About

Anita Shao is one of EQI’s Visual Designers, where she transforms complex research and data into bold, engaging communications that resonate with diverse audiences. With over a decade of experience spanning branding, art direction, editorial design, photography, UI/UX, and print production, she brings both versatility and strategy to her design practice.

Guided by a passion for gender equality and intersectional feminism, Anita is committed to using design as a tool for change. Her contemporary, vibrant style draws on colour, typography, and texture to tell stories that connect, inspire, and empower — ensuring information is not only beautifully crafted but also accessible and meaningful across mediums.

Benny Dos Santos is the Project and Administrative Assistant at EQI, where he provides essential administrative and logistical support while contributing to a range of key initiatives. Benny plays an active role in programs including Bin-Alin Hakbi’it Malu and Making Progress in Prevention Possible (MPPP), supporting monitoring frameworks for the prevention of violence against women and girls across the Asia-Pacific region. He also supports PARTISIPA’s research on Gender Equity, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) transformation in workplaces, alongside other projects based in Dili, Timor-Leste.

With many years of experience advancing gender equality in Timor-Leste, Benny has worked with Rede Feto, Alola Foundation, and FOKUPERS — the country’s longest-standing organisation dedicated to ending violence against women and promoting gender equality. He is also an alumnus of AJAR’s School for Activists (2021–2022), where he worked closely with communities, particularly women survivors of past conflict during the Indonesian occupation.

Benny is committed to creating meaningful social change, combining hands-on project work with deep community engagement to support equitable and inclusive outcomes.

Catrin Harris is a Visual Designer at Equality Institute, where she creates human-centred content and design that educates, engages, and drives meaningful change. Catrin brings creativity, technical skill, and a passion for storytelling to every project, ensuring that visual communications amplify EQI’s mission and impact.

With over a decade of experience in digital content creation and communications, Catrin has a Master’s Degree in Arts Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Animation and Interactive Media, and an Advanced Diploma of Multimedia from RMIT University. She specialises in layout and design for academic journals and publications, data visualisation, social media and event marketing, brand identity, website design, animation, and motion graphics.

Catrin is passionate about working on projects with heart, blending creativity and strategy to make complex ideas accessible and engaging.

Dr Emma Fulu is the Founder and Co-CEO of Equality Institute, where she leads a global team dedicated to creating a more just and inclusive world. A feminist activist, researcher, and storyteller, Emma has dedicated her career to ending violence against women and advancing gender equality in all its forms.

She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and has led groundbreaking research at the United Nations, while also co-founding VOICE, a non-profit supporting women in humanitarian settings. Her work and ideas have reached international audiences through BBC, Q&A, The Project, The Huffington Post, podcasts, and a TEDx talk.

Emma believes that storytelling and evidence, when brought together, are powerful tools for change — and she is committed to building a future shaped by care, justice, and collective action.

Domini Marshall is the Director of Brand & Communications at Equality Institute, where she leads a talented team in growing a global movement to end violence against women and girls. She leads EQI’s creative communications, shaping strategic campaigns, advocacy initiatives, and creative direction for design and storytelling, ensuring every piece of work amplifies evidence, facilitates learning, and inspires action.

A filmmaker and creative leader, Domini has written and directed films exploring complexity with care, which have screened at Berlinale and MIFF, written globally bestselling products, and shaped distinctive, values-led communications for international audiences. She thrives at the intersection of creativity, gender equity, and social impact, turning complex ideas into emotionally resonant and strategically clear stories.

Domini is passionate about creating work grounded in integrity, care, and a strong creative vision, bringing creativity and values together to make meaningful change.

Donna Davies is a purpose-driven leader with over two decades of experience advancing strategic and operational success across not-for-profit, international development, gender equality, arts, and humanitarian sectors. As Co-CEO of Equality Institute, she oversees internal operations, cross-functional teams, and complex funding streams, bringing a people-centered approach and a deep commitment to social impact.

