IWDA WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mary Hawkins, President, and Jan Owen, Vice President, on behalf of the IWDA Board are delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Joanna Hayter to the position of IWDA Executive Director.

Joanna is delighted to be joining IWDA, fulfilling a passion for working to empower women in international development.  Joanna has worked in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, PNG, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and Tanzania.  She holds an MSc in Human Resource Development and Management from the Institute for Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester UK and a Hospital Based Diploma of Nursing from the Western Australian School of Nursing, Royal Perth Hospital.

Most recently Joanna has been managing her own health and development consulting company.  Previously she was the Country Director for The Burnet Institute in Myanmar and grew the organisation extending the country program from linear HIV/AIDS projects to a wider public health and education program including: gender-focused sexual health programs; vulnerable youth and child protection programs; school and workplace education forums, links with law enforcement in relation to drugs and society; civil society leadership; and human rights training for community leaders.

Joanna has experience as the Country Director for Save the Children UK in Vietnam and as the Africa Regional Director for the Overseas Service Bureau.  As a Project Director at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Melbourne she led a project team of professionals across three international offices and five country locations in China and South East Asia.

IWDA is fortunate to have Joanna join us to work with the IWDA Board, lead the staff team and engage with all our wonderful donors and supporters.  We welcome Joanna to her new role.

In her own words Joanna states:

“Working with women is central to what drives me and motivates me as a leader.  Gender equality is a human right and central to economic and human development but I address this through a feminist view of humanitarianism.

I am excited by the moment in history that this appointment brings to me as the new IWDA Executive Director. I believe working with and for women is now at the cutting edge of development practice.

• The September MDG summit in New York has brought substantial new acumen and resources for addressing programs focused on women and development
• The establishment of a new global structure “UN Women”, to be operationalised by January 1st 2011, will sharpen the practical and strategic responses to women’s rights
• The New ‘Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health’ launched in September by the UN Secretary General has strong support from the Australian government and Foreign Minister
• The publicly declared commitments to double the Australia’s aid budget by 2015 articulate a substantial emphasis on the education and health sectors which are friendly to women’s interests

IWDA is brilliantly placed to expand its contribution to these actions whilst also benefiting institutionally. I believe the next 5-10 years will see substantial growth and diversity in the organisation. Our challenge will be to maintain the momentum the 25th anniversary and the Governor General’s patronage has brought, and ensure IWDA’s public profile is associated with quality and excellence in practice and professional expertise that sees us shine as leaders in dialogue and reform.”

Joanna will commence with IWDA on 3rd November 2010.

Mary Hawkins		Jan Owen
President		Vice President

International Women’s Development Agency Inc.
“When women benefit, the whole community benefits.”

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 22nd, 2010 under Community, Recent.