Australia Awards and WLI invited scholars, alumni and interested colleagues to an online event exploring how people with disabilities understand and exercise leadership, and how they influence change in their communities and countries.
Co-hosted by WLI, Australia Awards Africa, and Australia Awards in Indonesia, this event brought together disability leaders from Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific to share their experiences.
The event featured a panel discussion, live audience Q&A, and group break-out discussions.
You can catch up on everything that was shared during this online event.
Watch the event recording or download the summary paper of key insights shared by speakers.
Date: 18 June 2024
Time: 2:00PM – 4:00PM (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Location: Online via Zoom
Ipul Powaseu (Papua New Guinea) is a disability rights and inclusion advocate of almost two decades and the Senior Program Manager (Disability Inclusion) at PNG Women Lead. She was instrumental in advocacy that led to PNG’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013 and in developing a draft Disability Bill.
Emilline Law Kwang (Mauritius) is a disability rights advocate, an Australia Awards Alumna and a Management Support Officer of the Public Sector Business Transformation Bureau. In 2023, she spearheaded a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of inclusive policies and accessible infrastructure which led to a series of recommendations.
Dante Rigmalia (Indonesia) is Chair of the Indonesian Disability Commission, an Australia Awards Alumna,and a passionate advocate for the rights of children with disabilities to a quality education. She is responsible for ensuring that government and non-government institutions – at national and regional levels – respect and fulfil the rights of people with disabilities.
Dr Mercy Masta (Facilitator) is WLI’s GEDSI and Safeguards Specialist, responsible for leading the program’s work on gender, disability and social inclusion. She is also a Learning and Research Associate with Conciliation Resources Australia, a peace-building organisation that works in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Drawing on research on disability leadership in Indonesia, the event unpacked the leadership journeys of Ipul, Emilline and Dante to explore what motivated them to lead, how their identity as a person with a disability has shaped their leadership, and how they are influencing change in their communities, workplaces and nations.
