Menaka Iyengar Cooke
Member, NSW, National Coordinating Committee

Menaka had a long career in Human Resources before retiring as HR Director.  Her experiences in Change management included programs for pay equity and equal employment opportunity. In retirement she found her passion in intersectional feminism and advocating for victims of Domestic Violence

In 2021, she received the Prof. Shirley Randall -WCEI Australia Award for social contribution and The International Alliance of Women & Women Chiefs of Enterprises International World of Difference Award, in 2022.

She published her memoir ‘Monsoon Woman’ in 2018 outlining her experiences as a migrant single parent in the early 1970s, who educated herself (getting two Masters degrees) and got to the C-Suite.  She is also a newsreader on Radio2RPH and podcaster of  the ‘Colours of Australia’ program.