Senator Mehreen Faruqi on how rebuilding can be a feminist and anti racist process.
A few weeks ago spent some time on the phone with Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
We cross a huge number of topics in this conversation including Senator Faruqi’s rise into the male-dominated world of engineering and politics. As well as how she worked with a team at the University of NSW to create a childcare centre that ultimately enabled her to do so much her career and tap into a vital network,
We also discuss racism in climate justice and just what kind of world could be built post the pandemic, as this period is, “an opportunity to reimagine everything. Rebuilding should be a feminist and anti racist process.”
“We cannot go back to the world we were in post pandemic,” Senator Faruqi says. “I think it’s fair to say that COVID-19 has exposed already existing cracks and inequalities in society.”
Senator Faruqi was appointed to NSW Parliament’s upper house in 2013, becoming the first muslim woman to sit in an Australian parliament. She later became the First Muslim Woman in the Australian Senate in August 2018 – and the 100th woman in the Upper House in 75 years.
This conversation was recorded on the 9th June 2020 and we’ve had a few delays in uploading some of our recent podcasts. While a few things have moved on politically, the conversation remains as relevant and timely as ever.
Listen below, or search for the Women’s Agenda Podcast on your favourite podcasts app.