Read the full wrap-up below:
WDV Appoints Sector Leader for its next phase of impact
WDV Appoints Sector Leader for its Next Phase of Impact
The Board of Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Trishima (Trish) Mitra-Kahn as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), commencing 5th January 2026. Dr. Mitra-Kahn’s appointment follows an extensive search led by executive recruitment firm Brooker Consulting and a rigorous selection process.
WDV Chairpersons’ Helena Jordan and Marlena Raymond said: “Dr. Mitra-Kahn is an exceptional appointment. Trish is a proud Disabled Woman of Colour with a proven commitment to intersectional feminist practice and has a strong values alignment to WDV. Throughout her career, she has championed global, federal and state-based initiatives on preventing and responding to gender-based violence and on improving community health and wellbeing. With her policy nous, commercial acumen, and practitioner roots, the Board believe she is well placed to steer the organisation into its fourth decade.”
Dr. Mitra-Kahn is currently a Director at Safe Steps (Victoria’s 24/7 family violence response service as well as a specialist family violence service provider for People with Disabilities). She was previously Director of Research and Planning at Family Safety Victoria where she delivered significant Royal Commission initiatives and co-led Victoria’s input into the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. She has also held high-level executive roles in the family violence sector including as CEO of the Luke Batty Foundation and Deputy CEO of Domestic Violence NSW.
Dr. Mitra-Kahn started her executive career as Director-Research at ANROWS: Australia’s national research organisation guiding policy and practice to reduce violence against women and children. At ANROWS, she led the organisation’s collaboration on Change the Story – Australia’s national evidence-based framework to guide a coordinated and effective approach to preventing violence against women and children. Alongside these roles, as a HR consultant, she has advised national and statewide Disabled People Organisations on talent acquisition and management.
Dr. Mitra-Kahn said: “It is an honour to take up this role alongside such a skilled staff team, dedicated Board, and active membership. As a Disabled woman, I am committed to learning from and amplifying the expertise of our diverse community, who for decades have led the way on ensuring we can lead safe and thriving lives. I look forward to being guided by our members’ and community’s tenacity and wisdom for I know that collectively, we hold the solutions.”
Dr. Mitra-Kahn will be succeeding Julie Kun, who has been WDV’s Acting CEO since October 2024. The Board extends its deepest gratitude and warm congratulations to Julie for her transformational leadership. WDV Chairpersons’ Helena Jordan and Marlena Raymond said: “under Julie’s leadership, WDV has built our profit for purpose impact work and nurtured our staff’s skills and experiences to fuel authentic, mission-aligned contributions. Julie has worked with staff to build infrastructure and ways of working to amplify our reach and pursue values-driven initiatives that deliver lasting social change.”
Acting CEO Julie Kun thanked the Board and staff and added: “I am thrilled that someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Dr. Mitra-Kahn is stepping into the CEO role. I am confident WDV will be in excellent hands.”
The Board looks forward to an exciting time of growing WDV’s impact and unique Statewide footprint for women and gender diverse Victorians with disabilities.
An image of Dr. Trishima (Trish) Mitra-Kahn, WDV’s newly commencing CEO. She is smiling at the camera, leaning against a brick wall.
Preventing Gender and Disability Based Violence Credential
Preventing Gender and Disability Based Violence Credential
Have you participated in violence prevention training with WDV? If so you’re invited to submit an expression of interest (EoI) for our Credential program which will enable you to be recognised by WDV for your understanding and practice of Preventing Gender and Disability Based Violence (PGDV).
The PGDV Credential aims to equip community and social services practitioners with knowledge, skills and tools though a collaborative learning environment where participants can share insights, discuss challenges and develop actionable plans to prevent violence against women and gender diverse with disabilities.
Interested practitioners are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) by Thursday 11 September 2025, 5:00pm. Applicants must have undertaken previous Violence Prevention training with WDV (at least 3 hours).
You will be notified of your EoI outcome by Thursday 25 September 2025, COB.
Successful applicants will be expected to attend 4 project meetings, review 3 resources, engage in at least 3 Changing the Landscape Community of Practice (CoP) sessions and draft an action plan.
For more information about the PGDV Credential, please feel free to join our drop-in information session on Wednesday 3 September 2025, 12-1:00pm online or contact the Gender and Disability Workforce Development team at [email protected]
ID: Accreditation badge consisting of a purple circle outline on a white background with the WDV logo and text in purple saying “Accredited: Enhancing Gender and Disability Inclusive Practice – Preventing Violence Against Women and Gender Diverse People with Disabilities.” A purple ribbon behind the circle says 2025.
