Youth Advisors in Governance

Hashwina Vimalarajan

Hashwina (she/her) is an environmental researcher, proud Tamil woman and migrant to Australia. Having grown up in the Middle East and Sri Lanka, Hashwina witnessed first-hand, the effects of improper governance in the public healthcare system and disparities between various communities' access to basic human rights.

Through her lived experiences, Hashwina developed a passion for advocating for intersectional and inclusive, policy and design. She has worked on projects with the Victorian Human Rights Commission, VicHealth, Oxfam and the Centre for Multicultural Youth consulting on programme development and delivery for migrant and refugee communities. For her contributions to this sector, Hashwina was highly commended for her work in 2022 by Governor Linda Dessau, receiving the Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence.

Adjacent to her professional work, Hashwina also juggles working as a public speaker and advisor to governmental bodies and non-profit organisations. She currently serves on the advisory bodies for cohealth, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN), Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) Victoria and the Environmental Sciences Faculty Board at Deakin.

Hashwina hopes that all her work contributes to social change that is impactful and equitable. At Orygen, Hashwina has helped co-design multiple projects within Orygen Virtual Worlds.