Felicity Harley is an award-winning Australian journalist specializing in health, wellness, and gender equity. As editor-at-large for whimn.com.au and host of the Healthy-ish podcast, she investigates systemic barriers to women’s well-being with a focus on mental health and cultural narratives.
Avoid pitches about diet trends, celebrity workout routines, or non-evidence-based alternative therapies. Harley prioritizes stories with clear public health implications and Australian-specific data.
Felicity Harley has carved a distinguished career as a journalist, editor, and advocate specializing in women’s health, wellness, and lifestyle. With over two decades of experience, she has shaped conversations around mental health, fitness, and gender equity in Australia’s media landscape. Her work blends rigorous research with empathetic storytelling, earning her recognition as a leading voice in holistic well-being.
Harley’s career began in women’s magazines, where she honed her ability to translate complex health topics into accessible content. As the founding editor of Women’s Health Australia, she redefined fitness journalism by prioritizing inclusivity over fad diets. Her tenure saw a 40% increase in readership, driven by features debunking wellness myths and spotlighting athlete mental health.
In 2017, she launched whimn.com.au, News Corp’s digital platform for millennial women. Under her leadership, the site published groundbreaking investigations into workplace burnout and the mental load of motherhood. Harley later transitioned to podcasting with Healthy-ish, blending expert interviews with personal narratives to explore holistic health.
This 2018 manifesto analyzed gender disparities in sports media coverage through interviews with 50 female athletes. Harley revealed that 80% of respondents felt underrepresented in mainstream reporting. The article’s call to action led to increased sponsorship deals for women’s leagues and inspired her I Support Women In Sport campaign, which secured partnerships with major Australian brands.
Combining demographic data with personal essays, this 2021 piece exposed the invisible labor burdening working mothers. Harley’s analysis of time-use surveys showed mothers spent 65% more hours on domestic tasks than fathers. The article sparked national debates about parental leave policies and was cited in parliamentary discussions on workplace reforms.
In this 2023 critique, Harley dissected the $4.5 trillion wellness industry’s contradictory messaging. Through case studies of influencers and clinical psychologists, she argued for evidence-based self-care practices. The article’s viral success led to her bestselling book of the same name, praised for its “nuanced take on mindfulness capitalism.”
Harley prioritizes stories exposing structural inequities, such as her 2022 investigation into rural maternity ward closures. Pitches should highlight policy gaps or innovative community-led solutions, particularly those addressing Indigenous health disparities. Avoid individual-centric “inspiration porn” narratives.
Her work examines mental health through societal pressures rather than clinical frameworks. Successful pitches might explore how cost-of-living crises impact anxiety rates or analyze workplace policies reducing burnout. Include data from Australian-specific studies.
Harley welcomes exposés on unregulated supplements or exploitative influencer marketing tactics. Back pitches with peer-reviewed research contrasting popular trends with medical guidelines. She avoids uncritical coverage of detoxes or “biohacking” fads.
“Real change happens when we stop telling women to ‘do more’ and start demanding systems that support their basic needs.”
100 Women of Influence Award (2019): Recognized for the I Support Women In Sport campaign, which increased media coverage of female athletes by 33% within two years. The award panel noted Harley’s “unique ability to transform reporting into tangible societal impact.”
Walkley Award Finalist for Health Reporting (2022): Her series on postpartum care shortages in regional Australia combined data journalism with intimate patient stories, prompting state funding allocations for 12 new birthing centers.
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