Asian Studies student profiles at Murdoch University

Gaynor Dawson - ImageGaynor's story

Gaynor completed a BA (Hons) in Asian Studies (Indonesia) at Murdoch, including anthropological, sociological, historical, and political courses relating to Southeast Asia, as well as social research methods. She also completed three years of Malay/Indonesian language studies, which proved essential for later research and professional purposes. Her subsequent honours and PhD field research projects concerned women and agricultural work in the Indonesian transmigration program.

Currently Gaynor works as a consultant on development assistance projects for AusAID, the Asian Development Bank and other international development agencies. This work has taken her to Indonesia, Timor Leste, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR.

Some examples of the types of work she has done are:

  • Gender specialist developing gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation indicators for an aid agency development project.
  • Community development adviser conducting stakeholder and social analysis to provide advice on community participation, gender, and community related institutional issues.
  • Sociologist conducting stakeholder consultations and analysis for a water supply and sanitation project.
  • Gender and development specialist undertaking a gender audit of government and civil society, identifying the capacity building needs of district government services, and providing advice and mentoring on gender mainstreaming strategies.