Women from diverse backgrounds with strong track records in advocacy have been appointed to the new NSW Women’s Advisory Council.
The 12 new Council members have extensive and valuable expertise across a range of critical areas including health, employment, migrant services, and domestic and family violence. They are:
- Lisa Annese – CEO, Diversity Council of Australia
- Belinda Cashman – Director, Aboriginal Health Strategy, Western Sydney Local Health District
- Elise Coppins – Clinical Nurse Consultant, Southern NSW Local Health District
- Associate Professor Jill Duncan – Lead (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), University of Newcastle
- Janine Farah – NSW and ACT Regional Manager, Young Change Agents
- Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill – Deputy Director, Gender Equality in Working Life Research Initiative, University of Sydney
- Tara Hunter – Director of Client and Clinical Services, Full Stop Australia
- Marlene Krasovitsky – Consultant on the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism, World Health Organisation
- Mariam Mourad – CEO, Bankstown Women’s Health Centre, and Fairfield Women’s Health Centre
- Julie Perkins – CEO, Gurehlgam
- Karen Price – Deputy CEO, ACON
- Violet Roumeliotis AM – CEO, Settlement Services International.
The Women’s Advisory Council is tasked with advancing gender equality by providing key advice to government on the priority areas of the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023–2026.
The Strategy aims to achieve equitable policy outcomes across three priority areas: economic opportunity and advancement, health and wellbeing, participation and empowerment.
Its objective is to improve outcomes for all women and girls, with a particular focus on communities of women that experience disadvantage or discrimination.
The Women’s Advisory Council replaces the Council for Women’s Economic Opportunity.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said the Minns Government is committed to the objectives of the NSW Women’s Strategy, ensuring all women and girls have equitable access to services, resources, opportunities, and protections that enable them to thrive.
“The new Women’s Advisory Council will play a key role in advancing those goals by providing expert advice to government about issues affecting women and girls across the state," Minister Harrison said.
“The 12 members of the Advisory Council were carefully selected to make sure they represent the diversity of voices, experiences, and priorities of women across NSW. They have lived experiences, community connections and are professionals in their fields, ensuring we receive expert advice and in turn create successful policies to advance gender equality in the state.
“I look forward to hearing from and working with these outstanding women. In particular, I hope to draw on their expertise to ensure as a government we adopt an intersectional approach in developing policies and recognise the complex and overlapping ways that women experience inequality.”