Pain Takes. Disability Pride Gives.
Pain Takes. Disability Pride Gives.
National Pain Week is observed from Monday the 21st of July to Sunday the 27th of July. WDV’s Women’s Empowerment Officer, Brigitte Stone, has explored her experience with chronic pain in our latest blog.
“…While pain takes, disability pride can give us back the right to take up space and demand better. We can share in that pride, and we can share in that power. We are worthy.”
Read the full blog here:
Pain Takes. Disability Pride Gives. PDF
Pain Takes. Disability Pride Gives. Word
Image description: Sandy coloured tile with purple text that reads: “Pain Takes. Disability Pride Gives,” “National Pain Week,” “21st -27th July 2025” and “A WDV Peer Blog by Brigitte Stone”. There is a circular framed image of Brigitte Stone in the bottom right hand corner.
Warm & Well in Winter
Warm & Well in Winter
We are well into the Victorian Winter now, and as we prepare for more wild weather across the region, WDV’s Local Leadership Hubs have been sharing their lived experiences and wonderfully warming ideas.
Read the new Peer Guide here:
Warm and Well in Winter PDF
Warm and Well in Winter Word
Image description: A graphic tile with dark purple background. The white WDV logo is positioned in the top right hand corner. White title text reads: “Warm and Well in Winter” with “A peer guide on health and happiness during the cold Victorian Winter for women and gender diverse people with disabilities” underneath. There is a PNG graphic of a woman or gender diverse person handing out papers in the bottom left hand corner, placed atop a solid-coloured light purple pebble shaped graphic. There are screenshots of the peer guide positioned to the left of that.
WDV Youth Blog: Where Identities Meet: Belonging at the Intersections
WDV Youth Blog: Where Identities Meet: Belonging at the Intersections
WDV Youth Expert Husna Amani asks the question – what does it mean to belong? Specifically, what does it mean for those of us who have multiple marginalised identities? And, can we truly belong in one specific group, or to multiple?
Read the blog here:
WDV Youth Blog: Where Identities Meet: Belonging at the Intersections – Word
WDV Youth Blog: Where Identities Meet: Belonging at the Intersections – PDF
Joint Statement from Women with Disabilities Australia, Women with Disabilities ACT and Women with Disabilities Victoria
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT), and Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) stand united in our endorsement of WWDA’s 2025 Federal Election Platform and 2025-26 Federal Budget Response.
WDV’s Acting CEO, Julie Kun, says that: “21.8% of all women and girls in Australia identify as having disability. It is imperative that our needs are addressed by the government. We all deserve to live with safety, respect, and access to the health and community support we need. The government’s implementation of Australian Peak Bodies for women with disabilities endorsed federal platform and budget response, is essential to making this a reality.”
To read the full joint statement in either PDF or Word format, click the link(s) below:
WDV Youth Blog: Endometriosis Awareness Month
March is Endometriosis awareness month. Sharing their experiences with the disease that affects 1 in 7 people assigned female at birth is WDV Youth Expert by Experience Teagan Mitchell.
Sharing ‘endo facts’ and her own experiences, Teagan hopes to provide a greater understanding of invisible disability and the condition.
Click the link to read the full piece:
Pleasure and Consent – Discussion Paper Released
Pleasure and Consent – Discussion Paper Released
Women and gender diverse people with disabilities in Australia face significant barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and experience higher rates of sexual and intimate partner violence.
Physical, structural, and attitudinal barriers limit access to SRH care and violence prevention. The findings of this discussion paper demonstrate that a pleasure-based approach in healthcare and within gender based violence prevention programs can challenge harmful narratives and support sexual agency for women and gender diverse people with disabilities.
To address these concerns, WDV’s Victorian Women’s Health Program (VWHP), with support from the Gender and Disability Workforce Development Program (G&D), are developing resources on pleasure and consent to improve SRH outcomes and prevent violence.
Read the media release:
Read the discussion paper:
WDV Youth Blog: Mental Health and Disability
Mental Health and Disability
Mental health is a good example of inclusion: someone can experience mental health challenges regardless of who they are – it does not discriminate. Anyone can be affected, and there are many reasons and circumstances in which difficulties can arise.
Fortunately, although you might feel alone, there are people out there who can relate and understand you. There is help.
Youth Expert by Experience, Emma Jago, thoughtfully explores disabled identity and mental health challenges in the blog below. Click the link to read the full piece: