2021 International Alumna of the Year: Inspiring the next generation of little girls
“Because when I wake up every day to research, publish, teach on refugees, migration, migrants, displaced people - that survive sexual violence in war - all I can think of is that little girl in me, who didn't have anyone to protect me because of the bad things that happened during the war in Liberia.”
It has been three years since Dr Veronica Fynn Bruey (PhD '19) received the 2021 ANU International Alumna of the Year for her academic advocacy of law and policy reform in the areas of ethnicity, human rights, social justice and equality.
Today, Veronica continues to stand tall as a Liberian Canadian, an Indigenous migrant war survivor, an esteemed academic and a proud mother and feminist.
Propelled by her own experiences, Veronica tirelessly fights for the rights of children caught in the violence of adults. Through academic research, her lived experiences enrich her writings and publications, reshaping the discourse on migration, displacement, and patriarchy with a feminist and multicultural perspective.
“I wonder every day, how are those little girls just like me in Liberia, in South Sudan, in Rohingya, and everywhere there is war, conflict and violence. I think about those young girls. And that's what keeps me going."
Recently announced as the Africa-Oxford Fellow (2023-2024) at the Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford Department of International Development, Dr. Veronica is excited to extend her research into new discussions about forced migration before 1939, applying her personal experiences to historical conversations about the emergence and philosophy of protecting women and children caught up in violent medieval England.
Veronica draws daily empowerment from the thought of young girls like her overcoming painful memories of war, violence, and conflict, hoping her contributions will inspire others.
Do you know an inspiring ANU student or graduate? Nominate them now for a 2025 Alumni Award.
