Speakers

Dr Emma Fulu is a feminist activist, researcher, and entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to advancing gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. She is the founder and Co-CEO of the Equality Institute, a global organisation dedicated to creating a more just and inclusive world that has worked in more than 30 countries. Emma has led some of the world’s largest studies on violence against women, including at the United Nations, and co-founded VOICE, supporting women and girls in crisis settings. Emma has advised governments, UN agencies, and global brands, and her work has been featured on Q&A, The Project, the BBC, CNN, and beyond. A TEDx speaker and writer with a PhD from the University of Melbourne, she brings together data, storytelling, and lived experience to inspire change.

Arman Abrahimzadeh is a DV prevention advocate and an experienced Board Director, having served on a number of advisory committees and NFP Boards in SA including Zahra Foundation Australia, of which he is also a Co-Founder.

As an advocate for the prevention of family and domestic violence, Arman speaks on the topic of healthy relationships and early warning signs in abusive relationships at schools, workplaces, prisons and conferences.

Arman was elected as a Councillor in the City of Adelaide in 2018 and served as the Deputy Lord Mayor in 2022. In addition to his work in community housing and the City of Adelaide, Arman is also a member of the Advisory Group to the SA Royal Commission into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Jackson Katz is an educator, author, and social theorist who is internationally renowned for his pioneering scholarship and activism on issues of gender, race, and violence. His work covers a range of topics, from gender-based violence to masculinities, media, violence, and politics.

In 1993, Dr. Katz co-founded the Mentors in Violence Prevention program at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society. The multiracial, mixed-gender MVP program was the first large-scale program of its kind in the college and professional sports culture, and in all branches of the U.S. military. Among its many accomplishments, MVP introduced the “bystander” approach to the gender violence prevention field; Dr. Katz is a key architect of this now broadly popular educational strategy.

Heidi La Paglia Reid is an Autistic and disabled, mum feminist, rights advocate and policy consultant based in Lutruwita/Tasmania. She has worked nationally and internationally to advance the rights of women with disabilities through research, policy, and systems advocacy. Heidi brings personal and professional experience to her work and has extensive policy experience in a number of policy areas including disability rights, gender equity, and violence prevention. Heidi worked as the policy director at Women With Disabilities Australia for a number of years and in 2023, started her own consultancy business. In all of her work, Heidi advocates for deep community engagement and has a drive to transform systems in a way that breaks down intersectional discrimination.

Bandana Rana is the first Nepali member of the UN CEDAW (Convention of Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) Committee since 2017. She served as Vice Chair of the Committee from 2018-2020. She is presently the Chair of the Task Force on Afghanistan within the Committee. She is also a member of the UNFPA High Level Commission on ICPD25 follow up.

Olena Shevchenko is a prominent Ukrainian women's and LGBTI rights activist, serving as the chairwoman of the NGO Insight and co-founder of the feminist movement - Women's March in Ukraine (Marsh Zhinok). She advocates for marginalized communities, including LGBTQI individuals and women from vulnerable communities, while challenging discriminatory laws. In 2021, Shevchenko was awarded the Human Rights Tulip by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for her pioneering human rights work. The following year, she and Insight received the Prix international de la ville de Paris for the Rights of LGBTI+ People. Named Women of the Year by The Times in 2023, Shevchenko highlighted the increased vulnerability of women and LGBTQI people during the war in Ukraine, pointing to widespread discrimination, sexual violence, and gaps in humanitarian aid. She remains a powerful advocate for human rights in Ukraine.