OUR TEAM
The passionate and dedicated people that bring our work to life. Say hello to the people behind Birth for Humankind.
Chief Executive Officer
Red (they/them) is an experienced executive and non-executive leader specialising in governance, strategy and intersectional inclusion, in the for-purpose sector.
With an activist’s heart and governance nerd’s head, Red is passionate about driving systemic change and understanding how change happens. Red is in their element when facilitating and guiding boards and executive teams to identify pragmatic strategies and fit-for-purpose, measurable solutions for some of their most complex problems!
Their prior 20+ year career has spanned INGOs, community organisations and business associations across Europe, India, Australia and southern Africa, in the gender equality, international development, modern slavery, sustainability and ethical consumerism, LGBTIQA+ inclusive practice, women’s health, sexual reproductive health rights, and community health sectors.
Red holds a MA in Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation and is Deputy Chair of WIRE, and the Founder and Principal Consultant (part time) of Influence Global – a collaborative, social purpose consultancy that provides governance, strategy and leadership support to the for-purpose sector. They are a trustee of the Influence Global Impact Fund, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Governance Institute of Australia, Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) and GLOBE Victoria.
Sandra joined Birth For Humankind in 2022 as the Senior Engagement and Strategy Manager. She has worked as an executive and senior leader in government, women’s health, and gender-based violence organisations. Before coming to Birth for Humankind Sandra was the Manager of the Health Promotion at Women’s Health In the North.
Sandra has specialist expertise in working to inform high level strategy and policy in family violence response and prevention, women’s health and wellbeing, gendered health planning, economic equality and sexual and reproductive health.
She has had great success in building effective strategic relationships and collaborative partnerships with diverse organisations to address systemic and structural discrimination and entrenched social disadvantage.
Sandra also has a strong interest and extensive skills in health literacy, project development, implementation and evaluation and monitoring.
Sandra is driven by working to achieve gender equality in health care including accessible continuity of maternity care. She brings a strategic lens to the work at Birth for Humankind and has a strong focus on the ensuring that the organisation’s work centres women and gender diverse people’s voices, is accessible, trauma informed and culturally sensitive.
Sandra is an alumnus of the Advanced Leadership Program, Women’s Leadership Australia and Leadership Intensive Program, Family Safety Victoria. Sandra has held positions on several boards and is currently the Chair of the board of GMI Inc family violence accommodation and support service.
Program Supervisor
Kristine is a social worker, counsellor and doula, and joined the team in March 2018. Kristine has spent her entire career working cross-culturally, mostly with people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, both in case management and therapeutic roles. She has also supported young people to recover from sexual exploitation.
In addition to her role at Birth for Humankind, Kristine works as a perinatal mental health counsellor.
Program Supervisor
Cath has worked at Birth for Humankind since 2018 as a Program Supervisor [Doula Support] and more recently as Learning Coordinator.
Since 1996 Cath has had an interest in birth work and undertook Rhea Dempsey’s Birth Attendant Training in 2002.
In 2005 she completed the Bachelor of Midwifery and worked as a Registered Midwife at The Women’s hospital in Melbourne. For 10 years she also worked in the tertiary setting as a Midwifery lecturer and completed a Master of Midwifery [Research] in Bachelor of Midwifery student’s experiences of reflective practice. During the time at university Cath led community clinical placement trips to Santo, Vanuatu working with midwifery students and local hospital staff over seven years.
In 2013 Cath became an Eligible Midwife [which included completing a Graduate Certificate in Pharmacology and Diagnostics] and worked for a short time with MAMA midwives in Kensington. In 2018 Cath completed Newborn Mothers Training, then worked as a clinical educator [Midwifery] before commencing work with Birth for Humankind.
The years of experience in the maternity and university sectors have informed Cath’s philosophy of pregnancy and birth care and especially the importance of continuity of support, particularly when continuity of care models are not available. [not sure what to say but wanted to talk about why this work is important]…
Since starting with Birth for Humankind Cath has created a suite of resources for doulas to use when providing Childbirth Education to clients. Some of those resources have been translated into five languages. Since 2020 Cath has been involved in the development of the Foundational Doula Training, 2024 has seen the project evolve into a Fully Online offering and an in-person intensive course.
Our in-person training is presented by two team members on each day who share their unique perspective and expertise as doulas.
Operations and Program Officer
Amber joined the Birth for Humankind team as Program Officer in June 2024 and has been actively volunteering as a doula at Birth for Humankind since February 2022. Amber has extensive experience across various administrative, marketing and EA roles within the not for profit sector, Amber is committed to changing lives and empowering individuals.
In addition to her role at Birth for Humankind, Amber is a birth and postpartum doula supporting families across Melbourne.
Amber believes that every birthing person has the right to an empowering birth experience, regardless of their circumstances.
Grant Partnerships Lead
Jess joined the Birth for Humankind team in December 2020. She has Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion from Deakin University and has previously worked in creative campaign development, copywriting and communications.
Jess hopes to make a meaningful impact by continually seeking new opportunities for Birth for Humankind to build strong partnerships and investments in programs and services. She wholeheartedly supports (and admires!) the organisation's purpose of creating a more respectful and equitable health system and in reducing barriers created by structural disadvantage.
Employed Doula
Betsy is a birth and postpartum doula with a background in science, fitness, nutrition, yoga & Pilates. She joined Birth for Humankind in 2021 as a student doula for the “Bi-cultural doula training” and stayed on as a volunteer and now as part of the Employment Pathways Pilot Program, commenced in April 2023.
Betsy likes to approach pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period using trauma-informed practices, evidence-based information, mother’s/parent’s intuition, and her cultural background (Colombian) with high respect for women & birthing people and their incredible bodies.
Betsy strongly believes in providing accessible and equitable pregnancy, birth & postpartum support, especially for marginalised communities which have limited access to family or community support.
Betsy is passionate about supporting families through pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period in a way that makes birthing people feel validated, seen and empowered to make the best decisions for them and their family. She values knowing that her presence can make a difference to these families by helping them navigate a system that is not always kind to BIPOC women and traumatised communities.
Our volunteers
We have a dedicated team of volunteer doulas who speak more than a dozen languages between them. They’re compassionate and highly-skilled women who are registered and retired midwives, student midwives, and doulas working in private business. Our volunteer doulas are the heart of our organisation, and without their support our work would not be possible. If you are a qualified doula or midwife, we would love to hear from you – apply to join our team at any time.
We are also grateful for the commitment from our office-based volunteers, who work across various projects to support Birth for Humankind and our work.