With a foundation in finance and business management and advanced leadership training (Executive Ready Program for Women in Leadership), Donna has led organisational transformations in governance, risk management, and operational efficiency. She has delivered finance and governance workshops for women’s rights organisations across the Pacific and Asia. Passionate about strengthening systems that enable change, she is committed to building resilient teams, fostering inclusive and values-driven cultures, and aligning operations with mission-driven goals.

Haylee Collins is the Marketing Manager at The Equality Institute, where she creates campaigns and communications that engage audiences and advance gender equality. She combines strategic thinking with creativity to ensure every project informs, inspires, and drives meaningful action.

With fifteen years’ experience across book publishing, independent magazines, and digital media, Haylee has conceptualised award-winning campaigns for best-selling children’s, art, and lifestyle books, and founded two feminist publications recognised for shifting perspectives and creating impact. Her expertise spans marketing strategy, editorial and brand development, campaign management, creative direction, and content creation.

Haylee is passionate about using marketing and storytelling to communicate bold ideas meaningfully, bringing intersectional thinking, creativity, and purpose to every project she leads.

Jovi Guterres is a Project Lead at The Equality Institute, where she works on gender equality and social transformation initiatives in Timor-Leste. Jovi focuses on documenting the stories of women survivors of past conflict, children born of war, and stolen children, contributing to survivor-centred research and advocacy that informs policies, including reparation efforts.

An activist and singer-songwriter, Jovi draws on her creative practice to amplify the resilience and dignity of survivors, weaving traditional Timorese sounds with folk influences in her original music. Her work bridges research, advocacy, and storytelling, using multiple platforms to bring visibility to survivors’ experiences and support meaningful social change.

Jovi is committed to elevating survivor voices, combining rigorous project work with creativity and cultural insight to advance equity, justice, and healing in her community.

Leon Powell is the Creative Services Manager at Equality Institute, where he manages the delivery of design, branding, and communications projects that amplify evidence and inspire action. He ensures that campaigns, stakeholder projects, and creative outputs are executed strategically, efficiently, and in alignment with EQI’s mission.

A senior creative leader with extensive experience in communication design, brand strategy, marketing, and service design, Leon has worked across higher education, financial, and global organisations. He excels at coordinating teams, guiding stakeholders, and implementing creative solutions that meet objectives while maintaining quality and impact.

Leon is passionate about using creativity and design to support meaningful social change, bringing organisation, strategy, and a meticulous eye for detail to every project.

Link Ramirez is the Operations & Systems Technician at Equality Institute, where they bring people and technology together to ensure operations run smoothly, sustainably, and securely. With a strong belief in systems that serve people — not the other way around — Link approaches their work with intention, care, and a commitment to inclusion and accessibility.

As a queer, nonbinary person of colour, Link draws on lived experience to inform their approach, grounding their work in empathy, critical thinking, and a nuanced understanding of how systems affect people differently. They are passionate about making behind-the-scenes work more human and building structures that not only function effectively but also reflect values of justice, equity, and care.

Dr Liz Gill-Atkinson is the Research and Evaluation Manager at The Equality Institute, where she manages and contributes to collaborative feminist research projects aimed at preventing violence against women. Liz ensures that research is rigorous, ethical, and inclusive, embedding intersectional and power-aware approaches across all projects to drive meaningful change.

With over two decades of experience in qualitative, participatory, feminist, and disability-inclusive research, Liz has worked with diverse stakeholders across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. She has led initiatives that advance systemic gender equality and has formal qualifications in Public Health, Social Science, and intersectional, rights-based, and disability-inclusive research through her PhD. Previously, she worked at IWDA to embed ethical, decolonial, and movement-strengthening practices into research and evaluation.

Liz is a skilled researcher, manager, and problem-solver, committed to translating high-level organisational and research principles into impactful, evidence-based outcomes that make equity visible and actionable.

