	Dr Erica Lewin	Volume 7 - Issue 1 - 2005	Page 7

PROFILE - DR ERICA LEWIN

Born in Kashmir, India, Erica is of Anglo-Indian background. Erica immigrated to Australia from India in 1967 at the age of 13 years, with her parents and six siblings. Her father was in the Indian Army and her mother, although a telephonist before her marriage, spent her life travelling around India with her husband and children. They lived in various towns and cities in India including Sagar, Pune, Srinagar, Delhi, Amritsar, Jullundur and Tiruchchirappalli. After arriving in Western Australia Erica completed her schooling at St Mary’s Catholic Girls School in Leederville (now Aranmore College). She has lived in Kalgoorlie, Albany, Collie and Perth. She is the mother of three young adults and has found parenting both challenging and exciting over the years.

Erica has worked voluntarily in a number of roles over the years. Before the birth of her first child she became a member of the Nursing Mothers Association of Australia (now known as the Australian Breastfeeding Association). She remained a member for many years, training and serving the Association as a Breastfeeding Counsellor and Group Leader for many years. She wished to support mothers in their roles and found the Association to be a source of support in her own role. She, like many other volunteers within the Association, was awarded a life membership.

When living in Collie, Western Australia, Erica served on the Board of Management of the Collie Family Centre, which provided support and services to women who had experienced domestic violence and sexual abuse. Erica also worked for this organisation in the role of Co-ordinator for some time. These experiences prompted her role on the management committee of the Domestic Violence Council of WA (now known as the Women’s Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services WA) after moving back to Perth. Erica also spent some years on the management committee of the Coalition for Gun Control WA.

Erica’s experience as a migrant led to her interest in anti-racism and migrant issues. She was a member of the Ethnic Communities Council Women’s Sub-Committee for many years and was privileged to work with many other women in supporting migrant and refugee women, advocating for their well being and influencing government policy. Erica also took on a role as a voluntary Tutor with Home Tutor Scheme/Adult Migrant Education Service. Erica has been a member of the Anglo-Indian Association of WA and assisted with its Oral History Project.

When living in Collie, Erica worked for Edith Cowan University, providing an educational service to Indigenous people. She co-ordinated the Aboriginal University Orientation Course which enabled Indigenous people to develop their knowledge of a range of subjects and assisted their progress in the education system.

Erica’s interest in higher education was manifested in her role on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Research for Women. While completing her PhD she was Secretary and Women’s Officer of the Postgraduate Student Association of Edith Cowan University and also the postgraduate student representative on the University’s Research and Higher Degrees Committee of Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences. Erica worked in the area of student welfare through her role as Manager/Research Officer at the Postgraduate Association of the University of Western Sydney during 2002.

Erica was a recipient of an Edith Cowan University Postgraduate Research Scholarship which enabled her to complete her PhD. The title of her thesis is Anglo-Indian Women in Western Australia: Past, Present, and Future Identities. Her childhood memories and understandings of living in India, her father’s role in the Indian Army, her mother’s role in caring for seven children and travelling around India with her husband, the enormous issues faced by her parents and siblings in immigrating to Australia and the struggle to claim an identity in the Australian environment were instrumental in motivating Erica to complete her PhD thesis. Erica undertook her undergraduate studies as an external student during her 20s, completing her postgraduate studies and PhD fairly late in life. Erica now maintains that many Anglo-Indian people have experienced both discrimination and privilege in their lives. They are in a position to influence the multicultural environment in Australia in a unique and positive way and many are doing just that. Erica would like to think that she contributes to the Australian environment in this way as well.

Since March 2003 Erica has worked as the Senior Community Engagement Officer at the Department for Community Development, Office for Women’s Policy. She currently has the role of Senior Policy Officer, working on a range of issues that impact on Western Australian women.

Erica is the State Secretary of the Australian Democrats WA. She is also a member of the Indian Society of WA, UNIFEM Australia and the United Nations Association of Australia.

Profiles