National Foundation for Australian Women
Board Director (Voluntary)
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is a feminist organisation dedicated to advancing gender equality and protecting the rights and interests of Australian women. Independent of party politics, NFAW works to influence policy, support research and advocacy, and strengthen the broader women’s movement in Australia. NFAW also supports initiatives and projects aligned with its objects as well as through its preferred donor arrangements and partnerships across the sector.
NFAW is currently seeking a voluntary Board Director to join our Board and contribute to the strategic leadership and governance of the organisation.
About the Role
NFAW is governed by a volunteer, skills-based Board of Directors. The Board is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals with strong financial expertise to join the Board, with the intention that the successful candidate will also assume the role of Treasurer.
The Treasurer plays an important role in supporting the Board’s oversight of NFAW’s financial management, reporting and governance. This includes working closely with the Board and advisers to ensure sound financial stewardship and transparency.
Board appointments are voluntary and directors are not remunerated.
The person
We are seeking a candidate who brings strong financial capability and governance awareness. You will have:
An interest in or commitment to gender equality and advancing the rights of women will be important.
NFAW welcomes expressions of interest from individuals who bring diverse perspectives, including First Nations women, women from culturally diverse backgrounds, and younger women seeking to contribute their professional skills to the governance of a national feminist organisation.
Commitment
NFAW is a volunteer-led organisation. Directors are expected to attend Board meetings and contribute to committees and key initiatives of the organisation. The Board generally meets several times each year, with additional involvement in committee work as required.
How to apply
If you are interested in contributing your financial expertise to the governance of NFAW and supporting the advancement of women in Australia, we encourage you to submit an expression of interest to nfaw@nfaw.org
Further information about the role and application process is available in the Position Description →.
Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in response to its inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic security imperative
NFAW welcomes this inquiry into gender equality as a national and economic security imperative and thanks the Committee for the opportunity to make this submission. We are available and would be pleased to address any questions and give further evidence to the Committee during hearings.
Recommendations
NFAW recommends:
1. The development of an Australian National Security Strategy which:
a. identifies gender equality as a critical element of the definition of ‘security’;
b. uses a human rights framework and maps risks and actions against the impact on human rights in Australia;
c. identifies the elimination of gender inequality as a priority action;
d. articulates the benefits of gender equality for all Australians vis a vis Australia’s national security;
e. adopts an intersectional approach to identifying and addressing gender inequality;
f. requires Commonwealth Departments and other federal entities to conduct gender impact analysis across all policies and areas of responsibility (particularly all domestic areas of policy and responsibility) which are identified in the strategy as critical to Australia’s national security and incorporate the results into its policies and practices. This activity should include but not be limited to recommendations 2 and 3 below; g. directs adequate resourcing to the Commonwealth Office for Women and / or other relevant bodies to support Departments and entities to build internal capacity to perform the above analysis.
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of Australian women, including in intellectual, cultural, political, social, economic, legal, industrial and domestic spheres, and ensuring that the aims and ideals of the women’s movement and its collective wisdom are handed on to new generations of women. We are a feminist organisation, independent of party politics and working in partnership with other women’s organisations. In our advocacy work, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of Country throughout Australia and pay our respects to their elders past and present.
Background
The issue of children’s safety in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services has become a central issue for Australian governments and parents around Australia following the arrest of two educators charged with numerous cases of child sexual abuse in Queensland in August 2023 and Victoria in May 2025, and two charged with assault of a toddler in New South Wales in July 2025. An ongoing Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) investigation into child safety in the ECEC sector has been the main source of publicly available information on incidents of abuse and follow up.
We note that the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) published a Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework (Child Safety Review) in December 2023. Following a consultation period which closed in June 2025, a Decision Regulation Impact Statement (DRIS) was published in mid-August 2025. Federal, state and territory governments have responded with a raft of measures and are working on joint initiatives to improve child safety. Our understanding is that options agreed by Education Ministers in August 2025 will proceed to legislation through the Victorian Parliament (as the host jurisdiction of the National Law) for adoption by other jurisdictions. Timeframes for legislative amendments to take effect will be determined by Education Ministers. Legislation was also introduced and passed by the Australian Parliament in July 2025 to address a number of key issues relating to child safety and quality in ECEC in Australia, regulation, compliance and training.
Improving productivity
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is a leading advocate for gender equality in Australia, independent of party politics and dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research, and education.
The evidence globally and in Australia is clear that advances towards gender equality contribute to nations’ resilience, deliver economic gains and accelerate productivity.i Despite progress on improving gender equality in Australia, women are still more likely to work part time, be underemployed, and experience lower pay and job security compared to men.
NFAW congratulates the Government on its work on Gender Responsive Budgeting and gender impact analysis in its Budget processes. The Working for Women Strategy is an important milestone for gender equality in Australia and a useful framework. There is more to be done to align all government processes to integrate gender equality considerations.
This submission seeks to inform the Economic Reform Roundtable of the productivity benefits from investing in gender equality.
Australia must recognise that supporting gender equality is an investment
Reducing gender wage gaps is not an inefficiency but an overall better utilisation of women’s skills, and so an economy-wide productivity gain.
Building economic resilience in the face of global uncertainty
Introduction
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is a leading advocate for gender equality in Australia, independent of party politics and dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research, and education.
