UNIFEM Australia

The National Committee for UNIFEM in Australia

Promotes women's human rights, political participation and economic security
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About UNIFEM Australia

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 16 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, to find out more click here.

White Ribbon Day Organisation

Since its inception in Australia in 2003, the White Ribbon Day campaign has gone from strength to strength, with more than 230 White Ribbon Ambassadors Australia wide, as well as more events across the country and more organisations and individuals participating each year.

The White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture-change around the issue. The major strategies to achieve this are a national media campaign as well as education and male leadership programmes aimed at men and boys across Australia.

To see the latest update from the White Ribbon Foundation please click here.

For more information please go to their website www.whiteribbonday.org.au.

UNIFEM Australia Board

UNIFEM Australia is governed by a Board of Management consisting of 12 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.

Corinne Kemp
Vice President

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.

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 is a highly regarded Associate Director in Deloitte Corporate Finance. She was a finalist for the Deloitte Business Woman of the Year 2008/09. She has strong financial and commercial skills and her voluntary work building the Inspiring Women Program at Deloitte has demonstrated her passion for female advancement. Kate is known for getting things done, her very positive attitude and her collaborative working style.
 
Kate has a strong policy background having graduated with a Masters from NSW Graduate School of Government at the University of Sydney and having previously worked with the NSW Government.

She is very excited about this opportunity to contribute to the work of UNIFEM Australia.

Anne Banks-McAllister
Secretary

Anne was elected to the board of UNIFEM Australia in October 2007. Anne has worked as an Executive Director in State and Local government and is currently a senior consultant providing executive coaching & leadership development. Anne has a Masters of Leadership and Management and is a qualified Company Director. 

 
Anne is the Immediate Past State President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association and sits on a State Advisory Board on Women in Local Government. Anne was involved in establishing a Friendship Agreement with Lete Foho in East Timor. Anne is also the Chair of Care Options Incorporated, an organization providing aged and community care.Anne is now working to establish a UNIFEM WA Chapter.

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.

Anna Lewkowicz
Board Member

Anna Lewkowicz has been a member of the UNIFEM Australia Board since September 2006.  Anna has contributed to the UNIFEM Board in a number of ways but in particular through representing UNIFEM Australia on the WomenSpeak network.  Anna has a diverse background in serving on community and professional bodies and is committed to advancing the status of women in Australia and internationally.  She is employed with the Department of Education and Children’s Services in South Australia.

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.

Donelle Wheeler
Board Member

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.

Hannah Chadwick
Board Member

Hannah is 26 years old and is an active member of the UNIFEM Canberra Chapter. She helped to coordinate the 2008 Canberra IWD luncheon and assisted with many UNIFEM events throughout the year. 
 
She has experience in aid development at both the grass roots and international organisation level volunteering for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation in Vietnam in 2002 and having completed an internship at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico in 2007. Hannah is currently undertaking a Masters at the ANU in Applied Anthropology in Participatory Development.
 
Her practical experiences and formal studies have given her a deep understanding of the development issues faced by our region. Hannah is passionately committed to improving the well-being and opportunities for women in under-privileged.

Kate O’Connell
Board Member

Kate O’Connell has been a UNIFEM Australia Board Member since 2006 after spending three years on the organising committee for the International Women’s Day Breakfast in Sydney. Amongst other things, Kate’s role on the Board is assisting with the coordination of UNIFEM volunteers and internships as well as strategic planning.   

Kate’s professional background spans project management, communications and policy work. She has had a particular focus on working with government and business to involve and engage their local communities.

She is based in Sydney and is currently very busy looking after two young children.

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.
 

Staff Members

Julie McKay
Executive Officer

02 6285 8254
julie.mckay@unifem.org.au

Lara Jacques
Policy , Communications and Membership Officer

02 6285 8272
lara.jacques@unifem.org.au
 

For all White Ribbon Day enquiries

Isabel McCrea Director
02 9453 1811

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