IWDA’S 40th Anniversary and Strategic Plan Launch: CEO Announcement
2025 is a landmark year—one that marks 40 years since three visionary Australian women—Ruth Pfanner, Wendy Poussard, and Wendy Rose—gathered around a kitchen table with a bold ambition: to advance the rights of women. Their vision for a different way of being and doing laid the foundation for an agency that has stood in solidarity with women’s rights organisations across Asia and the Pacific for four decades.
Yes, in 2025, IWDA turns 40!
This milestone year will be one of reflection, collaboration, and celebration. Throughout the year, I will stand alongside our incredible long-time supporters, partners, and staff to honour the collective impact we’ve made together. Leading IWDA at this pivotal moment is an immense privilege. It’s a time to reflect on our incredible journey and, just as importantly, to look ahead to the next chapter of our Herstory.
It has been a year since I stepped into the role of CEO, and I have drawn immense strength and inspiration from the history of our organisation. Working alongside my incredible executive team and the dedicated feminists at IWDA who power our movement, this past year has reaffirmed my commitment to steering IWDA into its next era—one that builds upon our legacy while boldly charting new paths for feminist action.
This moment is a gift—an opportunity to honour and express deep gratitude to the founders and feminist leaders who shaped IWDA over the past 40 years. I’m inspired by their courageous struggles and wisdom, knowing that the rights we cherish today were hard-won by those who came before us. We must never take them for granted.
A Legacy to Celebrate:
IWDA holds a unique place in the Australian development sector: we are the leading agency solely focused on gender equality and a formidable voice in the global feminist movement. This is no small feat. We stand strong today because of the trust and solidarity of our supporters:
- The Australian public, who share our vision for a feminist, equitable, and just future beyond borders.
- Feminists who see their transformative, values-driven work reflected in us and continue to lend their intellect, wisdom, and resources to our shared mission.
- Australian, regional, and global philanthropic, corporate, and institutional donors who recognise the undeniable need for the change we work to create and enable.
We are deeply grateful for this support and trust our community to stand with us as we move forward together. from this support and count on our community to continue walking with us.
Our Commitment for the Future:
At IWDA, connecting, collaborating, and standing in solidarity with our partners is at the heart of everything we do. We remain deeply accountable to the women’s rights organisations we support—not only through funding but by sharing skills, access, and opportunities. As part of the global feminist movement, we are more committed than ever to strengthening feminist movements and standing with feminists in Australia, our region, and worldwide. Together, we will hold the line, protect hard-won rights, and push forward toward true gender equality for all.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter
2025 will not only mark our 40th year—it will also launch a bold new chapter for IWDA. In July this year, we will unveil our new Strategic Plan, shaped by the invaluable insights and aspirations of people both inside and outside our organisation. This strategy will serve as our guiding light for the next decade, ensuring that IWDA continues to make a powerful, lasting difference, working towards gender equality for all!
Together, we will shape the next decade of feminist action—because gender equality cannot wait. I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with all of you—our staff, partners, and supporters—as we strengthen our foundations, celebrate our collective impact, and set the course for the next 10 years of feminist action and change.
However, we also acknowledge our roots in the development sector are also linked to the oppressive and ongoing legacy of the colonial project. Last year, we launched our first Decolonial Framework and Strategy, we said it signified the next step in our ongoing commitment to transformative change within our own organisation, across the sector and beyond.
IWDA’s 40th year promises to be one of reflection, collaboration and coalition building. I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with all of you – our staff, partners and supporters – as we continue to strengthen our foundations, celebrate our collective impact, and set the course for the next 10 year’s of change.
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