The evidence globally and in Australia is clear that advances towards gender equality contribute to nations’ resilience, deliver economic gains and accelerate productivity.i Despite progress on improving gender equality in Australia, women are still more likely to work part time, be underemployed, and experience lower pay and job security compared to men.
NFAW congratulates the Government on its work on Gender Responsive Budgeting and gender impact analysis in its Budget processes. The Working for Women Strategy is an important milestone for gender equality in Australia and a useful framework. There is more to be done to align all government processes to integrate gender equality considerations.
This submission seeks to inform the Economic Reform Roundtable of the gender implications of building economic resilience and the benefits from investing in gender equality.
Workplace flexibility is improving but is at risk, and there is more to be done
Strengthening budget sustainability
Introduction
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is a leading advocate for gender equality in Australia, independent of party politics and dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research, and education.
The evidence globally and in Australia is clear that advances towards gender equality contribute to nations’ resilience, deliver economic gains and accelerate productivity.i Despite progress on improving gender equality in Australia, women are still more likely to work part time, be underemployed, and experience lower pay and job security compared to men.
NFAW congratulates the Government on its work on Gender Responsive Budgeting and gender impact analysis in its Budget processes. The Working for Women Strategy is an important milestone for gender equality in Australia and a useful framework. There is more to be done to align all government processes to integrate gender equality considerations.
This submission seeks to inform the Economic Reform Roundtable of the gender implications of Budget processes and the advantages of progressing gender equality, particularly focussing on the third theme of strengthening Budget sustainability.
Australia should increase and broaden the tax base, and make it more progressive
We urge the next Government to be bold and to continue to progress the gender reforms initiated by the 47th Parliament.
NFAW has examined the policy areas that are of most relevance to the economic wellbeing of women, and our analysis shows that the Albanese Government has placed gender reform at the core of its decision making, improving the lives of many women.
The heart of those reforms has been in the machinery of government: ensuring that policy decisions include analysis of the effects on women; revitalising the Women’s Budget; and strengthening the role of WGEA.
The changes to the Fair Work Act and the implementation of Gender Panels; higher wages in the care sector, a highly feminised workforce; the extension of childcare and progressing aged care reforms will all benefit women.
There are still policy areas that need attention. Climate change is real, and women bear the burden of disaster recovery; and women receiving Jobseeker and other welfare payments are living in poverty.
Affordable housing, whether as a homeowner or renter, is a matter of urgency. We urge the incoming Government to accelerate programs that have been commenced – not change course.
We are facing geo-political uncertainty. The incoming government could see this as a sign to apply the brakes on programs that address inequality.
We call on the incoming government to be bold and continue to invest in programs that reduce gender and intergenerational inequality.
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| Professor Helen Hodgson Chair Social Policy Committee |
Marie Coleman AO PSM Advisor to Social Policy Committee |
The National Foundation for Australian Women welcomes the announcement by the Assistant Minister for Women, Kate Thwaites, on 29 October 2024 that the Australian Government has finalised a new set or agreements for five National Women’s Alliances.
These organisations play a crucial role in coordinating and supporting women’s organisations and feminist movements in Australia and have done so since 2012.
The new arrangements represent some continuity, but also disruption to the sector.
Jane Madden, President of NFAW said: “The loss of the Equality Rights Alliance, which decided not to continue, will be missed. NFAW stands ready to work in close collaboration with the new Working with Women Alliance, led by the YWCA of Canberra. We look forward to participating to ensure the new Alliance is established on feminist principles of collegiality, participation, and openness”.
NFAW expects that working with the new alliance will help to strengthen and hold the government to account for the Implementation of the Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality announced on the 7 March 2024.
About the National Foundation for Australian Women:
NFAW is a leading feminist organisation in Australia dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research and education.
www.nfaw.org
For more information, contact:
Jane Madden, President, 0406 384 672
Sally Moyle, Vice President, 0400 167 927
The Government's refusal to include questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in the 2026 Census is a troubling and distressing decision that undermines the inclusion of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community. While the Government claims to be avoiding divisive debates on sensitive topics, its actions have only deepened the sense of exclusion felt by LGBTQIA+ individuals across the nation.
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) has been closely monitoring these developments with growing concern. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) dedicated considerable time and effort to consulting LGBTQIA+ communities and expert stakeholders on the proposed Census questions, only for their work to be dismissed by political leaders.
Commenting on this week’s reluctant concession to include a single question on sexuality is inadequate Sally Moyle, Vice President of the NFAW says, “this action fails to recognize the diverse experiences of trans, intersex, and gender-fluid communities. While it may seem like a small step forward, it directly contradicts the Government’s own guidelines, published just in July, which emphasize the importance of considering “sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics, and sexual orientation at all stages of the research project”.
The National Foundation for Australian Women calls on the Government to reverse its decision and to allow, for the first time, the Australian Census to properly and fully count the LGBTQIA+ community.
Says Moyle, “this blatant political interference in scientific research further marginalizes a community already too often used as a political football, undermining the potential for accurate health and social policy development”.
About the National Foundation for Australian Women:
NFAW is a leading feminist organisation in Australia dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights through policy advocacy, research and education.
www.nfaw.org
For more information, contact:
Sally Moyle, Vice President, 0400 167 927
Helen Hodgson, Chair, Social Policy Committee, 0418 906 162 (note WA)
