Identity and resilience among Hazara and Afghan adolescents and young adults following childhood experiences of forced migration - Farnaz Shahimi
Identity and resilience among Hazara and Afghan adolescents and young adults following childhood experiences of forced migration.
Thesis title
Identity and resilience among Hazara and Afghan adolescents and young adults following childhood experiences of forced migration
Description of PhD Project
In Afghanistan, prolonged conflicts have for decades forced individuals to flee. Globally, the number of forcibly displaced people rose substantially to 108.4 million in 2022. The return of the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2021 led to a large increase in the number of people fleeing the country. Australia is among the high-income countries hosting Afghans from a refugee background. The large number of resettled children and adolescents from Afghanistan in Australia increases the need to understand how they can be supported to build resilience after the adverse experiences of the refugee journey.n the past two decades, researchers have focused on factors promoting resilience in young people from a refugee background.
Supervisors
Associate Professor Karen Block
Biography
Farnaz Shahimi is an Iranian Psychologist with a particular focus on working with marginalised populations and survivors of trauma.
Farnaz worked with families and adolescents in private practice in Iran. She served as a psychosocial counsellor for Afghan and Iraqi refugees at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran. In her UNHCR role Farnaz, implemented individual therapy sessions with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). She designed and implemented psychosocial community-based projects to prevent and respond to SGBV among the refugee community in Iran. Farnaz is a Counsellor Advocate – Adults and Family at the Victorian Foundation of Survivors of Torture – Foundation House.
As a Forcibly Displaced People Network's Advisory Committee member, she provides professional advice and expertise to support intersectional advocacy for queer and trans-identified individuals who have experienced forced migration to Australia.
Farnaz has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Shiraz University, Iran and a Master of Science degree in Psychology, University of Wollongong.
Funding/scholarships
Melbourne Research Scholarship
Population Health Investing in Research Students’ Training (PHIRST)
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