We have a voluntary Board of Trustees who have the ultimate responsibility for directing nia and ensuring that the organisation is well-run.

Our trustees include women with a wide range of skills and include women who have experienced gender-based violence and ex-service users of nia.

Marcia Buxton

cO-CHAIR

As CEO of KAMAKA, a leadership development consultancy and a qualified executive coach, Marcia is passionate about empowering individuals to realise their potential and working within organisations to develop high performing teams and develop strategies for well-being, inclusive culture and engagement.

With a career spanning across private, public and charity sectors including Education and International Development, Marcia is a champion for equality, diversity and women’s rights. She has served as Vice Chair for an NGO (One World Action), and as business coach and mentor for women entrepreneurs overseas with the Cherie Blair Foundation.

Ruth Tweedale

CO-Chair

Ruth Tweedale is currently a senior lecturer at Roehampton University Law School. She qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and is a specialist in family and criminal law and women’s rights having held the position of Senior Legal Officer at Rights of Women, a leading women’s legal rights charity.

Ruth is a passionate feminist and a women’s rights activist. She has extensive knowledge on the law and policy concerning violence against women and girls in England and Wales. Ruth’s policy and research work is focused on sexual violence, forced marriage, domestic violence and children.

Sophia Antoniazzi

Sophia Antoniazzi works with young people to reduce the prevalence of knife crime through education and developing positive relationships.

A trained Facilitator and Youth Educator, Sophia has been a dedicated advocate and campaigner of issues affecting woman and children for 15 years, in particular sexual exploitation and sexual violence. Sophia is passionate about women-centred services and safe spaces for women.

Amy Terry

Amy is a fundraising consultant and Director of Raised Charity Consultancy. She has over 15 years fundraising experience, working with charitable, cultural and non-profit organisations in the U.K. and internationally, specialising in fundraising strategy and generating income from corporates, trusts and major donors. She has a personal passion for feminism and protecting women’s rights.

Senior leadership team

Jodie Woodward

CEO

Jodie Woodward has been the Chief Executive of nia since October 2023. Jodie initially joined nia in 2008 to set up The Emma Project, a pioneering specialist service for women escaping men’s violence who use substances problematically. She later developed East London Rape Crisis, including ensuring the organisation attained the Rape Crisis National Service Standards. Jodie was on the board of Rape Crisis England and Wales for 11 years, retiring from the board and the position of Co-Chair in 2024. Prior to working at nia Jodie worked in numerous frontline roles in the homelessness and substance use sector which led to a desire to ensure that women who have experienced multiple disadvantage have access to women- centred, feminist services. Jodie holds an ILM Level 7 in Strategic Leadership.

Rachel Evans

Head of Central Services

Rachel Evans started with the organisation in 2002 and brings valued experience and a vast skillset in Admin, HR and Events Co-ordination. She has worked and volunteered within the women’s sector for the past 30 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation. She has been a Trustee on a number of charitable boards. Rachel became the Chair of the African Caribbean Women’s Development Centre (ACWDC) in Waltham Forest an organisation that provided services that positively addresses poverty, disadvantage and social exclusion by providing a range of learning opportunities, community services, activities and projects which supports BME women and children. She is passionate about working in environments that empower women, and channelling her wealth of skills to assist creating a world free from violence against women and girls.

Nadine Evans

Director of Finance

Nadine Evans is a highly driven, motivated and conscientious lead finance officer who has many years of expertise and knowledge within a charity financial environment. She has been successfully managing, controlling and developing the finance department within nia for nine years. She is a committed and dedicated feminist who is extremely passionate about her work, the organisation’s ethos and values, and ending violence against women and girls.

Caroline Murphy

Director of Operations

Caroline Murphy joined nia in 2017 and brings over 15 years’ experience of working to end male violence against women, girls and children. She has delivered and developed a range of specialist trauma-informed services including refuge provision for Irish Traveller women and specialist refuge provision for women living with multiple disadvantages, including substance use, prostitution, domestic and sexual violence.

Taryn Lister

Director of Operations

Taryn joined nia in 2019 as the East London Rape Crisis Coordinator and then worked as the Young Women and Girls Services Manager until starting as Director of Operations for East London Rape Crisis in 2023. She brings over ten years’ experience in the women’s sector encompassing a range of different frontline roles focussing on domestic and sexual violence. Under Taryn’s leadership nia’s Young Women and Girls services were highlighted as a national good practice model by Women’s Aid. Taryn is a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England and Wales and received a first class honours in MA Women and Child Abuse at CWASU where her dissertation focussed on the evolution of nia’s exiting prostitution services. She is currently the London regional elected trustee for Rape Crisis England and Wales.