The Women’s Health Matters Board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of the organisation.
The responsibility of the Women’s Health Matters Board is set out in the organisation’s constitution.
The board can consist of up to 10 members (8 member elected and 2 board appointed).
Manasi is a culturally and linguistically diverse woman who was born in India and migrated to Australia as a child. From Melbourne and having lived in a number of cities in Australia and Asia, Manasi now calls Canberra home. With more than 15 years of leadership experience within private and public sectors, Manasi has worked in senior roles across commercial organisations, ACT Government and is currently a Program Manager in a Commonwealth agency.
Manasi is passionate about helping women and girls progressing in their lives through access to services such as health care, finance, legal, education to help them break continuing wicked cycles. As an outcome of COVID, Manasi decided that she wanted to use her experience and understanding of the world along with challenges that women face both in Australia and internationally, in a community-based tangible manner to better women’s lives. She wants to support the local ACT community, focusing on complex issues that matter such as migrant health and welfare, education, domestic violence.
Manasi brings with her skills of strategic planning, policy and program implementation, and stakeholder engagement to support the Women’s Health Matters organisation.
Amber is an advocate for gender equity, social justice and recognising the impacts of the social determinants of health. As a former employee of Women’s Health Matters, Amber understands the importance and breadth of the work that the organization does; influencing social and health policy, advocating for better health supports and services, leading the way in high quality social research, and doing health promotion that has positive impacts on women’s health and wellbeing. She has extensive knowledge about the work that of WHM undertakes and a broad understanding of the internal systems, policies and procedures that underpin that work.
For the past 10 months she has had an observer position on the Meridian ACT board. Her experience sitting on the Meridian ACT board has taught her the importance of good governance; and to ensure quality risk management, good financial practice, up-to date and well thought out policies, and innovative and strategic leadership.
Her short time working within the Aged Care Group at the Department of Health has also provided her with policy and governance experience specific to the interface between the aged care and health systems. Amber has an extensive background in health, health services and the health system from her experience as a dietitian in residential aged care facilities, medical centres, and hospitals.
As a leader, mentor, and advocate, Pan is deeply committed to equipping women with the tools and confidence they need to achieve financial independence and successfully manage their businesses. With extensive experience in business leadership and a focus on financial empowerment, Pan specialises in delivering strategies that help women understand their finances and transform their businesses into thriving, scalable operations.
Tamzen is the Senior Advisor: Capacity Building for Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE), the national Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) program for Australia’s Higher Education and Research Sector. Her work at SAGE, like the work of WCHM, is evidence-based; advocates for structural, systemic and cultural change; and emphasises collaboration, capacity building, and community development to extend the reach of the organisation’s work beyond that which can be delivered directly by a small team. Tamzen began her professional life as research scientist, exploring first Multiple Sclerosis, and then Breast Cancer, before moving into International and Higher Education – and moving from the UK to, ultimately, Canberra.
She is a keen trail runner, and a coach with Females in Training (FIT), a community group that aims to enable women of all ages and abilities to participate in sport in a safe, supportive and fun environment.
Jenny is passionate about health and wellbeing, equity and using evidence to inform decision making. She has seen the ways that community organisations can improve the lives of people, and would be grateful to contribute to the Women’s Centre for Health Matters to continue their work to improve the lives of women in Canberra.
Jenny grew up in Canberra, and after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, discovered that she has a passion for public health. Having now completed a Master’s degree and a PhD in the area, she is an epidemiologist and public health specialist with more than a decade’s worth of experience working to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, including women, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and people with mental health conditions. In her current role as a Research Fellow at the Australian National University, she does public health research and works with government and non-government organisations to improve the health and wellbeing for these groups. She also lectures, supervises research students and contributes to university life.
Dr Raman Dhaliwal is an accomplished clinician and senior healthcare executive with over a decade of experience driving transformation, quality improvement, and governance reform across 25 countries spanning Australia, the Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.
As Senior Director, Clinical Systems Governance at the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Health and Community Services Directorate, ACT Government, Dr Dhaliwal provides strategic leadership in clinical governance, patient safety, and quality reform across the entire ACT health system. She leads multidisciplinary teams that design and implement frameworks strengthening system performance, accountability, and consumer outcomes.
Previously, as International Business Manager and Lead Advisor (Asia-Pacific & Middle East) at the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI), she led large-scale accreditation and transformation programs with Ministries of Health in Singapore, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Georgia, and healthcare organisations across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. Her leadership expanded ACHSI’s presence from six to twenty-five countries, advancing the organisation’s reputation as a global leader in quality and safety improvement.
Dr Dhaliwal played a pivotal role in designing and implementing Centres of Excellence (CoE) and Person-Centred Systems (PCS) Standards, internationally recognised frameworks that integrate safety, quality, governance, and cultural responsiveness into healthcare delivery. Her work also includes the development of EQuIP7 standards across hospital, ambulatory (dental, telehealth, cancer care, dialysis), primary, and community care, residential and home care — all accredited by ISQua.
A Fellow and Certified Health Executive (ACHSM) and Executive Board Member of the Asian Society for Quality in Health Care (ASQua), she actively contributes to shaping global policy, capacity building, and system-level reform.
In addition to her international leadership, Dr Dhaliwal serves as a Board Director for Women’s Health Matters, advocating for gender equity, prevention, and access to safe, person-centred, and inclusive care. She also serves on multiple Board Committees of the Australian Dental Association (ADA NSW), where she contributes to national health policy development, advocacy, governance, and strategic initiatives that strengthen oral health care across Australia.
She is an Endorsed Assessor under the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, and also serves as an accredited assessor with Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) Australia.
A regular speaker, surveyor, and abstract reviewer for ISQua, Dr Dhaliwal is deeply committed to advancing learning health systems, patient safety, and governance frameworks that promote transparency, collaboration, and value-based care. Her career reflects a dedication to building safer, fairer, and more resilient health systems—locally and globally.
Leanne Wells is a health policy consultant and consumer advocate with over thirty years’ experience in national health and social policy, program, and service development. She is the former longstanding CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, the nation’s preeminent peak body for healthcare consumers. She has served as CEO of national peak and state-based organisations in the primary health sector.
Leanne has extensive governance and advisory experience serving as a Non-Executive Director on boards in the for-purpose and health and human service sectors and as a Ministerial appointee to several Australian Government advisory groups. She is presently Board Director at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. She Chairs the Expert Consumer and Community Panel at ASPIRE, the Australian Social Prescribing Institute for Research and Education.
