Our staff

Meet our staff

Dr Caroline Lambert
Executive Director
YWCA Australia

Email
Phone: 03 9349 3711

Caroline has long-term interest in women's human-rights and gender equality issues, in Australia and internationally. Over a twenty-five year period, Caroline has been involved in a range of community organisations, co-founding the Women's Rights Action Network Australia (with Barbara Palmer) in 1998. She was involved with Amnesty International for many years, and is a past chair of Women's Housing Limited in Victoria.

Caroline is interested in ensuring that the voices of women in Australia, in particular young women’s voices, are heard in the policy process – so that policy can meet their needs and enable girls and young women in Australia to thrive and meet their full potential. Caroline works with a range of policy tools, with a particular expertise in using the UN Human Rights Treaty System, to achieve domestic political change.

Caroline has a PhD on the women, trade, human rights and liberal economic and political theory. She is the co-author of Critical Chatter: Women and Human Rights Activism in South East Asia and co-edited "Global Issues, Women and Justice".

Jenny Davidson
Deputy Director
YWCA Australia

Email
Phone: 03 9349 1699

Jenny has 10 years experience working in the not for profit sector managing fundraising and communications teams and stakeholder relations. Her roles have included External Relations Manager at International Women’s Development Manager; International Liaison for Milenio Feminista, a network of women’s organisations in Mexico; and Communications and Relations Manager at Whitelion.

Jenny completed a MBA at Melbourne Business School in December 2008.

Heather Walker
Administration Officer
YWCA Australia

Email
Phone: 02 6230 5150

Heather comes to YWCA Australia from a background in the IT, tourism and hospitality industries.  She holds a Bachelors Degree in Biological Science and came to the ACT from the Northern Territory.

Alison Laird
Policy Coordinator
YWCA Australia

Email
Phone: 03 9349 1699

Alison joined us as Policy Coordinator in November 2009 after writing the content for YWCA Australia's website and editing a report to the United Nations for the organisation. Alison is a former lawyer who worked in the public and private sectors in areas including consumer protection and trade practices law. She has also worked as a researcher on native title issues.

Alison was a project worker with YWCA Australia in the late stages of the most recent UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) NGO parallel reporting project and has a strong interest in human rights protections for women.

Kathy Richards
Program Manager
Equality Rights Alliance (ERA)

Email
Phone: 02 6230 5152

Kathy has spent eleven years working in human rights in the non government sector, including as Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia, Human Rights Policy Coordinator for the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and Convenor of the Australian Forum of Human Rights Organisations (AFHRO).

Kathy's previous research work includes an extensive investigation of community-based anti-corruption programs for the anti-corruption movement Transparency International and publications on the links between corruption and people trafficking. Currently Kathy is the Vice President for Amnesty International Australia ACT/Southern NSW region.

Equality Rights Alliance (formerly WomenSpeak) is managed by YWCA Australia.

Emma Davidson
Project Coordinator
Equality Rights Alliance (ERA)

Email
Phone: 02 6230 5152

Emma has more than a decade of government department experience working with clients at Centrelink, as well as policy and IT management.

Emma volunteers for various women’s health and social justice causes, and has authored magazine articles on social justice and environment issues.

Her Bachelor of General Studies combines journalism, law, and IT studies.

Katie Walsh-Smith
Administrative Assistant and Project Officer for International Women’s Day
Equality Rights Alliance (ERA)

Email
Phone: 02 6175 9926

Katie comes to the Equality Rights Alliance with a varied background including social justice advocacy. While studying at the Australian National University Katie was President of the ANU chapter of the St Vincent de Paul Society, working directly with those in need. A Disability Support Worker for 5 years she gained a Certificate IV in Disability to compliment the skills learned working with children with disabilities. She currently volunteers as a Girl Guide Leader.

Her Bachelor of Arts was in English, philosophy and sociology.

Rachel Malthouse
Program Manager
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance (NATSIWA)

Email
Phone: 02 6175 9924

Rachel is an Aboriginal Women a descendant of the Mbarbarum people of far north Queensland and has come to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Women’s Alliance from Brisbane, Queensland. Rachel has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 11 years with a background in community development.

In her work, Rachel was the manager of Keriba Warngun Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Women and ran programs for the community which included the Inside Outside program for troubled youth inside the prison system and a law and advocacy program which assisted Indigenous women with their legal rights in the legal system. Rachel then went on to work with South East Queensland ATSIC in 2004 writing their policies and procedures manual and annual report.

Rachel has worked tirelessly to advocate for policies to be revised for the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women, speaking out about chroming in 2002 at the Queensland Parliament’s Women of the Round Table meeting and attending the Women’s Ministerial Council meeting in Adelaide where she assisted Lorraine Hays MD explain foetal alcohol syndrome to the Ministers to secure funding to address it. Rachel has also worked as a youth worker in the remote community of Milingimbi NT.    

NATSIWA is auspiced by YWCA Australia. 

Megan Daley
Administrative Officer
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance (NATSIWA)

Email
Phone: 02 6175 9919

Megan is an Aboriginal woman and is a descendant of the Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal people from the NSW and ACT region.

Megan graduated Year 12 in 2010 achieving high results in hospitality and tourism. She was also nominated for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Apprentice Trainee or Student of the Year

Megan was also selected as one of 100 Indigenous students across Australia to participate in the Learn, Earn, Legend work experience program and spent 2 days at Parliament house working in Senator Gary Humphries’ Office and the Department of Water, Environment, Heritage and the Arts where she developed a passion to encourage Aboriginal people to seek higher education and make a difference.