Dr Wendy Poussard AM

Wendy was born and lives in Melbourne and has spent much of her adult life working overseas with community organisations in the field of international development, peace-building and human rights.

In 1985, Wendy co-founded the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) in Melbourne, and was the inaugural Executive Director for six years. She had previously worked for one year as the National Coordinator of the Women and Development Network of Australia. She has been instrumental in promoting the importance of gender in international development to governments and non-government organisations (NGOs). Specific gender requirements are now built into all AusAID and NGO development programs and projects.

Wendy has worked as a consultant for aid projects in Australia and overseas, specialising in project design, community development and project evaluation. She has seen women become more central in the design and implementation of international development programs and initiatives.

"When IWDA started in 1985," reflects Wendy, "women were virtually invisible as planners and managers of development programs. All that has changed."

Wendy is Managing Director of Learning & Action Pty Ltd, a consultancy company focused on community development, environmental sustainability and participatory project design and evaluation. She was also a consultant to NGO bi-lateral and multilateral aid projects throughout Asia, the South Pacific and Aboriginal Australia.

In 2006, Wendy received the Merit Medal awarded by the President of the National Vietnam Women's Union for her contribution to the equality and development of Vietnamese women. She has also authored many publications including two poetry books: Outbreak of Peace and Ground Truth.