Our team

Maia [she/they] is a queer, non-binary feminist committed to making resources and community more accessible. Maia’s passion for community work is informed by what she learned as a health journalist, about barriers to public wellbeing, particularly in women’s health and LGBTQ+ health spaces. Maia has been with Auckland Women’s Centre since mid 2023, previously as the Women’s Services Coordinator.

Janet (Pākehā) works closely to support the Centre Manager with strategy and communications. Janet also works in strategy, policy, research and communications for many NGOs, particularly in the anti-poverty and women’s sectors.

Awatea (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao) [she/her] is a justice advocate and scholar with lived experience of incarceration, bringing empathy to wāhine and women in crisis. She sees firsthand the importance of community empowerment to increasing whānau and community wellbeing – and if you’re looking for a Chinese costume drama recommendation, you know where to find her!

 

Chris and Sophie have extensive experience working in the not-for-profit sector. Using their complementary skills to resource the Centre, they are both passionate about social justice and feminism.

Emily Phillips (Te Rarawa, Ngā Puhi) has a BA in Education and has spent the last 12 years working in a range of Early Childhood Education roles as well as journeying through motherhood, with her two boys. She is passionate about practices, policies and understandings that support whānau and tamariki.

 

Leonie started work at the AWC in 2001 as the Projects Coordinator and shifted into the Centre Manager position at the end of 2005. She has a Diploma in Social Work and an MA in Social Policy. Leonie has worked in community work for many years including the unemployment rights movement and many different campaigns for women’s rights. Her two main concerns are finding solutions to violence against women, and poverty amongst mothers and children in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Alongside her role as Women’s Services Coordinator, Awatea (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pikiao) [she/her] is also working as Kaiwhakatuhono in our new community building project.

Layba [she/her] is a penultimate-year law student at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland). With a background in sexual violence prevention and intersectional feminism, she is also the founder of Consent Law Reform – a campaign built on the premise that Aotearoa’s current legislation is failing to keep young people safe. In her spare time, she loves to read, nap, and rewatch Gilmore Girls for the hundredth time.

 

Alongside her role as Communications Specialist for Auckland Women’s Centre, Janet is also assisting with the community building project.