Our team is made up of people from all walks of life with diverse skills and experiences, including public health, health promotion, advocacy and clinical practice.
Isis McKay (she/her)
General Manager
Kia ora, Mālō e lelei, Talofa lava, Taloha ni, Kia orana, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Namaste, Ni sa bula, Hello! I joined WHA in 2008 and am currently the General Manager. I have spent the last 14 years in various roles primarily focusing on the area of maternal and child health. I have a background in public health and health promotion and enjoy challenging mainstream definitions of success and health! I believe that including whānau and communities in the design, implementation, governance, and evaluation of health and social services is fundamental to achieving Pae Ora. I have lead and supported the development of people-centred public health strategies, policies, and campaigns. As a mum of three young children, I am immersed in the realities of parenting and understand the joys and challenges faced by parents and caregivers.
Tasha Wharerau
Kaitiaki Wāhine Ora
Ina te oranga o mama- Ka ora te whanau katoa. Kia ora koutou – Ko Tasha Wharerau ahau, no Te Mahurehure ahau. Hi, my name is Tash I am from the Hokianga and live in Paihia. I am a mum of 3 beautiful tamariki – Vijay, Julian and Jacinta-Lee. For the past 10 years I have been a breastfeeding advocate in Te Tai Tokerau, as well as a breast and cervical screening support to service and Maternity Support for Whānau with mental health and addictions. Women’s health is important to me as when mum is in good health the family is in good health, and for the same reason it makes my heart happy to see mums breastfeed their babies! I am glad to be a Kaitiaki Wahine Ora at Women’s Health Action.
Izzy Montague (she/her)
Project Manager
Tēnā koe, I’m Izzy, I’m a Project Manager at WHA, and I’m from Auckland. I joined the organisation in March 2019. Utilising my Sociology background and intersectional viewpoints, I am a passionate advocate for the rights and equity of women, trans and non-binary people – particularly when it comes to access to affirming, culturally responsive healthcare services. As WHA’s Project Manager, I have overseen the annual Big Latch On and World Breastfeeding Week events, led several web-based projects including the development of Find Your Breastfeeding Support, written submissions on new legislation, and coordinated cross-sector networks and projects on topics such as body image and screening. I’m also passionate about prison abolition and transformation of the justice system – I spent 4 years working for an education service provider of life skills programmes in prisons, and I volunteer with People Against Prisons Aotearoa. I was also on the Board of the Auckland Women’s Centre from 2022 to 2024.
Megan Boxall (she/her)
Health Promotion Lead – Currently on Maternity Leave
Kia ora, I‘m Megan and I’m the Health Promotion Lead at WHA. I have a background in nutrition and health promotion and I am a NZ Registered Dietitian. Since becoming a mum to two beautiful boys, I have felt a strong pull to support parents in their journey through parenthood and feeding their pēpi. Facing breastfeeding struggles myself, I know how challenging and often lonely the feeding journey can be. More importantly, I also know how empowering the right support can be and that’s something that every parent deserves.
Natalie Allen (she/he/they)
Gender Diverse Lead & Whānau Community Representative
He uri ahau nō Waimamaku, Kaikohe, Te Paatu, me Zambia hoki. E noho ana au ki Kaitaia. Kia ora, my name is Natalie Allen and I am an infant nutritionist and sole parent to two energetic boys who hail from Whangapē and Te Hapua. I am passionate about health, specifically maternal & infant health & nutrition, with a particular focus on minority groups such as: neurodiverse, rural, low income, indigenous and LGBTQ+, of which I am neuro & gender diverse too. I am involved in a broad range of mahi in this space. I am a kairangahau for a breastfeeding research project with Otago University, involved in mahi for women’s and infant health on a national, regional and community level, regional maternity care, regional health representation, and am the Gender Diverse Lead and Whānau Community Representative for Women’s Health Action. I live in the beautiful Far North, here in our small town of Kaitaia, and am privileged to be surrounded by beautiful beaches and am an avid rukukaimoana freediver and waka ama kaihoe. I am blessed to be working alongside whānau, here in Te Tai Tokerau. I believe health is achieved when all aspects of our life have balance; living and striving, not just surviving. Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai ai. Nuture the seed and it will bloom.
