2025 IWD Scholarship winner Maggie Khan is helping improve lives through advocacy and policy change. Photo: IWD Illawarra.
A 22-year-old advocate, spokesperson and domestic violence survivor who was able to expand her work and learning opportunities through winning an Illawarra Women’s Day Scholarship is encouraging others to apply to the next round to help propel their personal missions.
Maggie Khan has been advocating to improve the lives of others since she was just a child.
“That’s kind of been my whole life; I was very outspoken even as a child,” Maggie said.
“When I was young, maybe 10 years old, my primary school had a really old rundown playground and the kids didn’t want to play on it, they were scared they’d fall off, so I went over one afternoon to the local minister’s office and knocked on the door and was like, ‘We need a new playground.'”
Maggie used her voice to help others be heard, whether through a speech at school about her diagnosis of autism, talking to donors and students about the importance of education as an ambassador for the Smith Family or becoming a spokesperson after escaping domestic violence at age 12.
“We went through a program called Staying Home Leaving Violence and that’s connected to the NSW Government and they help you stay in your home and make it safer, and they asked me to be an ambassador because they’d come to our house and I was very outspoken,” she said.
“So I did videos sharing my story but more so how the police were able to help and it was used as a training video for the NSW police.
“The majority of it is really sharing your story to other people.”
As a child who experienced domestic violence, Maggie helped raise awareness of the secretiveness of abuse and how it can go hidden for so long.
“I remember thinking, ‘I guess this is normal because no one ever says that it’s wrong’ but no one knew it was happening,” she said.
“I think the nature of it leads to it being less visible because obviously children aren’t going to be speaking about their experiences and we’re only now getting to the stage where there’s this big movement about domestic violence.
“We talk about women but it’s yet to catch up to the children as well.”
But she’s not just making change through raising awareness.
Maggie has just completed a Bachelor of Law and International Studies and is now looking to work in policy, particularly to help women.
It is a movement she is already involved in as part of a fellowship with Global Voices, where she is writing a policy about helping migrant women in Australia have easier access to leave their violent relationships.
The fellowship also provided the opportunity for her to fly to New York for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and although flights and accommodation were covered, the cost of the experience was still a challenge.
“It was all very last-minute,” Maggie said.
“I really didn’t have a dollar for it but when that opportunity comes you don’t say no, so I was just like I’ll try to do my best.”
Fortunately just days before she was set to get on her flight she was successful in receiving The Rising Star IWD Scholarship for Young Women which helped to ease the pressure and fund the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I was there for a week. I got to hear from many fantastic speakers; I got to see the opening ceremony of the general assembly,” Maggie said.
“The highlight of it was every day we had meetings with the Australian Government delegation and CSOs and we were talking to them and it was just a phenomenal experience.”
Through listening to speakers, making key connections and being involved in conversations, Maggie learnt more about the United Nations’ role, as well as policy and attitudes from across the globe.
“Something that I really took from a panel that I listened to was that if you’re not actively fighting to better your rights and to better everyone’s rights then you’re going to backslide,” she said. “You can’t just become complacent.
“It also taught me that it is entirely possible that you can make things better.
“I saw examples especially from European countries, people from the European governments talking about their different policies and I thought, ‘That sounds great, I wonder how that would work in Australia’.”
Now a new round of IWD scholarship recipients could have the opportunity to further pursue their dreams and careers with applications now open.
Illawarra women are being encouraged to apply for one of eight scholarships worth $2500 each to be awarded at the IWD luncheon in March next year.
“You should always apply,” Maggie said.
“You might think in your eyes that you’re not doing anything particularly amazing but to other people you might be an inspiration.”
To find out more about applying for a scholarship or for businesses applying to be the major project grant recipient for 2026, visit the IWD Illawarra website.
The IWD has announced Australia’s first woman to represent the country at both summer and winter Olympic Games, Jana Pittman, will be keynote speaker at next year’s lunch. Tickets for the 2026 luncheon are now on sale through Ticketmaster.
