You can't lean in or girl boss or hustle your way out of inequity. It's not about you, it's about the structures you exist within.
Jamila Rizvi is an author, podcaster, and diversity, equity and inclusion expert. She is Deputy Managing Director of FW (formerly Future Women) and co-founder of the FW Jobs Academy, supporting Australian women to find work and build careers. Jamila works with corporate and government leaders to advance gender equality and improve women’s economic security.
Jamila graduated from the Australian National University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws. During her studies, she served as student president and university council member and was later named Young Alumnus of the Year in 2016.
Before graduating, Jamila landed a job with then-new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. She went on to work for the Rudd and Gillard governments in various roles over five years, advising on media, gender equality, youth affairs, early childhood education and employment.
Jamila’s profile grew when she joined Mamamia, helping to transform Mia Freedman’s one-woman living room blog into a thriving independent media company. As Editor in Chief, Jamila played a defining role in shaping the platform’s editorial offering, which covered feminism, current affairs, parenting, and more. Under her leadership, the audience grew by more than 2000 per cent in just four years, as Jamila simultaneously established herself as a leading voice for young women.
Now a best-selling author, Jamila published the critically acclaimed Not Just Lucky in 2017, The Motherhood in 2018 and the children’s picture book I’m a Hero Too in 2020. Her most recent book is Broken Brains, co-authored with Rosie Waterland and published in 2025. Broken Brains explores Jamila’s fight for survival against a life-threatening brain tumour, and shares lessons of resilience, bravery, purpose and identity.
Jamila writes for the Nine newspapers and has a popular column in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's Sunday Life. She is also an experienced podcaster, having hosted shows for Listnr, ARN, Mamamia and Future Women.
Jamila has been a regular guest host and commentator on Australian television and radio programs, including The Project, ABC News Breakfast and Q&A. She is a dynamic, entertaining contributor who blends humour with her insightful analysis of current affairs and social issues.
As an experienced MC, facilitator, and passionate keynote speaker, Jamila has worked with diverse organisations from Visit Victoria to UN Women, Industry Super Australia to the Sydney Opera House, and Westpac Bank to Witchery. She is an enthusiastic, warm and intelligent host, with an uncanny ability to comprehend the nuances of an industry and grasp complex subjects.
Jamila has been named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence and was the 2020 Women and Leadership Australia award winner for Victoria. In 2022, she was named as one of Culture Amp’s Global Culture Leaders, recognising her managerial, leadership and advocacy achievements. Jamila has an active and engaged social media following of more than 130,000 across Facebook, Instagram and X.
Jamila is an ambassador for PLAN International and the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation. She lives in Melbourne with her husband Jeremy, son Rafi and Sonny the dog.
Talking Points
Master of Ceremonies
Jamila is a bubbly, confident and experienced Master of Ceremonies. She has infectious energy that captures an audience’s attention, putting them and fellow presenters at ease. Jamila drives an event towards its goal, keeping the mood in the room upbeat and focused. She both thoroughly prepares to be an MC, while accepting that everything can change in the moment. Jamila is flexible to the evolving needs of the client, anticipates problems and is adept at improvising. Jamila has an outstanding command of language and excellent general knowledge. This makes her a comfortable and curious interviewer who facilitates surprising, delightful, and informative conversations. Jamila is a warm, funny, and approachable host who brings a sense of fun and purpose to every event.
Master of Ceremonies
High‑Profile Interviews and On‑Stage Conversations
Jamila Rizvi is an experienced interviewer and on‑stage facilitator known for her meticulous preparation and calm, audience‑first approach to high‑profile conversations. She goes well beyond surface research, identifying patterns, gaps, and defining moments in a subject’s public record to shape interviews that feel thoughtful, original, and purposeful rather than rehearsed.High‑Profile Interviews and On‑Stage Conversations
Jamila structures conversations around clear themes and flow, ensuring audiences hear both the stories they expect and insights that genuinely surprise. Her focus is not interrogation, but trust building, creating space for senior leaders, changemakers, and public figures to share their perspectives with clarity and confidence. The result is conversations that feel human, intelligent, and deeply engaging, leaving audiences with a stronger understanding of the person and the issues that matter.
