SARAH works closely with the ANU College of Law and collaborates with academics, NGOs, and communities to develop theory and research that is beneficial for the South Asian diaspora.
Through our work, we seek to apply our lived experiences and knowledge to advocate on behalf of our communities.
A group of undergraduate students at The Australian National University (ANU) are making significant strides advocating for South Asian communities in Australia.
The South Asian Legal Research and Advocacy Hub (SARAH) is an undergraduate research group run by South Asian students as part of the ANU Law Reform and Social Justice (LRSJ) program.
SARAH works closely with the ANU College of Law and collaborates with academics, NGOs, and communities to develop theory and research that is beneficial for the South Asian diaspora.
Despite only forming last year, SARAH has already made important progress in pursuit of this goal.
Over the summer, SARAH submitted a response to the ACT Inquiry into the Recovery Plan for Nursing and Midwifery Workers, calling on the ACT government to redefine its skilled migration sponsorship program to prioritise human well-being.
The students have been invited to give oral evidence in June.
In this Q&A, we asked SARAH about their submission and the core aims of the group.
Can you provide us with a brief summary of your submission to the ACT Inquiry into the Recovery Plan for Nursing and Midwifery Workers?
Our submission called on the ACT Government to prioritise human well-being in defining its skilled migration sponsorship programme.
We argued that this could be better done by enabling more nursing and midwifery professionals to enter the ACT to address the territory’s critical healthcare worker shortage. We also called on the ACT government to make Canberra a more welcoming place for expat healthcare workers, by starting inquiries into the equivalency of degrees and racial discrimination.
Why is it important that there is a recovery plan for nurses and midwives in the ACT?
There is currently a critical lack of staff in the nursing and midwifery professions, contributing to poor working conditions, overworked staff and poorer patient care. Given that the shortage is a self-exacerbating issue that is projected to worsen significantly in the next decades, a recovery plan is essential to mitigate further harm.
What are the central aims of the South Asian Legal Research and Advocacy Hub?
Our central aims are to empower South Asian youth to become leaders in legal research and advocacy and to investigate the condition, identity, and future of the Australian diaspora. Through our work, we seek to apply our lived experiences and knowledge to advocate on behalf of our communities.