Loksee Leung is the Director of Research & Evaluation at Equality Institute, where she applies intersectional-feminist and decolonising approaches to research and partnerships aimed at preventing violence against women. Loksee leads initiatives that generate evidence, measure impact, and inform strategies to create lasting social change.

Specialising in mixed-methods research and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), Loksee has worked across Australia, South Asia, South-East Asia, and the Pacific region. Her work focuses on settings-based interventions to shift attitudes, norms, and practices that drive violence against women, monitoring population-level prevention progress, supporting whole-of-government prevention strategies, and measuring both perpetration and experiences of violence.

Loksee is committed to producing rigorous, ethical, and actionable research that informs prevention efforts and contributes to a more just and equitable world.

Mandy Huang is the Senior Management Accountant at EQI, where she brings clarity, strategy, and practical solutions to financial management across the organisation. She ensures budgets, reporting, and financial planning support EQI’s mission, helping teams make informed decisions that maximise impact.

A CPA-qualified finance professional with over 20 years of experience across public sector, not-for-profit, and corporate organisations, Mandy thrives on translating complex numbers into actionable insights. She enjoys streamlining processes, solving financial puzzles, and collaborating with stakeholders to make finance both strategic and accessible.

Mandy is passionate about using her expertise to support meaningful social change, bringing both hands-on problem-solving and big-picture thinking to every aspect of her work.

Ru Watson is the Senior Manager, Workplace Equality at Equality Institute, where they lead initiatives that help organisations dismantle systemic barriers and embed equity into everyday practice. Ru drives projects that transform diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging from aspiration into tangible, measurable outcomes.

With over seven years of experience across DEIB, Ru combines strategic planning, facilitation, capacity building, and data-led decision-making to create workplaces where fairness isn’t theoretical — it’s lived. They began their journey as one of three core organisers of Amplify Victoria (formerly Girls Rock! Melbourne), a not-for-profit using music to help female, trans, and gender-diverse young people build confidence and self-acceptance. Ru later worked hands-on with communities in the not-for-profit sector and in local and state government, developing targeted strategies that turn bold ideas into meaningful change.

Ru is passionate about sociology, grassroots movements, and the restorative power of community, committed to making equity something people can see, feel, and experience.

Dr Sarah Homan is a Senior Research Associate at EQI, where she provides technical research support across projects in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Sarah applies intersectional feminist and decolonial approaches to ensure research and evaluation is rigorous, inclusive, and contributes to the prevention of violence against women.

With a PhD in Anthropology from The University of Adelaide, Sarah has strong expertise in qualitative research methods, mixed-methods evaluation, and critical analysis. Her work spans primary prevention, social norms change, and Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) transformation in workplaces. She has also worked in tertiary education as a Senior Lecturer at Australian Catholic University, developing skills in capacity-building and workshop facilitation for diverse stakeholders.

Sarah is committed to continuously challenging dominant and colonial discourses in her field and upholding practices of self- and collective care, ensuring that research not only generates knowledge but also supports meaningful, equitable change.

Tahlia Hays is the Business Growth Manager at Equality Institute, where she works to expand partnerships and build cultures of inclusion and belonging. With a background spanning more than a decade in environmental and social sustainability, Tahlia has led business development, client relationships, operations, and advocacy across sectors including fashion and the built environment.

She is passionate about supporting innovative, game-changing organisations, and is now focusing her energy on advancing intersectional gender equality. Tahlia thrives on finding solutions and pathways that prioritise people and the planet over profit, and believes that true growth comes from aligning business with justice and accountability.

Xian Warner is the Research & Partnerships Manager at Equality Institute. A feminist activist, researcher, parent, and photographer, Xian brings seventeen years of international development experience across Cambodia, China, Colombia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, the U.K., and Timor-Leste, where she has been based since 2014.

With a Master’s in Gender and Development, Xian specialises in providing technical support, research, and impact evaluations to strengthen policies and programs that prevent violence against women. Passionate about context-specific and community-driven solutions, she focuses on helping communities identify positive and sustainable approaches to gender equality and violence prevention.