I believe that every woman has the right to live in safety, have skills training and the ability to provide for her family, as well as the self-esteem that this brings. I also firmly believe that every woman has the right not to be subjected to abuse, simply because they are ‘just women.’
Marguerite Ryan is a champion of the right to education for women and girls. Working in Kenya for almost 20 years she established a charitable foundation that has transformed the lives of thousands of girls and their communities through the provision of access to equitable education and through advocacy for housing, health and safety. Marguerite’s commitment to education and justice echoes the “Loreto spirit” of her own school days.
Marguerite was born in Sydney; her mother Germaine (Quessy) was a past pupil of a Loreto school in Mauritius. The family moved to Melbourne and Marguerite spent the last 8 years of her schooling at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, graduating in 1954.
Marguerite married Maurice Ryan and they had seven children. During their school days Marguerite was heavily involved in supporting their schools, both St Kevins College and Loreto Toorak where her daughters followed in her footsteps. She contributed to the Mothers’ committees at both schools as well as working for other local charities that supported the wellbeing of children.
Alongside roles working as a consultant in marketing and fundraising for Eastern Palliative Care and the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce, Marguerite worked for the Christian Brothers of Australia, helping to establish the Christian Brothers Foundation in support of schools and families in Tonga, Fiji, Tanzania and Kenya. Her experiences in East Africa had a profound impact on Marguerite.
She once wrote; I believe that every child has the right to an education. In Australia we accept this without question, but in Kibera, going to school is just a dream for most. I believe that every woman has the right to live in safety, have skills training and the ability to provide for her family, as well as the self-esteem that this brings. I also firmly believe that every woman has the right not to be subjected to abuse, simply because they are ‘just women.’
Inspired by her own education and a sense of justice, Marguerite used her fundraising experience and expertise to establish a new foundation to support the women and girls of the Kibera ‘slum’ in Nairobi, Kenya. In partnership with Br Frank Chappell in 2004, Marguerite began a charity called Women for Women in Africa. They opened a local social centre in Kibera providing advocacy, support and resources to assist girls to move into formal schooling and in so doing lift up the families, and particularly the mothers of these girls, to be empowered to seek change in their own community.
In 20 years Women for Women in Africa has helped over 3000 children in Kibera and made a difference in the lives of countless families. The director of Women for Women in Africa since its inception, is Loreto Sister Leonida Kwamboka ibvm, continuing the Loreto spirit and connection of which Marguerite is so proud.
In 2007 Marguerite was a Victorian Finalist in the Australian of the Year and in 2013 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her work in Africa.
