Experienced Leader to Drive Systemic Change
Safe and Equal is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Joumanah El-Matrah as the new Chief Executive Officer, commencing on 1st June. Dr El-Matrah brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the fields of family violence, gender equality, and human rights.
Recognised nationally, Dr El-Matrah has been instrumental in advancing systems reform, strengthening specialist services, and embedding intersectional, rights-based approaches. Her leadership closely aligns with Safe and Equal’s mission as the peak body for Victorian organisations specializing in family and gender-based violence.
Her previous roles include serving as the CEO of the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights, where she led transformative national initiatives grounded in intersectional feminist practice. Dr El-Matrah is a trained psychologist with frontline experience in supporting victim survivors of family, gender-based, and sexual violence.
Dr El-Matrah significantly shaped culturally responsive, trauma-informed approaches, particularly with migrant and refugee communities. Her work focuses on community-led strategies that centre victim survivors and challenge systemic barriers to safety, justice, and inclusion.
Joining Safe and Equal at a critical time, Dr El-Matrah is poised to build on the sector’s progress toward ending family and gender-based violence. She stated, “Throughout my career, I’ve seen the difference that strong, specialist services and community-led, lived experience-centred approaches can make in people’s lives. I’m excited to join Safe and Equal to support and amplify the work of our members and to help drive the bold, systemic change needed so that all people can live free from family and gender-based violence.”
Safe and Equal operates as an independent, non-government organisation, acting as the peak body for Victorian organisations across the continuum of family and gender-based violence, including primary prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery. Dr El-Matrah’s appointment underscores the organisation’s dedication to pushing for bold systemic change to ensure all individuals live free from violence.
