UNIFEM Australia began in 1989 and since evolved to include the National Committee based in Canberra, six chapters including Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney and International Women’s Day (IWD) events across Australia.
UNIFEM Australia is one of 17 National Committees including the U.S., United Kingdom, Sweden and Canada. The National Committees support UNIFEM through membership programmes, raising public awareness of gender and development issues and supporting regional programmes through fundraising.
UNIFEM Australia has several programmes which are supported through the fundraising.
UNIFEM Australia Board
UNIFEM Australia is governed by a Board of Management consisting of 8 members. In the past 12 months, UNIFEM has been able to employ 2 full time staff members who now form the basis of our national office in Canberra. The office is co-located with IDP Australia, and we thank IDP for their support in providing office space for our staff and interns.
Current Board Members
Sue Conde
President
Sue has held various Executive Leadership positions at State and National levels of Girl Guides Australia serving as Deputy Chief Commissioner from 1998-2002. International experiences include attending the UN General Assembly Special Session on Women in New York in 2000 and as a member of the Australian Government delegations; she has attended the UN Special Session on Children in 2002 and the Commission on the Status of Women in 2006.
She joined the UNIFEM Australia National Committee in 2002 and was elected Vice President in 2005. From 2003-2007 she was actively engaged as a member of the National Leadership Group in UNIFEM Australia’s launch of the new Australian initiative – the White Ribbon Campaign.
Building on her strong engagement in the women’s NGO sector over the past 10 years, Sue represents UNIFEM Australia on the Australian Women’s Coalition. Sue served as President of the AWC for three years from 2003-2006.
In January 2005 Sue was appointed as a Member in the Order of Australia for service to the community through organisations and advisory bodies that promote the interests of women, to youth through the guiding movement and to the Uniting Church in Australia. She is also a member of the Council of Knox Grammar School.
Rosalind Strong
Immediate Past President
Rosalind was President of UNIFEM Australia from October 2005 to October 2008.
Rosalind worked in the NSW Public Sector till her retirement in 2002 from her position as Director of the NSW Heritage Office. During her 6 years in that role she was also a member of the Heritage Council of NSW. Her previous position was Assistant Director General in the NSW Education and Training portfolio.
Rosalind has been a Board member of a wide range of NGOs and Foundations over the past 20 years and is currently the Chair of the Sydney Community Foundation and of Museums and Galleries NSW.
Leonie-Ruth Acland
Vice President
Leonie-Ruth has served two years on the UNIFEM Australia Board (eighteen months as Honorary Secretary). Her professional and life experiences include working with women, internationally and domestically, in community development, social research, language teaching and equity and diversity. Leonie-Ruth has a strong background and commitment to human rights issues and has organised White Ribbon campaigns and Spring Walks with university and migrant communities. She has extensive experience in high level representation and has held executive positions including National Director of a NGO. Leonie-Ruth is currently employed as a consultant, working with women in research and analysis, project management and coaching.
Kate O'Reilly
Treasurer
Kate O’Reilly has worked in a range of private and public sector roles in Europe, Africa and Australia and has strong financial and commercial skills along with a significant public policy background. She works in the corporate sector with TSA Management and has held a number of roles with the NSW Government. Kate is passionate about the issues facing women globally and has demonstrated this in her work with the Deloitte Inspiring Women’s Program and her establishment of Optimiss, a Corporate Consultancy and Placement service dedicated to promoting women in Australian business. She was a finalist for the Deloitte Business Woman of the Year 2008/09 and is known for her very positive attitude and her collaborative working style.
Donelle Wheeler
Secretary
Donelle was Senior Advisor to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women and Advisor to the Minister for Development Cooperation and Pacific Island Affairs in the previous Labor Government.
As an AusAID Senior Executive she developed the Indonesia country strategy in which she emphasized gender and development. She was a Director in the PNG Program, AusAID's representative in China and the Australian delegate to the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD in Paris for two years. Recently retired, she is a development consultant and will contribute time, energy and significant government and international exprience to UNIFEM.
Anuradha Mundkur, PhD
Board Member
As the Associate Director of the Gender Consortium, Flinders University, Anuradha's work focuses on curriculum design for gender-based training programs, developing learning and evaluation methodologies, training delivery and co-ordinating research on gender issues. Anuradha is particularly interested in exploring issues related to the sustainable use of information and communication technologies for development, especially the dynamics between the use of new technologies, gender relations and the empowerment of women.
Anuradha is also interested researching how new technologies can be used to strengthen knowledge processes within organisations working on women's issues.
Anuradha worked for six years in India as a specialist in development communications with national and international NGOs on developing participatory communications strategies for social change. Countries of experience: Australia, India and Indonesia.
Brooke Dahlberg
Board Member
Brooke Dahlberg provides broad based marketing and project management advice across the professional services sector and not for profit organisations. She specialises in strategic integrated marketing, direct marketing, event management, business development and graphic design.
Over the past 10 years, Brooke has worked for a number of organisations including World Vision, Wesley Mission and the Asthma Foundation. Brooke has been actively volunteering with UNIFEM Australia since 2003, and has been a member of the board since 2007, providing strategic marketing advice, including a rebranding initiative. Brooke currently works for BDO Kendalls in Brisbane and sits on the Brisbane UNIFEM Committee as well as running her own marketing company.
