About Us
Endometriosis Western Australia is a charity established to improve the lives of Western Australians affected by endometriosis.
Our Board
AKAITI JAMES President
Akaiti holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with First Class Honours in Medical Research from the University of Western Australia and is currently studying to be a Medical Doctor. She is qualified in Not-for-Profit Governance through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and sits as a Director on numerous boards. Akaiti was mentored by Professor Fiona Wood, Dr Mark Fear and Associate Professor Krish Karthigasu to set up the endometriosis biobank with King Edward Memorial Hospital.
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Akaiti is passionate about advocating for endometriosis at a State and Federal level to change public policy and improve healthcare outcomes for people with endometriosis. She believes consumer and community involvement is an invaluable asset both in research and clinical practice.
REBECCA MORGAN Secretary
Rebecca is an experienced Non-Executive Director with over 22 years of professional industry experience in the resource sector. She has an undergraduate degree in Science (Hons), a Post Graduate Diploma, and a Masters in Engineering all from Curtin University in Western Australia. She has served on the board of several ASX listed and unlisted companies.
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Rebecca is an expert in project due diligence who specializes in strategic thinking driven by a relentless an instinctive drive to develop solutions for operations, build teams, and remove silo mentalities across organisations. Rebecca is an affiliate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and the Governance Institute of Australia (GIA). Rebecca is a dedicated women’s health advocate, passionate about educating the community about endometriosis and other associated conditions which is driven by her personal experience with Endometriosis. Rebecca joined the Endometriosis Western Australia board in February 2024.
CHLOE HUISMANN Treasurer
Chloe is a skilled finance professional with a background in auditing, due diligence and financial planning & analysis. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), in addition to holding a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia, majoring in Accounting and Business Law.
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Chloe was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2022, after experiencing a delay in medical professionals recognising her symptoms and a further delay in accessing a formal diagnosis and surgical treatment.While waiting for a formal diagnosis, Chloe joined the Endometriosis Western Australia Warriors support group. The lack of awareness surrounding endometriosis and the impact the Facebook support group had on her own experience inspired her to join the Board as Treasurer.
CLEMENTINE CROWTHER Board Member
Clementine has Bachelor of Arts & Communications from the University of New South Wales. Her expertise extends from public relations and advocacy to creative, communications, strategic engagement, and marketing execution. She is currently the Head of Advocacy, Gender Equality at Minderoo Foundation, and has also run her own consultancy and worked within some of Australia’s most recognised agencies and startups.
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Clementine is a mum to three young boys and a passionate gender equality advocate with nearly two decades experience in storytelling and connection building for not-for-profit organisations. Clem was only twelve when she first experienced the symptoms of endometriosis, but despite a strong support network, it took her nearly ten years to receive a formal diagnosis. Like many, as a young woman Clem thoughtful painful periods were normal, even when they were so severe she couldn’t attend school or work. Sick of suffering in silence to keep others from discomfort, she joined the board of Endometriosis Western Australia board in February 2024 to help those with endo feel seen.
CHAREEN RAJA Board Member
Chareen holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology from Murdoch University and a certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a seasoned Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) expert with over a decade of experience in senior HR leadership positions across banking, insurance, and the not-for-profit sector.
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Chareen is passionate about gender equity and is a strong advocate for raising awareness of women’s health in the workplace. She combines her deep knowledge of behavioural science and systemic change to drive equity within corporations and the broader community.
It took Chareen several years to receive a formal diagnosis of endometriosis, and like many, she assumed her pain was normal when it was anything but. Her personal journey fuels her commitment to supporting the mission of Endometriosis WA, advocating for early intervention, and raising greater awareness.
Chareen joined the Endometriosis Western Australia board in August 2024.
EMILY GREYGOOSE Board Member
Emily is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Science at Curtin University’s Health Innovation & Research Institute. Equipped with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology, followed by an Honours degree in Biomedical Science, where she graduated with First Class Honours and was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award in 2022.
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Emily’s research is driven by her personal experience with Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, a diagnosis that not only shaped her academic pursuits but also motivated her to contribute to advancing women’s health through science. Emily’s work aims to advance the understanding of Endometriosis, contributing to the broader goal of enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life for those living with this condition. In addition to research, Emily is a sessional academic at Curtin University in Advanced Biomedical Science. Her professional experience further extends to working as a Laboratory Technician and Assistant at Clinipath Pathology, where she gained hands-on experience with advanced diagnostic equipment and molecular biology techniques. Emily joined the Endometriosis Western Australia board in May 2024.
GRACE GENTILLI Board Member
Grace Gentilli is a lawyer admitted in Western Australia with a background in mergers and acquisitions and corporate advisory. She has previously served as a director of Saving Animals from Euthanasia Inc and a Committee Member of the Australia Japan Society of Victoria.” Grace joined the Endometriosis Western Australia board in August 2024.
Our Story
In 2013, there was no support group for those with endometriosis in the Perth metropolitan region. Recognising the absence of social and cultural support ‘Endometriosis Perth Sisterhood of Support’ (EPSS) was founded.
With momentum, in 2015, EPSS expanded reach to a wider community across Western Australia (to both online and offline members). We coordinated and facilitated regular face-to-face meetings, either educational, social or a mix of both to improve the wellbeing of our members and wider community. These events are free, run by dedicated volunteers with the occasional in-kind support of health professionals. Some examples of our presentations given at events can be accessed on our YouTube channel.
EPSS began advocating in 2016, raising the public awareness of endometriosis in Western Australia via marketing and social media campaigns. We have continued to be active, providing online peer support services and facilitating the successful running of six events per year. We continue to record our larger educational sessions to make the information readily accessible to those unable to attend.
In recognition of this work to date, we have been fortunate to be nominated as finalists twice in the global WEGO Health Awards in the past, as well as receiving the ConnectGroups New & Emerging Support Group Award in 2017, and ConnectGroups ‘Online/Facebook Support Group Award’ in 2021.
Since we have been founded, we have continued to demonstrate value to our members and wider community in Western Australia. We continually receive consistent positive feedback from members, with high levels of member engagement, retention and referral. As a result of these successes, we incorporated as ‘Endometriosis Western Australia Inc.’ and obtained deductible gift recipient endorsement in 2019. In 2020, we received our charitable collections licence. In 2021, to be inclusive of the diversity in our member base and community, we rebranded the name of our support group to ‘Endometriosis Western Australia WArriors’. In 2022, we collaborated on national initiatives, and joined the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis, a peak consumer and advocacy body representing the needs of people with endometriosis in Australia.
