Jozefa Sobski AM - WEL Australia Convenor

Jozefa has been active in feminist, women’s and community organisations for many years. She started her activism in Sydney Women’s Liberation in the 1970’s. She is currently Chair of the Board of Jessie Street National Women’s Library and Vice President of the Haberfield Association. She was Convenor of WEL NSW for three years to 2016 and for a period from 2006-2010. She was Convenor of WEL Australia from 2018-2019. She is a member of the TAFE Community Alliance. She was an inaugural member of the NSW Women in Education group and the Australian Women’s Education Coalition. She is a qualified teacher of English and History and has a Masters in Adult Education. She worked in the Ministry of Education as a policy adviser on sexism and in TAFE in policy administration, as a Principal of a College and Director of South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE. She is a member of the National Foundation of Australian Women, Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association and Emily’s List.

Menaka Cooke - WEL Executive Committee Member 

Menaka is a coach and management consultant in organisation change and people development working with an Aboriginal Land Council and in local government. She is the current President of Women Chiefs of Enterprises (NSW branch) and serves on the board of Economic Security for Women, Zonta East Sydney Club, Older Women’s Network NSW and the Indian Crisis Support Agency.

Her book ‘Monsoon Woman – wouldn’t take NO for an answer’ (2019) is a memoir of her life arriving as a single migrant parent in Australia in the early 1970s, then educated and empowered herself (obtaining two Masters degrees in Commerce and Psychotherapy) and reached the C-suite in corporations.

Her early experiences in Australia encountering systemic and overt racism and sexism led her to become a passionate feminist, joining the Women’s Electoral Lobby while also engaging with CALD and women’s organisations to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment.

She is a strong believer in Intersectional Feminism, coaching Indigenous and NESB women in leadership, reaching out to women of multi-cultural backgrounds to encourage them on their journey.

Philippa Hall - WEL Executive Committee Member

Philippa has been an executive member for several years and was formerly the WEL NSW Convenor for 4 years. Philippa worked in various areas of State and Federal Government, and in New Zealand, on women's employment and human rights issues. Pay equity for women is a long standing commitment and area of work. Philippa has contributed to various non-government organisations working on improvements for women, especially in employment. Philippa holds post-graduate qualifications in Arts, Commerce, and Information Management.

Dr Mary O'Sullivan - WEL Executive Committee Member & WEL NSW Convenor

Mary has worked in a range of policy advisory and program management roles. She has served as an elected Councillor. Mary joined her first feminist activist group in 1972 in Newcastle NSW. Mary has a long record of activism on behalf of women in the context of trade unions, and in many other political and policy contexts. Her interests range from women in work, through to the role and status of women in Australian politics, culture and society. Mary has worked for WEL on submissions and campaigns  to highlight the lack of affordable housing for older women, the issue of elder abuse, and most recently the decriminalisation of abortion in NSW. On behalf of WEL, Mary led the Secretariat and supported Wendy McCarthy as Chair of WEL's Decriminalisation Round Table and then the NSW Pro Choice Alliance.

Priscilla Todd - WEL Executive Committee Member