Corinne Kemp
Board Member
Corinne is a graduate of the University of Sydney and has worked for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and the NSW Cabinet Office in a range of policy and program management roles. She has also worked for a range of not-for-profit organisations and has experience in social work, community development, health and social policy program planning, implementation and evaluation.
Corinne has dedicated the last 15 years working for the betterment of women, through her involvement in community organisations, professionally as a social worker assisting young women in need, and most recently her involvement in UNIFEM Australia serving as one of their vice presidents.
In recent years, Corinne has drawn on this experience and founded her own company, DKC International Conference and Event Management.
Geraldine Chin Moody
Board Member
Geraldine is the Chief Operating Officer of global law firm Baker & McKenzie’s offices in Australia. Prior to this, she was a member of the Executive Committee at the Australian Stock Exchange in her role of General Manager, People and Development, where she was one of only 12% of female Executive Managers in ASX200 companies in the 2006 EOWA Census of Women in Leadership. Her achievements as a young woman in senior roles in the corporate sector have been recognised by a number of awards, including the NSW Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year Award.
Geraldine is an active member of the community and is passionate about issues of diversity, equity, justice and helping others to reach their full potential. In addition to her position on the Board of UNIFEM Australia, she is on the Management Committee of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service and President of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (University Medal) and Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University and a Masters of Law from Harvard University.
Susan Harris Rimmer
Board Member
Susan Harris-Rimmer graduated from the University of Queensland in 1997 with a BA (Hons)/ LLB (Hons) and received a University Medal in 1996. Susan will receive a Doctor of Juridical Science from the ANU College of Law in December 2008. Her current work at ANU’s RegNET focuses on women in post-conflict settings.
Susan is an admitted solicitor and has pursued human rights/refugees advocacy work with the peak bodies including the National Council of Churches Australia, and the Australian Council for International Development as well as the Federal Parliament and the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.
Current Staff Members:
Julie McKay
Executive Director
(02) 6285 8254
julie.mckay@unifem.org.au
Julie McKay has been the Executive Director of UNIFEM Australia since March 2007 and during this time she spent 9 months as the National Campaign Manager for the White Ribbon Campaign.
Julie has experience in both the corporate and NGO sectors. Julie is passionate about capacity development of the NGO sector, and in a voluntary capacity, sits on the Boards of the United Nations Association of Australia, the YWCA of Canberra and Australian’s Helping Aboard.
Julie holds a Masters in Public Policy majoring in economic policy from the Australian National University. This year, Julie was selected to study Sydney University’s Global MBA Program, where she holds a scholarship for NGO leadership.
Jo McIntosh
Community Development Officer
(02) 6285 8235
jo@unifem.org.au
Jo has recently graduated from the Australian National University after completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations and Political Science. Whilst at the Australian National University, Jo was involved in the ANU Student's Association as a General Representative, Orientation and Bush Week Director and Sub-Editor of Woroni, the student newspaper.
Jo has been working at UNIFEM Australia since 2008. Since joining UNIFEM Australia she has been involved in the organisation of International Women's Day, the Young Women's Leadership Forum and the Gender Analysis Workshops as well as helping to support the UNIFEM Australia Chapters and Young UNIFEM Australia Committees.
Julia Bowes
International Women's Day Coordinator
(02) 6285 8329
julia.bowes@unifem.org.au
Julia has recently completed a Masters of Public Policy (Development Studies) at ANU. Prior to this, Julia undertook a Bachelor of Arts with an honours year in history at Sydney University. During her time at University, Julia served as the Women's Officer on the World University Debates Council, convened the Australian Women's British Parliamentary Debating Championships and the UBS Young Women's Leadership Forum.
Julia is responsible for the overall administration of the International Women's Day program. In this position, she works with UNIFEM Australia Chapters to support major fundraising events as well as expanding the number of smaller events held nationally. She is looking forward to expanding the scale and scope of program in 2011 which marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.
Courtney Sloane
Office Coordinator (shared)
(02) 6285 8254
admin@unifem.org.au
Courtney is an International Relations and Spanish student at the Australian National University where she was the ANU Student's Association Women’s Officer in 2009. Courtney also chairs the Pamela Denoon Lecture Committee, is Social Officer at the ANU Mountaineering Club and is a trainee Board Member on the YWCA Canberra Board. In 2008 she participated in a targeted aid project in the Solomon Islands.
Courtney coordinates the implementation of UNIFEM Australia’s membership strategy as well as covering administrative and finance duties within the National Office.
Madeleine Firth
Office Coordinator (shared)
(02) 6285 8254
admin@unifem.org.au
Madeleine is in the final stages of completing her Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations from the Australian National University having already completed a Bachelor of Asia and Pacific Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Japanese Language.
Madeleine first joined the UNIFEM Australia team in late 2008, and then returned in early 2010 having spent much of 2009 completing her Graduate Diploma at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to working with UNIFEM Australia, Madeleine was Vice President of the Australian National University Students’ Association.