Professor Katharine McGregor receives NSW Premier’s History Awards’ General History Prize

Professor Katharine McGregor, Associate Dean (International) of the Faculty of Arts has won the NSW Premier’s History Awards’ General History Prize for her book: Systemic Silencing: Activism, Memory, and Sexual Violence in Indonesia.

The General History Prize is awarded for a major work of non-fiction on international history, with the winner receiving a $15,000 cash prize. Systemic Silencing: Activism, Memory, and Sexual Violence in Indonesia discusses military prostitution in Indonesia during the war and the long history of the women and activists who reckoned with this history.

Professor McGregor addresses the historical, social, and political conditions surrounding sexual violence in Indonesia through exhaustive research and uncovers the story of women who have largely been sidelined.

The judges said they were impressed by Professor McGregor’s account of atrocity, advocacy for silenced victims and the fight against those who sought to obscure these events from our collective memory. “It is an outstanding example of how the fields and methods of transnational history, gender history and the history of violence can be harnessed to uncover important and often poorly understood histories of atrocity.”

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, congratulated the winners and their ability to resurrect past voices, moments and events. “This evening, we honour the exceptional dedication and achievements of our storytellers, whose research brings to light untold or overlooked histories and offers fresh perspectives that inspire future generations.”