Allyson Davys
Allyson has practised social work in different social work contexts (statuary, health, not for profit and private) and has a long involvement with the tertiary education sector through roles of teaching, research, leadership and management. She has worked with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Her particular area of interest and research is interprofessionality where she has explored and facilitated opportunities for those, from different backgrounds (working in psychology, health and the social services), to welcome and value diversity and to create new ways of working together.
The story of the Women’s Anti Racism Action Group (W.A.R.A.G) 1982 – 1985.
Members of the Women’s Anti Racism Action Group were feminist women staff members working in the Department of Social Welfare Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Department of Social Welfare was the then central government agency with responsibility for income support and child welfare.
We will tell the story of why we formed, describe the context of the time, how we developed as a group, why we published the report “Institutional Racism-DSW Tāmaki Makaurau” (1984) and what it covered.
We will consider the impact of our work within the institution of Department of Social Welfare and beyond, the personal impact on our individual members, and also what we have learned from our experience of trying to change an institution from the inside.
You can read the report here: https://trc.org.nz/sites/trc.org.nz/files/Institutional%20Racism%20WARAG.pdf
