Kathleen is an outstanding example of a mature indigenous woman who has taken a personal opportunity and turned it into an ongoing exercise in leadership, achievement and inspiration for children, women and families.

Born the daughter of a stolen generation Jaowyn/Irish woman, Kathleen resides in Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, is a mother of 7 boys, grandmother to one and has been happily married for 28 years.

Kathleen and her husband have been heavily involved in the sporting community and In 2004 Kathleen participated in the first Families and Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) program at Moulden Park School in Darwin. This program had a profound impact on both Kathleen and her family’s life and became a turning point for all of them.

Having been out of paid employment for almost 20 years, Kathleen was employed by the Northern Territory Christian Schools Association as a direct result of her participation in F.A.S.T in 2005.

Becoming the first female Indigenous F.A.S.T. coordinator in Australia was an exciting achievement. Being Interviewed and published in Readers Digest was on the other hand unthinkable, humbling and somewhat of a curiousity for Kathleen. In 2007 Kathleen spoke at a national F.A.S.T. conference in Adelaide and in 2008 her commitment and dedication to families saw her awarded a professional development opportunity in Nashville Tennessee.. This rigorous training took this shy and humble woman way out of her comfort zone and set the stage for further unknown possibilities.

“The respect that I get from parents and other team members makes my job so worthwhile. And my husband and I have benefited so much from what we’ve learnt from F.A.S.T. If someone had told me ten years ago that this is what my life would be like now, I would have laughed and would NOT have believed them."

Moulden Park School Family Centre coordinator Leigh Munn recently stated: “I read an article about Kathleen Irwin in the Readers Digest and it changed my life. I thought if our Kath can do this, then so can I”.

Kathleen is honoured at the Global Women's Summit for her commitment to family, education and community - showing inspiring leadership.For more information about the F.A.S.T. programme, you can use this link F.A.S.T. Information