OUR IMPACT

Our vision

Our vision is a community free from violence in which women, men and gender non-conforming people have equal access to power and freedom to realisetheir life choices and potential.

Our mission

To provide comprehensive crisis response to victim/survivors experiencing family violence, including people from under-resourced communities, to effectively support them in their transition and recovery.

Our values

Respect

YANA provides a service that dignifies individual choices, experiences, cultures and rights to self-determination.

Feminism

YANA is a feminist organisation whose work is underpinned by a structural and intersectional understanding of gender inequality.

Collaboration

YANA builds partnerships and collaborates with others, in support of those who use our service, to achieve individual holistic, positive outcomes, and to advocate for systemic changes to policy, law and community attitudes.

Our board

Donna McSkimming

Chairperson

Donna is a senior executive in international development with a distinguished career spanning leadership roles in globally respected organisations such as Oxfam, the International Women’s Development Agency, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Australian Red Cross.

  • Her expertise encompasses strategy development, humanitarian and development program management, gender equality advocacy, and capacity building for civil society across Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.

    Donna has successfully led regional and country programs focused on gender equality,

    climate solutions—adaptation, mitigation, and resilience—and accountable governance.

    She has strengthened civil society partnerships, driven systemic change through

    advocacy, and mobilised significant donor funding for impactful initiatives. Her

    commitment to feminist principles and inclusivity defines her leadership approach,

    fostering diversity and empowerment at every level.

    Throughout her career, Donna has managed large, multicultural, multi-country teams

    and overseen complex portfolios, including resource mobilisation and compliance. She

    has contributed to major organisational transitions, enhanced financial and risk

    management systems, and championed innovation through research-driven solutions.

    Her work has not only influenced policies but has also strengthened program quality.

    As a values-driven leader, Donna is deeply committed to advancing gender equity and human rights.

Ayfer Berdilek
Board Member

Ayfer is an experienced social worker and leader with a career spanning over twenty years, working across disciplines in homelessness, family violence and leadership of diverse teams.

  • As a lead practitioner in a community health family violence program during the Black Saturday Bushfires in the North of Victoria, Ayfer participated in one of the first family violence panels that explored the increase of family violence presentations during and after natural disasters.

    Ayfer has managed one of the first core and cluster high security refuges in Victoria, and was part of the Ozanam House crisis intervention managers as part of the COVID lockdowns.

Evelyn Afotey
Board Member

Evelyn is a seasoned Social Worker and Human Resource Business Leader with nearly twenty years of experience in both corporate and not-for-profit sectors .

  • Evelyn worked on UNHCR-funded initiatives in Ghana, where she provided psychosocial support and microenterprise training to refugees who had experienced sexual and gender-based violence.

    Evelyn has held various strategic HR positions across West Africa with the AP Moller Maersk group, enhancing organizational effectiveness in diverse cultural contexts. She has also worked across the family violence continuum in different leadership roles with specialist family violence services in Melbourne.

    She currently works with and for community members  to seek and provide opportunities that are responsive to their needs and interests. She has a Master of Social work (Qualifying) degree and a Master of Business Administration (International Business).

    Evelyn is excited to be part of the YANA board where  can further her commitment to improving outcomes for individuals and communities.

Suzan Gencay
Board Member

Suzan is an accomplished lawyer and policy professional with a wealth of experience working across the public sector and community legal services.

  • Suzan is passionate about driving equitable access to justice, whilst also promoting improved service delivery and an efficient approach to court proceedings. Suzan has a demonstrated a talent for advocacy and a commitment to driving reform on a range of human rights issues in Australia. She is a contributor to textbooks and legal resources both for other legal professionals and the general public.

    Suzan has been involved as a leader in other human rights and legal organisations and currently works in the community legal sector, coordinating family violence legal services. 

Rebecca Ballard
Board Member

Rebecca is a Managing Lawyer at Women's Legal Service Victoria (WLSV) with over 12 years of experience in both the not-for-profit and private sectors.

  • Rebecca’s expertise spans family law, family violence, child protection, criminal law, and Victims of Crime compensation. She frequently appears as a Solicitor Advocate in various courts and participates in mediations for ongoing as well as duty clients.

    Rebecca currently oversees WLSV’s family violence practice, focusing on operations, stakeholder engagement, and strategic initiatives to address systemic legal issues. She also supports the WLSV education and engagement team in delivering educational programs to community legal centers and service providers

    Rebecca is the supervising lawyer of the Family Law Access Project a pilot which assisted three Community Legal Centres to develop and maintain family law practices.

    She has held multiple leadership roles in the Western Suburbs Lawyers Association and served as a mentor with Victorian Women Lawyers.

    Rebecca is a feminist who believes that achieving a gender-equitable and non-violent society requires systemic changes across legal, justice, and financial systems, as well as within community and government organisations that affect women's rights.

Jan Khan
CEO

Jan is a senior sector leader with extensive experience in human services. She has strong leadership and people development skills, with particular experience in leading teams through periods of change.

  • Jan is people focused, with a leadership style for creating collaborative culture through diversity, transparency, and respect. She has strong values and a commitment to advocating on issues of human rights and social justice with a particular focus on ending violence against women, advancing women’s right and gender equality.

    Jan has held Senior Executive roles and Interim CEO role over her 15 year career in the Not-for-profit, Community Health, Private, Public and Government sectors.

Annual reports

Work with us

Yana Family Violence Service offers fulfilling career opportunities for skilled professionals dedicated to providing inclusive and personalised support to our victim survivors in the refuge setting.

Our workplace promotes a family-friendly environment that values work/life balance and prioritises cultural, physical, and psychological safety.

Competitive remuneration and salary packaging to maximise take-home pay.

Monthly accrued day off for full-time staff

Staff wellness programs, such as confidential access to an Employee Assistance program

Employee inclusivity

At YANA, we uphold cultural safety principles and embrace inclusion across diverse backgrounds.

For frontline service staff, YANA holds an exemption under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, and applications from individuals identifying as female are specifically sought for these roles.

We affirm the intersectional identities within the LGBTQIA+ community and are committed to fostering a safe environment where all staff and clients are respected and valued as they are.

We encourage applications from individuals who meet our position requirements, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. Candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

In alignment with Recommendation 209 of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, our specialist family violence case management roles require a Bachelor of Social Work or equivalent qualification.

  • Unfortunately, there are currently no vacancies.