Woman Buckland-Fuller, Dorothy

Occupation
Human rights activist, Migrant community advocate and Sociologist
Alternative Names
  • Buckland, Dorothy
  • Dimitropoulou, Dorothea

Written by Alexandra Dellios, The University of Melbourne

Dorothy Buckland-Fuller has been committed to many causes across her long career as a sociologist and social activist. Born of Greek heritage in Egypt in 1922. she arrived in Sydney in 1961 after living in England for over a decade. She quickly involved herself in Sydney's Greek community whilst completing post-graduate studies in sociology at the University of New South Wales where her academic work was pioneering in its focus on migrant women's needs and concerns.

In 1974 she established the Australian-Migrant Women's Association with the aim of alleviating migrant women's - particularly Southern European women's - sense of isolation. The Association provided a form of leadership that spoke across ethnic divides and brought migrant women together to discuss issues of common concern, such as workplace relations, welfare and access, and the home-work balance. Two years later she became a founding member of the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, where she continued her leadership work amongst ethnic women. She was seen as the first to stand out in defence of ethnic women's needs and rights in the public sphere. After the establishment of the NSW Ethnic Affairs Commission in 1976, Buckland-Fuller was appointed Commissioner responsible for the Area of Women, interacting with government over issues of equal opportunity and integration. Throughout the 1980s she acted in a number of voluntary positions to improve the conditions of migrant women in the workforce. Buckland-Fuller also continued to publish and present papers at this time, writing on immigrant women and sexual harassment within the workforce, and how to care for and involve ageing people within the ethnic community.

Buckland-Fuller maintains the need for advocacy within the community, and continues to be involved in community services in NSW and to advocate for other social justice issues. In 2013 she continued to be involved in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, for which she served as president from 2002-4.

Published Resources

Books

  • Buckland-Fuller, Dorothy, Immigrant women and sexual harassment at work, Australian Government Publishing Service (AGPS), Sydney, New South Wales, 1981. Details

Online Resources