The new members of the Women’s Advisory Council for Gender Equity have been announced.
The council advises the Minister for Women, Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, about policies that affect women, girls and gender diverse people.
The new members are:
- Helen Dalley Fisher AM (Chair)
- Dr Joyce Das (Deputy Chair)
- Brahmmi Kumarasamy
- Prudence Mooney
- Shelby Schofield
- Professor Michelle Ryan
- Joyce Graham
- Siobhan Hobbs
- Lauren Beckman
The members have expertise in advancing gender equality across academia, public and community services, the private sector, and social enterprises in the ACT, as well as nationally and internationally.
The Chair, Helen Dalley Fisher AM, was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2025 for services to women, girls and human rights. She is a consultant, human rights advocate, and expert on building gender equality. Her 25 years’ experience include 10 years as a solicitor specialising in disability discrimination law, tenancy law and social security law; working in front line legal service provision, law reform and policy advocacy in Australia and internationally, including in negotiations on the drafting of the Disability Rights Convention at the United Nations in Bangkok and New York in 2003, coordinating or contributing to CEDAW and other shadow reports, and more than a decade of advocacy at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She is convenor of the Equality Rights Alliance (ERA).
“Making progress on gender equality isn’t just a nice idea or a way of being kind. Gender equality is critical to everyone’s wellbeing and security. Decades of research has shown that communities with higher levels of gender equality are more cohesive, better equipped to deal with change and have better economic growth and health outcomes.
“The ACT has a strong record in addressing gender inequality, and I’m looking forward to working with the Council and the Minister to bring the voices of local women, girls and gender diverse people to the development of the next plan for women, girls and gender equity.”
Deputy chair Dr Das is a gender equality and social inclusion specialist who founded Go Equal, a gender equity consulting firm.
“I am deeply honoured to serve as Deputy Chair of the ACT Women’s Advisory Council for Gender Equity,” Dr Das said. “This appointment represents an opportunity to amplify the voices of diverse women across our community, particularly those from multicultural and marginalised backgrounds who often face systemic barriers.
“I am committed to working collaboratively with the Council to advance meaningful changes in gender equity and address critical gender equity issues, with a particular focus on improving responses to gender-based violence and fostering economic empowerment for all women in the ACT. Together, we will ensure that the next ACT Women’s Plan reflects the lived experiences and aspirations of our entire community.”
Dr Paterson congratulated the new council members, saying they bring significant experience and expertise to their roles.
“The ACT Government is committed to comprehensive and progressive policies to address gender inequality, including through improving health, economic and social outcomes for women, girls and gender diverse people and addressing the prevalence of domestic, family and sexual violence in our community.”
“I’m incredibly excited to work with the new Council members, who play a vital role connecting Government with the community and working with us to develop and implement our policies. A key agenda item for this Council will be helping to shape the next plan for women, girls and gender equity, which will set out the ACT Government’s ongoing commitment towards gender equality.”
