Following endorsement by Commonwealth and state and territory governments, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) has appointed Joan Fitzpatrick as the new Chair of their board.
Ms Fitzpatrick has extensive business leadership experience and more than 25 years of board experience across multiple sectors, including serving as CEO and Director of the Australian Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF), and as a Director of the Create Foundation.
Assistant Minister for Social Services and for the Prevention of Family Violence, Justine Elliot, said Ms Fitzpatrick's wealth of management and board expertise will ensure ANROWS continues to conduct high-quality research integral to the development of effective, evidence-based policies that supports ending violence against women and children.
"The quality of research conducted by ANROWS is key in implementing effective national policy to address, and ultimately end the crisis of gender-based violence, and I am confident Ms Fitzpatrick's leadership as the new Chair will allow ANROWS to continue their vital work."
"Thank you to both interim Chair Mr Barry Sandison and former Chair, Her Excellency, the Honourable Ms Samantha Mostyn AO for their work towards our shared goal of ending gender-based violence in this country," Assistant Minister Elliot said.
ANROWS was established in 2013 as an initiative of Australia's first National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (National Plan) by the Commonwealth Government and all state and territory governments of Australia.
Since its establishment, ANROWS has demonstrated strong leadership in working to build the critical evidence base needed to inform policy and programs to support ending violence against women and children in Australia.
CEO of ANROWS Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine said "we are absolutely delighted to welcome Ms Fitzpatrick as the Chair of ANROWS. Her strength of expertise in best practice governance and her experience leading across a range of environments including nonprofit organisations, alongside her deep commitment to gender equality, make her ideally placed to guide the Board's oversight of ANROWS and our strategic impact in the work ahead."
The work of ANROWS has been backed by extensive investment from the Albanese Labor Government, including $23.3 million for their National Priority Research Fund and $4.3 million in the 2024-25 Budget for building the evidence base on pathways into and out of perpetration of family, domestic and sexual violence.
The Chairperson will be appointed for a term of three or four years and may be reappointed for a further term of up to 4 years.
