About us.
Our Mission.
• Reshaping peace and security •
• Redefining security for all •
• Building collective power •
Our Vision.
Our vision is a world in which gender equality, and the contributions and rights of diverse women and girls are transforming conflict to build peace.
We believe all women can lead inclusively, amplify diverse voices, and build lasting peace.
Who we are.
The Australian Civil Society Coalition for Women, Peace and Security is a non-partisan, independent coalition of civil society organisations, networks, and individuals committed to advancing the WPS agenda at local, national, regional, and global levels.
We bring together activists, academics, gender equality advocates, humanitarians, and people with lived experience of conflict and insecurity, amplifying their voices and expertise to drive change.
What we do.
We advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda by:
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Raising awareness of gendered impacts of conflict and the importance of women’s leadership
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Facilitating dialogue between civil society, policymakers, and communities
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Building evidence to inform policy and practice
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Strengthening networks that amplify the voices and priorities of women peacebuilders in Australia, across the region, and globally
Our work is grounded in feminist principles, centring lived experience, intersectionality, decolonisation, collaboration, and reciprocity. We challenge the acceptance of war, promote peace as an active and inclusive process, and elevate the leadership of women driving change in their communities.
Our Team & Steering Committee.
Co-chairs.
Michelle Higelin
ActionAid Australia
Michelle Higelin is the Executive Director of ActionAid Australia. She has more than two and half decades of experience working to advance women’s rights in Australia and internationally, including as the former Deputy General Secretary of one of the largest women’s rights movement globally, the World YWCA. Michelle has served on global advisory groups to the United Nations Population Fund and the World Food Programme, and chaired the NGO Working Group on Peace at the United Nations in Geneva. She currently serves on the Board of the Australian Council for International Development and is a Co-Chair of the Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women, Peace and Security.
Ludmilla Kwitko
Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom
Dr Ludmilla Kwitko is Associate Professor (Honorary) at the ANU Gender Institute and Asia-Pacific Regional Representative on the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) International Board. She has extensive experience as practitioner, policy analyst, and researcher advancing the women, peace and security agenda with domestic and international partners. She has served as Gender and Community Development Adviser to AusAID, on NATO’s first Civil Society Advisory Panel on WPS, and as civil society representative to Australia’s Inter-Departmental Committee on the First National Action Plan on WPS. Ludmilla co-chairs the Australian Civil Society Coalition on WPS and holds a PhD in Sociology and Masters in Urban-Regional Planning and Sociology.
Steering Committee.
Melissa Monteiro
Community Migrant Resource Centre
Melissa Monteiro is the CEO of the Community Migrant Resource Centre (NSW) with over twenty five years’ experience in the community sector. Melissa is passionate about resettlement and social justice issues and her areas of expertise include building the capacity of small and emerging communities, leadership skills development, women, & youth mentoring.
Sarah E. Davies
Griffith and Monash Universities
Sara Davies is Professor at the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University; Adjunct Professor at Monash University’s Gender Peace and Security Centre and QUT’s Australian Centre for Health Law Research; and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. An International Relations scholar, she focuses on Global Health Governance and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Her research examines the political conditions that deny access to civil, economic and social rights, with emphasis on contexts of acute vulnerability, including disease outbreaks, gender-based and sexual violence in conflict, and forced displacement.
Linh Nong Dieu
International Women's Development Agency (IWDA)
Linh Nong Dieu is an international development professional with experience in the non-governmental, not-for-profit sector in Southeast Asia, the United States, and Australia. Linh offers in-depth knowledge in historical, social, and political contexts of Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. She is passionate in post-colonial feminism and women, peace and security in the Global South and an advocate for the decolonisation approach to development and peacebuilding initiatives. She was previously Rotary Peace Fellow at The University of Queensland, and is currently Program Manager of the Myanmar portfolio at IWDA.
Mitra Khakbaz
CEO of Immigrant Women Support Services
Mitra Khakbaz is a seasoned advocate for positive social change, with over two decades of experience in senior non-profit roles. Specialising in humanitarian and development initiatives, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, Mitra has spearheaded numerous impactful projects. Mitra has led number of organisations responding to domestic, family and sexual violence and is currently CEO of Immigrant Women Support Services. Mitra is a board member of 100Women, Economic Justice Australia and chair of Nationality for All, an organisation leading advocacy work in addressing the impact of statelessness on impacted communities incorporating a gender and intersectional lens.
Behishta Anwar
President of the Afghan Women Federation of South Australia
Behishta Anwar, President of the Afghan Women Federation of SA, is a passionate advocate for Afghan women and newcomers to Australia. Drawing on her experiences under the Taliban and adapting to a new country, she champions girls’ education and amplifies marginalized voices. As Community Development Officer at the Australian Refugee Association, she works to empower communities. A graduate of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation Program, she also volunteers widely and serves as an executive member of MOSAIC Adelaide.
Tiana Hippolite
Consultant, researcher & community connector
Tiana Hippolite is a dedicated advocate for equity and community wellbeing, with broad experience across research, consultancy, and grassroots engagement. Specialising in inclusive practice and community-driven approaches, Tiana has contributed to numerous initiatives supporting women, young people, and culturally diverse communities in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. She currently works as a consultant, researcher and community connector, bringing a strong focus on Māori equity and lived-experience-led change. Tiana is committed to advancing gender equality and meaningful participation to help drive a more inclusive and socially just outcomes.
Team.
Charlie Fox
WPS Program Coordinator
Charlie brings extensive experience in communications, administration, and stakeholder engagement within the non-government sector. She has worked across a range of non-profit and development agencies to support impactful initiatives and build strong relationships with partners and collaborators. She holds a Master’s degree in International Security and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Humanities and Critical Studies. Passionate about promoting gender equality and inclusive peacebuilding, Charlie is dedicated to strengthening civil society efforts across the Women, Peace and Security agenda.