Get Involved - Parliament

Recognising Kate Cox for Her Charitable Work

Published on: March 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-123370

Recognising Kate Cox for Her Charitable Work

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore)

—Speaker I want to recognise a member of the local community, Kate Cox, for her charitable work with the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. The foundation helps support women in Ethiopia with obstetric fistulas during pregnancy. This internal injury involves the formation of a hole in the birth canal leading to severe health issues, agonising labours, and often stillborn births. In Ethiopia, a stillbirth will usually lead to a woman being completely ostracised by their partner and community. The Foundation set up a dedicated fistula hospital in Addis Ababa, since then more than 60,000 women have been operated on. Kate has been involved with the Foundation for over a decade now. She has previously travelled to Ethiopia on a charity tour to meet and work with Dr Hamlin AC at the hospital in Addis Ababa and other regional charity hospitals supporting the disadvantaged. Kate has also volunteered at the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation for many years where they sell handmade fair trade products from Africa including jewellery made from old bullets by women with HIV, scarves, spices and more. Thank you Kate for your inspiring work with this excellent organisation helping African women.