Emma Iwinska

Women's Health and Equality Queensland 

CO-PRESIDENT

Emma Iwinska is the CEO of Women’s Health and Equality Queensland, a not-for-profit organisation leading the way in gender equity and women’s health in Queensland. Nationally, Emma is a member of the Australian Women’s Health Network Board, which works collaboratively to improve women’s health policy and practice.

Emma holds formal qualifications both in health and in higher education and embraces a philosophy of lifelong learning. Emma has worked in health for more than 20 years and has supported women in a range of diverse environments including crisis accommodation, substance rehabilitation, prison, maternity settings, private practice and tertiary education teaching clinics.

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Emma’s work focusses on improving health outcomes and health equity for women and marginalised groups, and creating the structural and social change needed to stop men perpetrating gendered violence. Emma works to create communities built upon equity, respect, the celebration of diversity and the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the custodians and knowledge holders of the lands, seas, and skies where we all live, work and play.

Emma loves working collaboratively and listening to the experts in women’s lives – women!

Amie Carrington
Domestic Violence Action Centre (DVAC)

CO-PRESIDENT

Working from the ground up is at the core of Amie's approach. This passion for people and community has helped her lead successful social services in the Northern Territory, Regional New South Wales, and now as CEO for DVAC providing domestic, sexual and family violence support services in Ipswich, Toowoomba and Darling Downs regions.

Amie is passionate about reducing gender-based violence in our communities and believes that this is best achieved through collaboration. Her leadership style focuses on empowering innovative and resilient teams to deliver high quality services.

Amie has skills in senior management of human services, not-for-profit Governance and community development. Amie's qualifications include a BA Communications- Social Policy (University of Technology Sydney), Diploma of Management and Leadership (VERTO Institute), and is currently studying a Certificate of Not For Profit Governance (Governance Institute of Australia). 

Beck O'Connor

DVConnect

SECRETARY

Beck is the CEO for DVConnect, Qld’s State-wide domestic violence 24/7 crisis response service, sexual assault helpline and specialist counselling partner for 1800RESPECT. Beck is deeply passionate about ensuring the safety, choices and dignity of people impacted by violence and that their diverse life experiences are acknowledged and respected.

As an inclusive queer feminist, Beck has dedicated her professional career to social justice; championing equality and self-determination through her work leading teams in adult, child and youth mental health (rural and remote), specialised domestic & family violence support and advocacy, women’s health, child protection, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing, family counselling and mediation services. Beck has expertise in the design and delivery of complex clinical services in a virtual environment.

Beck is the Deputy Managing Director of the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation, Convenor of QLD Domestic Violence Services Network (QDVSN), Secretary for Ending Violence Against Women Queensland (EVAWQ) and a member of the CALD Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Roundtable Advisory Group for the Qld State Government.

Kate Hoffensetz
Sera's Women's Shelter

TREASURER

Kate has worked in the Women’s Services Sector for Seven years. Currently, she is the Co-ordinator for Sera’s Womens Shelter Inc, whereby she helps empower victims of domestic violence to build new lives with security and support. Through her work, women are provided with counselling, guidance, information as well as emotional and practical support to engender opportunities to break the cycle of domestic violence.

Kate holds a Bachelor of physiological science and has been published as a chapter co-author in ‘Demystifying criminal justice social work in India”. Kate currently serves as the secretariate of the North Queensland Women’s Services Network and has membership with Dovetail, Domestic Violence Integrated Response Group, and Housing and Homelessness Network.

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Kate is highly committed to supporting the well-being of women and children faced with domestic and family violence. She values equity and demonstrates a strong commitment to making this a reality through her daily work and contributions to the sector.

Daile Kelleher

Children by Choice

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Daile is the CEO of Children by Choice, Queensland’s state-wide counselling, information and education service on all pregnancy options, including abortion, adoption and parenting.  Children by Choice are leaders in advancing reproductive autonomy and access to compassionate abortion nationally.  

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In 2018 Daile led the Children by Choice campaign to decriminalise abortion in Queensland and she continues to advocate for free, safe, legal, compassionate and local abortion care for women and pregnant people.  

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Daile aligns with Children by Choice’s vision, working towards a world where people can freely and safely make their own reproductive and sexual health choices without barriers.  

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Daile is a member of the management committee of Ending Violence Against Women Queensland and part of the Women’s Health Services Alliance of Queensland.  She is the Vice President of the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a non-executive board director.

Susie O’Brien
Mary and Martha's Refuge

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Susie has worked in the Community Services Sector for 14 years, three years in Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Management and three years in Integrated Family Services leadership.

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Susie is the Manager of Mary and Martha's Refuge - Lutheran Services,  having moved from Victoria where she implemented several of the Victorian Government's domestic and family violence reforms related to the Royal Commission into Family Violence. She was part of the stakeholder consultation in the development of e-Safety's online learning modules for front-line workers, on the subject of technology facilitated abuse.

Susie is the Deputy Chair of the South-East Queensland Combined Women's Refuge Group.

Susie is highly committed to perpetrator accountability, child focus and client co-design in delivering domestic and family violence services women and children.

Kylie Murray
Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Kylie Murray is the Cluster Lead for the Domestic Violence Services at Micah Projects, including the Brisbane Domestic Violence Service – the regional Domestic and Family Violence service for Greater Brisbane.

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Kylie has formal qualifications in Psychology, a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Education – Inclusive Education, and has worked across the Community and Public Sectors in Community Mental Health, trauma, corrections, disability support, and young people at risk, and has worked in leadership roles over many years, harnessing a collaborative and enabling leadership style. Kylie is a strong advocate for social justice, and is proud to be a member of EVAWQ working with a collaborative, supportive, amazing group of women committed to ending violence against women and children.

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Kylie is also a keen advocate for wellbeing, and promoting workplace wellbeing.

Dianne Gipey
The Salvation Army

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Di Gipey is a Yamitji woman from mid-west WA and is the QLD/NT State Manager for the Domestic and Family Violence Services for the Salvation Army. Previous to moving to QLD  she lived in Alice Springs for 15 years  and was the CEO for a DFSV service, managing a 24-hour 30 bed crisis accommodation and a very large outreach service that provided a service to over 4,700 women and children a year throughout the Northern Territory.

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She has also  worked for the Northern Territory Government- Department of Health for many years in senior positions and has extensive experience within the primary health care sector in remote communities. 

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She was  a finalist in the Telstra Businesswomen Awards in the NT for Purpose & Social Enterprise sections, with the theme being “disrupting the way we do business”. In 2019 and in 2020 she was a finalist in the Australian of the Year award in the NT Australia Day awards and she is passionate advocate for change and enjoys  spending  her spare time catching up with family and friends.

Liz Carney
The Salvation Army

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Liz is the Family Violence Team Leader Sunshine Coast/Gold Coast for The Salvation Army, which provides crisis and transitional accommodation and support, along with a community outreach program.  Prior to The Salvation Army, Liz worked within the criminal justice system for several years.

Liz holds a Bachelor of Social Work and has completed extensive Domestic and Family Violence related training. Liz is a member of local interagency forums and believes integrated service responses play an important role in safety for adult and children victim-survivors and accountability for persons using violence.