Catherine Hinwood OBE has been actively talking about domestic abuse, sexual violence and the rights of vulnerable communities. For over 20 years, Ms Hinwood has advocated for the rights of vulnerable communities in Australia, the United Kingdom and internationally. 

Growing up in Blacktown and witnessing discrimination towards the Indigenous population gave Catherine Hinwood a strong sense of social justice from a young age. Now living overseas, Ms Hinwood is one of the UK’s leading advocates for domestic abuse and sexual violence reform. In recognition of her work, she received an OBE in the 2023 King’s Honours List. She was also recognised as the University of Technology, Sydney’s Law Alumni of the Year in 2023.

Ms Hinwood’s journey started with studying for a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law at UTS, where she was encouraged to think about advocacy and how she could inspire change. At UTS she learned to dig deep into issues and question whether things could be done differently – a mindset that has stayed with her throughout her career. She is now an adjunct fellow of UTS’s Law Faculty, encouraging the sharing of learning on these issues between the UK and Australia..

Currently, Ms Hinwood works for the National Health Service (NHS), bringing a public health approach to difficult cross societal issues. This includes creating policies that aim to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence for employees and patients across multiple health networks and organisations. In addition to her work with the NHS, Ms Hinwood also led the UK government's response to COVID for victims of crime – particularly victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.