WEL NSW Executive Committee
Jozefa Sobski / Convenor
Helen L’Orange
Helen has worked on a wide range of feminist issues for close to 40 years both within Government and as a member of WEL and other women’s organisations. Helen’s areas of interest include strong machinery of government for women, law reform and community education on violence against women and children, childcare, work family balance, women in prison, homeless women, women’s health and CALD women.
At this stage Helen is keen to see WEL regenerated so that our next 40 years are as influential as our first 40 years.
Lorraine Slade / Office Coordinator
Lorraine has been a member of WEL since 1986 and has served on the WEL NSW Executive for a number of years since 2006. She has also volunteered in the WEL office during that time.
Lorraine is strongly committed to the WEL vision of a society ‘where women’s participation and their ability to fulfil their potential are unrestricted, acknowledged and respected, and where women and men share equally in society’s responsibilities and rewards.’
Anne Barber / Treasurer
Anne has been the treasurer of WEL NSW for over 20 years and a member for over 30 years.
Josefa Green
Josefa began as a WEL activist in the 1970’s, involved particularly in equal pay and abortion rights campaigns – issues that still need addressing! She has been on the WEL NSW Executive since 2005. She worked for many years in policy and management areas of the Federal Public Service, including the Special Broadcasting Service, and subsequently as a management consultant working in the areas of planning and organisational change. She has a BA (History Hons), an MBA and a Graduate Diploma in Asian Art.
Kate O'Brien
Kate O’Brien is a passionate advocate for women and sees the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) as an important and effective platform for achieving social and policy change. Kate was elected to the WEL Executive in 2013 following her work as the University of Sydney’s Women’s Officer. In this role she provided support to women students, organised and was the spokesperson for Reclaim the Night Sydney in 2012, and ran the Sydney University Women’s Collective. In 2013, and 2015, Kate was invited to present at the Domestic Violence NSW’s Annual Conference where she spoke about Young Women, Technology and Domestic Violence. Kate’s background is in sociology and social work, through which she has gained clinical experience in child abuse prevention and sexual assault.
Charity Danquah
Charity Danquah has been a member of WEL since 2010. She moved to Australia as a child from West Africa and is a passionate advocate for women's issues both locally and internationally. Charity is also a member of the F Collective and has worked as a Domestic Violence Project Officer for migrant and refugee women escaping violence. She currently works as a Union organiser and campaigns for workers rights across Australia.
WEL, for Charity, is a vehicle through which she can contribute to creating a genuinely equitable and safe society for women in Australia. Charity joins WEL with the aim of strengthening the organisation as a platform to amplify women's voices and most importantly create a safe space for feminist dialogue.
Sandy Killick
Sandy Killick became a WEL member in the early 90s, first joining the Education group before moving onto the NSW Executive and later becoming the WEL National Convenor. She brings social policy and research expertise, as well as management and community liaison experience from the not for profit and government sectors to WEL. Sandy actively volunteers with WEL because it is a progressive feminist organisation with a unique voice and an important role to play in the Australian political landscape.
Sandy is passionate about human rights, particularly equality and making it possible for people to live free from any form of discrimination. She is a Social Leadership Australia alumni, a qualified mediator and holds a Master of Labour Law & Relations and a Master of Education Policy. She also volunteers with the Wilderness Society and as an ethics facilitator at a local public primary school.
Melanie Fernandez / Chair of WEL Australia & WEL NSW Executive Committee Member
Melanie is a feminist activist and is passionately engaged in various organisations in the movement through policy and lobby work and grassroots activism. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the National Women’s Alliance, Equality Rights Alliance, and is on the Board of Reproductive Choice Australia.
Melanie joined WEL to change the system; to work every day towards improving the lives, opportunities and outcomes for Australian women. Melanie is passionately committed to ensuring the involvement of young women and creating pathways for inter-generational dialogue and learning.
Mary O'Sullivan
Gabe Kavanagh
Jane Bullen
Philippa Hall
WEL NSW Staff
Prudence Mooney / Policy & Campaign Coordinator
Prue is responsible for coordinating WEL NSW's policy development process, managing campaign activities, and increasing our influence on state and federal governments.
For the past 10 years Prue has championed labour rights and social justice through legal advocacy, policy reform and research in her work with the Australian Government and the International Labour Organization. Prior to that, Prue was a refugee caseworker with Amnesty International Australia in Sydney.
Amanda Keeling / Membership and Community Engagement Coordinator
Amanda works across membership and community engagement, manages WEL's digital properties and oversees fundraising projects and initiatives. A passionate feminist, Amanda comes to WEL from activism in the LGBTQI community where she worked to improve equality for same-sex attracted women. Amanda has experience working towards social change with member-based, not for profit, volunteer organisations including the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (as the Policy and Projects Officer), Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (Board Member, Sponsor of the Community Engagement Committee and Women’s Committee Member), and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association (Board Member and Director of Media and Communications). Amanda holds a BA (Gender Studies) and Masters in Communications.