Dr June Oscar AO to Chair ANU's New Institute

In order to advance First Nation women’s and girls’ voices, the Australian National University’s (ANU) new institute is all set to assist in improving the policies and structures that are shaping the lives of First Nations people.

Dr June Oscar AO, the ANU Honorary Professor and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner shall be chairing the new institute entitled ‘Wiyi Yani U Thangani First Nations Gender Justice Institute’.

This insititute is a first for Australia that shall create and continue Australian Human Rights Commission’s Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Project for the last septennial.  This project has interacted with more than 2000 women/girls which exemplifies that First Nations women hold the power to bring the society together along with healing, reducing harms and violence in addition to guaranteeing cohesion and healthy environments for everyone across the country.

Julie Bishop, Chancellor of ANU while remarking about the new institute said, “First Nations women and girls have been underrepresented in decision-making spaces for far too long. In the wake of the Voice to Parliament referendum, it is urgent that we listen to First Nations women and work with them to address inequalities, and help design the path towards a better, brighter and more inclusive future.”