Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has announced a new leadership team, including four new senior appointments.
As Australia confronts a crisis of gendered violence, these appointments are critical in advancing evidence-based strategies to end violence against women and children.
Joining ANROWS as a Director of Research is Dr Kristin Diemer, a leading international expert in family violence research. She brings more than 30 years’ expertise in family violence research, having developed Australia’s first multi-agency Family Violence Database and co-led the globally recognised kNOwVAWdatacourse with UNFPA and DFAT.
Speaking to her work moving forward in the position, Dr Diemer said strengthening Australia’s evidence base — and ensuring it is applied — would be a central focus.
“Australia leads the world in research on gendered violence — but there are still critical gaps we must fill. My focus is on growing the evidence base, partnering across sectors, and ensuring that every piece of knowledge we generate is directly applied to improving safety for women and children,” Dr Diemer said.
Lucy Macmillan has been appointed Director of Evaluation and Impact. She’s a senior evaluation and impact specialist with two decades’ experience across domestic violence, justice and public health sectors. She has led major evaluations of men’s behaviour change programs and early intervention initiatives. She is passionate about centring lived experience and building evidence to drive systems change.
Appointed as Director of Strategy and Organisational Development is Anandini Mayuran, a strategy and organisational development leader with over 15 years experience in strategy design, public policy, organisational development, and philanthropy. Formerly Head of Capability at the Paul Ramsay Foundation, she is focused on strengthening ANROWS’s strategic delivery, innovation, and organisational resilience,supporting its mission to drive evidence-led change.
Internationally recognised gender equity leader Dr Meredith Nash has been appointed Director of Communications and Engagement with ANROWS. She is the former National Lead for Respect@Work at KPMG Australia, and has led the transformative 2022 Nash Review of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Australian Antarctic Program.
As the new Director of Communications and Engagement, Dr Nash says her focus is on ensuring the organisation’s research reaches the public, government and community in ways that drive action.
“Research is only powerful if it changes conversations and decisions”, said Dr Nash. “Shifting culture and systems starts with shifting how we talk about gendered violence.”
Speaking to the impact of these new appointments, ANROWS CEO Tessa Boyd Caine said the leadership team reflects the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that evidence translates into urgent action that improves lives.
“As rates of gendered violence remain devastatingly high, we need to do more than simply understand the problem- we also need to ensure well-informed action to address it,” said Dr Boyd- Caine.
“Our new leadership team brings expertise across research, communications, evaluation and strategy, strengthening ANROWS’ ability to inform policy, practice and community action to better prevent and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence.”
ANROWS’s leadership refresh follows recent appointments to its Board and reflects a sharper strategic focus on impact, aligned with the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032.