Ruth De Souza is an honorary Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences- Te Ara Hauora A Pūtaiao at Auckland University of Technology, a writer, podcaster, researcher and consultant.
Services
Research and Writing
Passionate about addressing inequities, with theoretical interests in feminist theory, postcolonial theory and critical qualitative research methodologies.
Media Presenter
Media expert on health inequities in refugee and migrant communities; birthing and mental health.
Consulting
Available for engagement in projects including: facilitation, consultation, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement organisational development, research, training and project management.
Keynote Speaker
An experienced speaker, presenter, MC and facilitator with specific professional expertise in cultural safety, maternity, cultural issues in health, migration and health, social inclusion, mental health and more.
Podcast
Conversations with changemakers about birth, racism, and cultural safety.
Recent Episode
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Series 4 Episode 8: Favorite Iradukunda on decolonisation, justice and inclusion
A native of Rwanda currently based in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dr. Favorite Iradukunda is a nurse scholar dedicated to advancing the holistic well-being of African-diasporic women, families, and communities. Her research addresses maternal health disparities through community-centered and culturally congruent interventions. She is an advocate for transforming health through anti-colonial knowledge co-creation processes and the inclusion […]
Research
I am a nurse, academic and community-engaged researcher in gender, race, health and digital technologies. Based on the lands of the Kulin Nation in Victoria, Australia, my ancestral heritage is in Goa, India but I have had the privilege of living and working in Tanzania, Kenya, Aotearoa New Zealand, The Kingdom of Tonga, England and Switzerland. My lived experiences in these places has profoundly shaped my commitment to care, justice and equity. I am committed to collaborative, creative and participatory approaches to research and design with the aim of informing policies and services that can serve communities better. I write, teach, and speak about cultural safety, birthing, racism and healthcare.
Research Areas (thanks for your patience, I am revamping the website, so content will be appearing slowly)
Arts and Health Birthing Data/Digital health Mental health Migrant health
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Self-tracking and people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities
Exploring the impact of the proliferation of mobile and wearable health technologies, through the lens of health literacy.
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Alone together
Exploring perceptions around COVID19 strategies and telecare, from the point of view of older adults from CALD backgrounds living independently in Melbourne.
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New Mothers and Apps During Covid-19
Sukhmani Khorana, Bhavya Chitranshi and I recently completed research about the experiences of six cisgender South Asian-Australian women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Writing + News
Reviews, notes and reflections, focussing on race, health, and current projects.
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Birthing, M/othering
March is an exciting month for me with events and exhibitions about M/others and birthing, starting with a panel at M/Other at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne. “Last year, more than 300,000 children were born in Australia, yet systems in place for childbirth remain opaque and often discriminatory. For M/OTHER, the Wheeler Centre brings together […]
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Teaching into a headwind and Nursing a Radical Imagination
So, this incredible book Nursing a Radical Imagination: Moving from Theory and History to Action and Alternate Futures, Edited by Jess Dillard-Wright, Jane Hopkins-Walsh, Brandon Brown has been published, and what a thrill to have a chapter in it! The book is described as “Examining the historical context of healthcare whilst focusing on building a […]
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The Nurses’ and Midwives’ art exchange
It has been a privilege to be a part of the team who created The Nurses’ and Midwives’ art exchange, at the RMIT Design Hub Gallery as part of the Big Anxiety Naarm/Melbourne. The exhibition highlights creative responses and stories from nurses and midwives who worked through the pandemic in Australia and the US. We […]
About Ruth De Souza
Ruth De Souza is a nurse, academic and community engaged researcher in gender, race, health and digital technologies.
Ruth is a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at RMIT University, based in the School of Art and Design.
Ruth’s Fellowship has focused on knowledge translation using creative methods.