the years to come' and named ’17 people to watch past 2017’ by HerCanberra.
Current work
As Board Director of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, she provides a voice for 4.3 million young people to defend their rights at the Federal level. In June, she launched the National Council of Young Women Australia with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Minister of Women. Caitlin works to end violence and bullying against children as the Ambassador to the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. In June, she was sent by the Attorney General’s Department to represent Australia at the World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights in Dublin, Ireland. Caitlin was the only young person out of 600 international delegates present at the conference.
As a PLAN International Ambassador, Caitlin is making history by organising the world’s largest Girls Takeover Program with the Federal Parliament to promote democracy, girls’ leadership & increase female representation. And through her Unilever Period Emoji campaign, she advocated removing the period stigma which reached 160m people, 33 media outlets and 6000k shares on Facebook.
Previous experience
VGen: A visionary advocate for the cause of unity, at 19 Caitlin founded World Vision’s youth movement VGen ACT and Co-Founded the Arts and Women’s Rights Program, an international program building a grass movement of gender equality and assisting communities to build intercultural peace and transition women and girls into the education system through the creative arts in Pakistan.
Awards: In 2016, she won the ‘Young Leader’ category and was the youngest person ever to win the Australia’s ‘100 Most Influential Women’. She is ranked alongside Gloria Steinem, Chelsea Clinton and Dr. Jen Welter, as an influencer to 18.5 million women from over 196 countries.
Recognition: First Lady Michelle Obama and The White House named Caitlin a ‘Global Changemaker for Gender Equality’ cementing her position as one of the world’s leading equality advocates. A World Economic Forum Global Shaper, in November, she was invited by The White House to participate in calls with Valerie Jarrett and President Obama.
UN: Caitlin has a proven track record to deliver and transform organisation’s structures to meet the needs of a 21st-century society. She was appointed to three United Nations Task-Forces for Youth Development and Gender Equity by the Senior Strategic Advisor of UN Women. At the United Nations, she campaigned for the inclusion of the LGBT+ community and was instrumental in securing the LGBT community within the Youth CSW Declaration for the first time. Last year Caitlin led a UN team of 50 youth from 28 countries to create a menstruation program for The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon and the Special Advisor on the 2030 Agenda Dr. David Nabarro.