Not Just Lucky: Why women do the work but don’t get the credit
Why do so many of Australia’s most successful women put their achievements down to chance? When asked about their careers and how they made it to the top, women leaders consistently say they were just lucky. But luck has nothing to do with it. Luck is merely a cover for lack of confidence to claim our achievements as our own, in a society that still says women should be cheerleaders, not players on the field. Deftly and defiantly - and with a sprinkling of hilarity - Jamila Rizvi exposes the structural and cultural disadvantages that rob women of their confidence. In this rousing speech, she delivers everything audiences need to claim their seat at the table and pursue their career dreams. Not Just Lucky: Why women do the work but don’t get the credit
Takeaways
1. Confidence isn’t a personality trait; it’s a skill we can build. Understanding how structural and cultural norms shape self-belief gives women the tools to back themselves at work.
2. When women learn to articulate their value clearly and consistently – and their employers really listen - organisations can build stronger pipelines to leadership.
3. The stories we tell ourselves influence the careers we pursue. Replacing “I was just lucky” with “I earned this” empowers women to make more strategic choices about their development and opportunities.
4. Creating environments where women can claim credit without backlash leads to better performance and better culture.
Hidden inequalities: Why gender equality remains out of reach
We all assumed that the march towards gender equality would be linear. But across the world, we’ve seen women fall backwards, losing hard-fought gains and rights, won over many decades. How do employers, communities and governments stand firm in support of women’s advancement when the more obvious barriers to equality have been dismantled? How do we balance the scales, when too many people believe the task has been ticked off the to-do list? In this funny, thought-provoking call to action, Jamila Rizvi challenges audiences to change the way they think about work, how different work is valued and why, making the case that despite expert projections, gender equality is achievable in our lifetime. Hidden inequalities: Why gender equality remains out of reach
Takeaways
1. Understanding the hidden barriers to gender equality that persist today means we can refocus our efforts to have the biggest impact.
2. Not all work is valued equally. Gender impacts everything from our choice of career, to the pay we receive, the unpaid contribution we make at home and the time we spend with family.
3. Standing still is going backwards. Organisations can make practical changes and commitments that will safeguard equality already achieved and advance it for the future.
4. Optimism is a strategy. When organisations believe equality is achievable, people can lead with purpose and ambition, creating workplaces that attract and retain the best talent.
Seeking purpose: How uncertainty reveals our reason for being
At just 31 years old, Jamila Rizvi received the shock brain tumour diagnosis that would change her life forever. She imagined the tumour might also reveal her life’s purpose, some greater meaning, her reason for being. When it didn’t, Jamila went searching for answers and instead discovered that she wasn’t asking the right questions. In this moving, insightful speech, Jamila guides audiences to explore and find their own purpose. She poses a series of surprising questions that help reveal purpose in a way that is achievable and accessible. Jamila shares her own health battles with humour, honesty and generosity, supporting audiences to achieve new clarity in their own lives. Seeking purpose: How uncertainty reveals our reason for being
Takeaways
1. Purpose isn’t found in a single moment, nor are we all born knowing our purpose. Reflection and questioning help us bring clarity to our work and life.
2. Uncertainty can be a powerful teacher. When we step back from rigid expectations, we create space to explore new strengths, aspirations and ways of contributing.
3. Small, intentional choices build a purposeful career. You don’t need a dramatic turning point; you need curiosity and the courage to notice what truly energises you.
4. Sharing our stories strengthens teams. When people can reflect honestly on what matters to them, they show up more authentically and work more meaningfully.
When boys fall behind: What it means for gender equality
Boys and young men are being swept into a rising tide of backlash, confusion and polarisation, told by algorithms, commentators and economic uncertainty that gender equality has somehow “gone too far.” In this timely and compelling keynote, Jamila Rizvi unpacks the forces shaping boys’ struggles in school, young men’s declining status, and the online ecosystems pulling them toward resentment and misinformation. With her trademark blend of honesty, humour and sharp analysis, Jamila argues that genuine gender equality is impossible unless we take boys’ and men’s challenges seriously and offer them a meaningful vision of modern masculinity to aspire to. This is a rallying cry to bring everyone into the conversation - because boys deserve to feel hopeful, men to be included, and women to be safe. When boys fall behind: What it means for gender equality
Takeaways
1. Gender equality works best when everyone feels included. Recognising boys’ and men’s challenges helps organisations build more constructive, less polarising conversations.
2. Understanding the pressures facing young men today, from education gaps to online influences, equips leaders to better support the next generation of workers and citizens.
3. Healthy masculinities benefit everyone. When men can seek support, express vulnerability and pursue diverse career paths, our communities are safer.
