Ruth and Susan and Tess

Ruth hopes to contribute to the advancement of women, and to harness community support for increasing sustainable development and climate resilience in Kiribati. 

Prior to joining the Australia Awards program Ruth completed her secondary-school studies at King George V and Ellaine Bernacchi School in Kiribati. Upon returning to Kiribati, she hopes to contribute to climate-change justice and the protection of human rights through existing international frameworks.

Susan is Professor and Director of the Policy Innovation Hub and Griffith Business School where she leads the gateway for government, industry, and community knowledge partnerships. Susan also co-convenes the Griffith Gender Equality Research Network, leads Climate Justice for the Griffith Climate Action Beacon, and has been a member of C20, Think20 and W20 summits since 2012.

In 2018, Susan was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, globally, and one of 20 Queensland Voices Female Leaders in 2019.

Tess has over 20 years of experience of living and working in the Pacific island region, including living in Vanuatu for 19 years. During this time, Tess taught, mentored, counselled and worked in the Pacific to support people who are striving to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. 

Tess is a former lecturer in law for the University of the South Pacific and has worked as a policy and development consultant since 2001. Her clients have included the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Vanuatu, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Asian Development Bank. During 2017, she worked as a strategic adviser to the Office of the President in Vanuatu.