Sarah Rose (she/her)
Bookkeeper
Tēnā koutou, I work for Starr Alignment Ltd, and contract to WHA as the Bookkeeper. My background has largely been in the film industry and advertising sectors, in communication and co-ordination roles. Perhaps as a result of being freelance for many years, I’ve become interested in business and financial investment. I made the switch to Accounts roles in 2015 and joined the Starr team in Jan 2018. I have two children, Reid and Reilly who are very cute, and keep me busy when I’m not bookkeeping. I have a special interest in diet and exercise, and their effect on mental health and health in general. I’m also supportive of alternative methods of heath and grateful that NZ publicly funds home birth. I love working at WHA and being part of a feminist and supportive team!
Anne Liu (she/her)
Treasurer, Board of Trustees
I am a senior finance and accounting professional and CPA. I am known for my love of numbers, productivity, and servant-leadership. I am a passionate women’s health advocate. I believe that empowering women and girls is not only key to social transformation but also brings enormous economic value to Aotearoa. I challenge the status quo, and I place women’s wellbeing, gender equality, and social justice close to my heart. They are not only fundamental human rights but are a necessary foundation of a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. At Women’s Health Action, we aim to reduce inequality and to approach health in a holistic framework of physical, mental, spiritual, and family wellbeing.
Michael Walsh (he/him)
Secretary and Interim Chair, Board of Trustees
I am a public health professional and since 2014 I have been employed as an Epidemiologist in the Planning, Funding and Health Outcomes unit across both Auckland and Waitemata District Health Boards. Previously I have held roles within the public health units of Waikato District Health Board and Canterbury District Health Board. I have a real passion and enthusiasm in the area of children’s health and believe that every child should have the best start to life. I hold a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Otago. I have presented my work in the areas of sexually transmitted infections, female infertility and children’s health at international conferences and also published in peer reviewed academic journals. I am excited to be provided with an opportunity to contribute to Women’s Health Action.
Nikki Singh (she/her)
Board of Trustees
Kia ora, I’m Nikki! I am a Fijian Indian woman, born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Public Health at the University of Auckland. My research is focusing on chronic illness and identity for young ethnic people. I have also studied and worked in spaces such as Fiji Indian identity, sex selection and migrant women in Aotearoa, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and sexual violence prevention. Overall, I am deeply passionate about research and health equity. A couple of other hats I wear are research assistant, tutor, and am also the co-founder of Access to Change, an initiative that is working to build workout stations in South Auckland for families, to make exercise fun, free and accessible for all. My faith centres all that I do and I am excited for this opportunity to bring my knowledge to Women’s Health Action whilst learning from an incredible team.
Ireen Rahiman-Manuel (she/her)
Board of Trustees
Ireen Rahiman-Manuel has over 20 years of experience in design and planning, impact measurement, and working within many sectors in New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific Island Countries. She is a strong advocate and planner for maternal and child health initiatives and is the founder and director of Impactdev360.
Ireen has specialist skills in thoughtful leadership and has taken lead roles in the development of numerous strategic and implementation plans which include planning and policy development, health and social sector strengthening, regional alignment, and societal wellbeing. She has extensive experiences in leading large and complex strategic programmes of work in dynamic settings.
Currently, Ireen is the co-chair for the Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel for Auckland Council. She is a board member for Drowning Prevention Aotearoa and is a spokesperson for Child Poverty Action Group Aotearoa.
Qualifications – Masters in International Development (Massey University), Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (University of Canterbury).
In loving memory of Lou Kelly (they/them)
Lou was a registered midwife, antenatal educator, postgraduate student and the Gender Diversity Lead for Women’s Health Action. Their clinical practice and research focussed on the expansion of care, education, and health policy to include transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse people. Lou had an interest in how current service provision and healthcare education can better meet the needs of the LGBTQIA+ Takatāpui population, and how LGBTQIA+ people receive affirmative and empowering care from clinicians across the childbearing continuum. Lou was a very special part of the Women’s Health Action whānau and is missed everyday.
We love and honour you for you, without binaries.
