What is SURGE?
The Support Unit for Gender Equality (SURGE) provides gender technical advisory services for DFAT to have access to timely, high-quality advice and resources to strengthen its global, regional, and bilateral development portfolio and policy engagement efforts related to gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment.
The overall goal of the SURGE is to improve the outcomes of Australia’s development program on gender equality and women’s empowerment through the provision of high-quality technical expertise.
The SURGE will do this by providing DFAT with high quality, responsive technical assistance that supports and improves the quality and effectiveness of DFAT’s portfolio of existing investments and future programming that contributes to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The SURGE maintains a panel of technical advisers across a range of disciplines including Economic Infrastructure and Services; Governance; Education and Scholarships; Climate Change and Environment; Water Resource Management; Protection; Humanitarian and Conflict Settings; Infrastructure; Health; Gender Based Violence; Women In Leadership; Women’s Economic Empowerment and Cross Cutting themes. The SURGE can also access expertise in other practice areas as required. Advisory services include short term rapid tasking through to long-term on-going advice to a commissioning area or project.
The SURGE is supported by DFAT and managed by DT Global
Team
Alison Aggarwal - SURGE Team Leader
Alison is a feminist human rights advocate who has previously held policy roles promoting gender equality and human rights in federal and state governments, the Australian Human Rights Commission, community legal centres, and in international development programs.
Simon Daly - Operations Manager
Simon is an experienced program manager who has worked for International NGOs, supporting a diverse range of projects in the Pacific and beyond for more than a decade. Simon oversees SURGE’s reporting, budgeting, risk management and MEL.
Zoe Muneer - Program Manager
Zoe has an academic background in gender studies and politics, and works across a suite of programs including SURGE with operational, administration, financial, recruitment and support functions. She uses her corporate experience working on past and present programs to ensure quality management and effective systems.
Elloise Bridge - Gender Officer
Elloise provides technical and administrative support to SURGE. She is a proud Kija woman with an academic background in Gender Studies and Politics, has previously worked in advocacy in the prevention of sexual violence sector, and is currently serving on the Australian Government Prevention of Gender Based Violence Youth Advisory Group.
Melissa Collins - DT Global Practice Lead - GEDSI and M&E
Melissa Collins is a social development and inclusion specialist with more than 20 years’ technical and project management experience. Melissa has managed several large and diverse projects both in Australia and internationally. Melissa has provided a range of social management, analysis, gender equality and inclusion services to international development and extractive industry clients across the Asia-Pacific region.