Australian of the Year

Professor Manjula Datta O’Connor is the co-founder of the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health (ACHRH), a pioneering think-tank that leads research into family violence in the South Asian community. 

Through her research and public advocacy, Manjula has broken the silence surrounding domestic violence and the impact of dowry abuse on migrant women, helping to instigate legislative and community action. As a result, both state and federal governments have included provisions against dowry-related coercion in family law statutes. 

Manjula has worked tirelessly with hundreds of survivors of domestic violence, lobbied politicians, raised awareness with police, social services and the judiciary, and worked on government advisory bodies to further the goal of protecting South Asian women migrants. She is also a highly respected psychiatrist and academic specialising in mental health. 

Manjula’s ground-breaking research and courageous championing of women have delivered genuine change in how domestic violence in migrant communities is perceived and acted upon.