Yumi Lee has worked on women’s rights and violence against women for over 30 years. She began with advocacy for women’s rights in armed conflict and nuclear disarmament. Prior to returning to Sydney and working for the Older Women’s Network, she was based in Hanoi with an organisation supporting street children and rescuing women trafficked to the sex trade in China. She has also supported organisations in Nepal working with marginalised women when she was living there. As the CEO of OWN NSW she is now advocating and lobbying on issues impacting older women, including housing insecurity and homelessness as well as violence against older women, especially in aged care. Yumi received the 2025 Cath Leary Social Justice Award; as well as the Advocacy and Reform Bright Sparks Award of 2021 of the NSW Women’s Legal Service for her work in advocating for the safety of older women; and is a member of the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission’s Advisory Board and was a member of the Federal Attorney General’s Lived-Experience Expert Advisory Group on Sexual Violence.