Board and staff at our strategic planning weekend, 16 July 2022.

Call for IHRA Board Members

Are you a person who is active in human rights and/or advocacy for people with innate variations of sex characteristics?

Would you be interested in joining a national Board to help make further progress in Australia and internationally?

Intersex Human Rights Australia is seeking Expressions of Interest for the IHRA Board. We are seeking people with a wide range of capabilities together with diverse lived cultural and/or identity experiences, and a diversity of connections and networks.

You will likely have strong skills and experience to contribute, but you do not need to have an existing connection with IHRA to be considered. We welcome people with or without innate variations of sex characteristics to apply.

About IHRA

Intersex Human Rights Australia Ltd (IHRA) is a national body by and for people with intersex variations. We promote the human rights, self-determination and bodily autonomy of intersex people in Australia. We engage in systemic advocacy, policy development and community development, and provide information, education, and psychosocial support. Our goals are to help create a society where our bodies are not stigmatised, and where our rights as people are recognised. Cumulatively, we have many decades of experience in human rights advocacy. We bring together qualifications and expertise in law, bioethics, healthcare, youth work, counselling, and public administration. We have made significant contributions to human rights policy and practice in Australia and internationally.

Staff of IHRA engage in systemic advocacy and policy development at an international, national and state/territory level. This work involves:

• making submissions to inquiries locally and internationally;
• making statements to respond to particular issues;
• discussions with policy makers;
• lobbying members of parliament;
• speaking at events, for example organisational training days, universities, awareness days;
• speaking with media.
• collaborating with government and other organisations to develop and promote human rights
• delivering specialised psychosocial support to people of all ages, parents and carers through the InterLink program

Board Directors provide oversight and policy direction for this demanding work. Directors and staff of IHRA work with each other collaboratively and support each other in the work we do. Nevertheless, there is no obligation or pressure for any directors or staff to do work they do not feel comfortable doing or to be public in any way. IHRA recognises the sensitivities around this work and respects individuals’ privacy.

Governance

Intersex Human Rights Australia Ltd is an independent, not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, first registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on 6 May 2010. Our ACN (company number) is 143 506 594. Our ABN (business number) is 73 143 506 594. As a charitable organisation, we are also registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). This registration requires all Directors to apply for Director ID in compliance with Corporations regulation. On 7 February 2014, we received endorsement by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient and Public Benevolent Institution. This means that donations are tax deductible for donors. This status was backdated to 3 December 2012. We have GST, Income Tax and FBT exemptions dating from 1 January 2011.

The Board and Staff

As of July 2023, there are five directors on the Board of Intersex Human Rights Australia. One director, Morgan Carpenter also serves as the Executive Director of IHRA. IRHA employs five additional staff members, including Bonnie Hart, Deputy Executive Director.

Board mission and values

Mission statement

Agreed at our 2014 AGM: We promote human rights and bodily autonomy for intersex people, and provide information, education and peer support

Our objectives

Our constitution sets out our objects as a not-for-profit company:

• support and empower intersex individuals and their families including through the use of online forums, social activities and face to face meetings;
• provide information, education and advice on issues relating to intersex including through the internet, printed material and face-to-face meetings;
• increase the support, awareness and commitment of individuals, community, business, medicine and government, with respect to the human rights of, and legal protections for, people who are intersex and services appropriate for them;
• lead and contribute to the process of policymaking;
• engage and partner with other organisations that share common goals with the company;
• raise, apply and channel financial and other resources to support the initiatives, programs and priorities of the company; and
• carry out such other functions and purposes which are necessary or incidental to the objects listed above.

Values statement

Expertise – We recognise that intersex people are the experts on intersex health and human rights. “Nothing about us, without us.”
Passion – We work passionately with a commitment to the pursuit of human rights and improved health outcomes for intersex people and their families.
Teamwork – We work respectfully and in collaboration with other communities, including the LGBT, people with disabilities, multicultural, and medical communities.
Professionalism – We work with professionalism and excellence in all that we do.
Accountability – We work in an open and transparent way, as an organisation and as individuals representing the organisation. We are accountable to our members and operate with good governance

Board roles and responsibilities

The Board is responsible for governing and overseeing IHRA. It is the Board’s responsibility to identify the organisation’s direction and goals.

IHRA encourages Board members to ask questions, access further resources and, where resourcing allows, undertake Board governance trainings.

The Board meets monthly or otherwise as agreed by Directors. IHRA sponsors an annual retreat where the Board of directors meet in person to discuss policy development, training, current events and other overarching issues.

The Board provide oversight and guidance to IHRA staff on policy development, advocacy work and media communications. They also perform the following administrative functions:

• Run meetings
• Approve minutes of the meeting
• Take and approve meeting minutes
• Compile agenda and meeting papers and send out notice of meetings
• Maintain records in Dropbox
• Communicate with the accountant
• Manage invoices
• Prepare an annual budget
• Provide regular financial reports to the Board
• Attend Board meetings and give notice when unable to attend
• Boards normally have specific roles that Board members will need to perform, however IHRA’s current practice is that duties are not tied down to specific roles but are undertaken flexibly by different directors depending on capacity.
• We are keen to invite expression of interest from people who can contribute skills in financial management and oversight and managing Board meetings.

Expressions of Interest

Please note that all Board Directors must apply for a Director ID to comply with the Australian Charities and Not-for profit Commission (ACNC).

If you would like to join the Board of Intersex Human Rights Australia, we would love to hear from you. Please forward a 1-page expression of interest together with your CV or Resume to info@ihra.org.au.