Our Staff

Jude Cottrell

Kia Ora

I have recently joined the team as director. I have two adult children and live in Cornwallis. By profession and heart I am a midwife. I have come from a background of self-employed midwifery, midwifery education and most recently as a clinical director for primary maternity. I am particularly interested in the social and epigenetic determinants of women’s health and working out ways to work with these issues in a  realistic way. I am honoured to stand on the shoulders of the women who have contributed to Women’s Health Action in the past and am excited when I envisage where we will go in the future.

George Parker

Kia ora,I have worked at WHA for the past six years, having joined the team as Policy Analyst in 2008 and was appointed Senior Policy Analyst in 2012.  My current role is as a part-time consultant as I am also undertaking my PhD in Sociology at the University of Auckland on issues related to women’s health care in Aotearoa New Zealand.My current role at WHA includes consultations and submission writing, representing health consumer issues at various levels of the health system, researching and writing on various health issues, and promoting the importance of critical gender analysis in health promotion, public health and health service provision. I have a special interest in women’s sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice; weight and size acceptance; ethics of caring; and social justice in health.  I am a registered midwife, have a Masters of Philosophy in Women and Gender Studies and am a new parent to a lovely wee person called Bell.

Cleopatra Matthews

Kia ora, I joined the Women’s Health Action team as the Women’s Health Action Information Coordinator in 2017. This involves overseeing our health information service, responding to enquiries, sending out resources, and organising our bi-annual Women’s Health Update. I also coordinate some of our events and provide support to staff as needed. I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my knowledge in women’s health issues and rights in New Zealand. As an undergraduate I pursued a Bachelor of Laws and Arts majoring in Gender Studies and am currently working towards a Masters of Human Rights. I volunteer for Women’s Refuge, Te Whare Rokiroki and Youthline and have particular interest in the rights and wellbeing of wahine and iwi taitamariki in Aotearoa.  As a Maori, queer woman raised in a lesbian household, I value equality, social justice and activism which are significant attitudes of WHA.

Isis McKay

I joined WHA in 2008 and for the past five years I have been employed full time as the Maternal and Child Health Promoter. I chair the Northern Breastfeeding Network and provide consumer representation on various working groups such as GRAVIDA National Project Advisory Group Healthy Start Workforce Development Project, New Zealand College of Midwives Auckland Regional Committee, ADHB Maternity Quality and Safety Operational Group and the WDHB/ADHB Women’s Health Collaboration Group. I have a holistic view of health and wellbeing and I am passionate about supporting health services to include consumer and community perspectives to help ensure they meet the needs of the diverse wahine who use them. I am currently completing some public health papers at Massey University and am mum to two young boys and a baby girl.

Tasha Wharerau

Ina Te ora 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 15, Julian 10, Jacinta-Lee who is 5.  For the past 8 years I have been a breastfeeding advocate for Te Tai Tokerau, as well as a breast and cervical screening support to service. Women’s health is important to me as when mum is in good health the family is in good health for the same reason it makes my heart happy to see mums breastfeed their babies! I am a Health Promoter at Women’s Health Action.