Who we are
GenWest formed in 1988, initially as the Women’s Health Service for the West and then as Women’s Health West.
In 2021, after extensive consultation with communities in the west, we made the historic decision to change our name to GenWest.
We are a membership organisation, and our members help to strengthen our voice as we advocate for equal rights in Melbourne’s west. It’s free to join – find out more about the benefits of joining us a member.
What we do
We are an organisation working towards gender equity in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne.
We provide services that help victim-survivors of family violence.
We also support communities to lead safe and healthy lives, by running social and education programs for people who experience inequity.
We also partner with other organisations to advocate for equal rights and the prevention of family violence.
How we are funded
Our funding is mostly made up of local, state and federal government grants.
Most of our grants come from state government departments such as the Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. We also receive funding from the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
GenWest is incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981. We are a Public Benevolent Institution endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient and are therefore entitled to receive tax deductible donations. Make a donation to GenWest.
Our constitution
Download GenWest's constitution:
Our Values
Our values are core to everything we do at GenWest. They underpin our organisational vision and purpose, and guide our everyday decisions and actions.
Freedom
We centre freedom from oppression, discrimination and violence in all our work. We take responsibility for behaving and working in ways that promote freedom and we are accountable for the actions we take.
Connection
We foreground connection to ourselves, each other, our clients, the community, the land and the environment. Connection is fundamental to achieving our purpose. We believe in the strength of belonging, of being inclusive and in working together to achieve change.
Creativity
We embrace and nurture creativity and curiosity. We reflect critically, ask questions, listen and actively pursue learning. We see uncertainty as opening up spaces for new possibilities.
Resistance
We uphold human rights and in solidarity, work together to disrupt injustice and transform lives. We unapologetically challenge systems that disempower while simultaneously acknowledging that we are part of these systems.
Our clients and communities
GenWest’s clients and communities are individuals and groups in Melbourne’s west. This includes women, LGBTIQA+ folk, First Nations peoples, people with a disability, migrant and refugee communities, children, young people and older people.
Our clients and communities are the groups that we exist to support, and how we define them articulates what inclusive feminism and intersectionality mean to us.
We recognise that Melbourne’s west is not homogenous, which is why we talk about communities rather than a singular community.
We specifically note the inclusion of members of LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as children and young people, in our service cohort, reflecting evolving understandings of gender identity and power, alongside the overwhelming impact of family violence on women.
Our vision and purpose
Our vision is gender equity in the west.
Our vision outlines the society we want to live in and are working to create. This is our everyday inspiration and our long-term aspiration.
Our purpose is to achieve gender equity across Melbourne’s west so that everyone can lead healthy and safe lives, free from family violence and oppression.
Our purpose describes our part in advancing gender equity in Melbourne’s west. Given gender equity comprises many elements, our purpose clarifies the areas that are most relevant to Melbourne’s west in light of our strengths and the important work of our partners.
Our work is guided by our 2020-2025 strategic plan.
Our board directors
Our board directors govern our organisation by setting our strategic direction, ensuring our operations are legally compliant and our finances are sound.
The directors are drawn from and elected by our individual and organisational members – the community and sector in which we work. If you are an eligible member and interested in joining our board, please contact us.
Karen McIlwain
Chair
Karen is a strategy, coaching and facilitation consultant who has a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology/Psychology) and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.
Rebecca Burdon
Deputy Chair
Rebecca is a legal practitioner, advocate and people leader having spent most of her career in the government and criminal justice sectors. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts, Social Work (Hons), Masters of Criminology (For Psych) and Bachelor of Laws.
Donna Maloney
Treasurer
Donna is a Manager Finance Business Partnering at the Department of Education, and has extensive Government sector finance and leadership experience. Donna holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA).
Adele Drago-Stevens
Board Director
Adele is the Corporate Director at Macedon Ranges Shire Council. She has a Masters of Tertiary Education Management.
Nicole Bieske
Board Director
Nicole is the Director of Social Policy and Research Centre at the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, previously the Manager of the Delivery Strategy Team at Homes Victoria. She has PhD in human rights and is a qualified lawyer.
