Q4.

Your PhD is about restorative justice for victims of sexual and family violence. What changes do you wish to see made to increase visibility to these issues?

Starting with yes. Too often when we talk about sexual and family violence we rely on what the law allows police, lawyers, and Courts to do. We say “you could, but upon consideration, you shouldn’t. There are too many risks.” It’s also a fallacy to think that the law protects everyone: it is conspicuously absent in many migrant communities and communities of colour; it is a tool of state-sanctioned violence and extension of the colonial state in others, not to mention Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. From my PhD research, it is clear that legislatures have the best and most creative intentions, and attitudes on the street to violence against women are now more likely to encompass the reality of women’s experiences. However, reporting and convictions have not increased commensurately across the community. What’s more, policy and legislative decisions made about women are largely led by white women who are citizens and don’t understand the existential anxiety that a temporary visa inflicts, or the visceral horror that a man in uniform can retrigger. We need to start with the assumption that the community has a role in seeking justice and accountability as led by the wishes of the victim or victims of sexual and family violence. The law will do its part, but it is not enough.

Q5.

What would be your piece of advice for young women looking to follow in your footsteps?

Why follow in my footsteps! Choose a direction that lights your own fire! Allow yourself to be challenged by ideas that contradict your worldview and make you uncomfortable. The really interesting opportunities will find you there.