4. When gender equity is framed as a collective project rather than a competition, organisations can create cultures where everyone thrives.
The Future is Biased: Gender Equity in the Age of AI
While the era of AI has very much arrived, we are all full of questions about how it will shape our shared future. What happens when that future is built on the inequalities of the past? From hiring tools to healthcare algorithms, emerging technology is quietly reinforcing old biases in new ways, putting gender equity at risk just when progress was beginning to accelerate. But AI also holds incredible potential to unlock new opportunities for women by removing barriers, amplifying underrepresented voices, and reshaping access to work, leadership, and services. Jamila Rizvi lays down the challenge to finally balance the gender scales by ensuring the systems of tomorrow are designed with everyone in mind. The Future is Biased: Gender Equity in the Age of AI
Takeaways
1. Bias in AI is real — but it’s fixable when women are part of the solution. When women’s voices, data, and experiences are included in design and decision-making, we create smarter, fairer technologies that work for more people.
2. The jobs most affected by AI are often the ones women dominate. That’s both a risk and an opportunity. With the right knowledge, we can shift from being disrupted by AI to actively shaping how it’s used in our roles and industries.
3. AI can be a powerful tool for equity when used intentionally. From flexible work to fairer hiring and smarter systems, AI can help reduce workplace inequality if we embed inclusive thinking into how we adopt it.
4. Balancing the scales isn’t just about fighting bias; it’s about claiming space in the future. This moment is an invitation: to be curious, to upskill, to lead conversations, and to make sure women’s insights shape the next generation of decisions and tools.
Video
Jamila Rizvi | UN Women Australia | International Women's Day Keynote
Author, speaker and equality campaigner, Jamila Rizvi, speaks at UN Women Australia's International Women's Day Melbourne Lunch. Jamila Rizvi is Chief Creative Officer for Nine’s Future Women and a best-selling author for adults and children. She is an opinion columnist for The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend and Sunday Life. Jamila also co-hosts two podcasts, The Briefing and Anonymous Was A Woman. She has advised governments at the highest levels on gender equality, child care, media and employment. She was named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence and is a 2020 Women and Leadership Australia award winner. Jamila is an ambassador for CARE Australia and the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience FoundationJamila Rizvi & Rosie Waterland: How Physical & Mental Health Illness Experiences Can Overlap
Jamila Rizvi & Rosie Waterland have taken their personal pain and come together to write their book, Broken Brains, to help others get through the toughest of times, and they tell us how their different experiences with physical and mental health overlapped in surprising ways.Audio
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Jamila as emcee of our virtual conference. She brought humour and sincerity in equal measure, and was so calm and composed when the tech inevitably w ... keep reading Australian Progress
If you want to start a movement you need someone with energy and warmth to get the ball rolling. You need someone who is genuine, intelligent and kind. Jamila Rizvi takes the energy in the room, shape shifts it right along until you have an united community of leaders with fire in their belly. Jamila is a quite extraordinary and informed speaker.
Jamila is an exceptional speaker. She has such a presence on the stage and speaks to content that is well ahead of the current conversation. I would go as far as to say that she is a gender equity futurist. You can hear a pin drop when she speaks and the feedback we have from delegates is always fantastic. She is unrelenting in her approach, it is no wonder she is one of our leading social commentators.
Jamila is one of the most impressive, articulate speakers and creative thinkers. She is warm, engaging and utterly at ease, whether it be interviewing Julia Gillard or talking vajazzling in Sydney Town Hall alongside Ruby Wax.
Funny, inspiring, relevant - Jamila brought all these qualities to her role as MC. In fact she was so good, more than one attendee suggested that she should deliver the 2017 Lecture!
Jamila arrived with a profound understanding of our business and event objectives. She was warm and approachable, with a genuine interest and passion for the product, and this made her presence well received by influencers and vendors alike.
Jamila was incredibly professional and lovely to deal with. Feedback from IWD surveys was universally positive and received highest satisfaction rating. Some feedback from participants: " most relevant speaker content for todays world." "Jamila was phenomenal, delivering a powerful and thought-provoking message that resonated with everyone in attendance. Her insights and passion set the tone for a day of inspiration and encouragement."
We have received great feedback from event attendees with people seeming to have been very genuinely moved by her presentation. Jamila delivered a profound yet down-to-earth presentation, that was supported by loads of data and statistics but presented in a way that was very approachable and thoroughly absorbing.
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