Serina McDuff is CEO of Women’s Legal Service Victoria, where her extensive experience in the law, human rights advocacy and campaigning is instrumental in leading the organisation’s work addressing violence against women and advancing gender equity.
Serina’s previous roles have involved advocating for the rights of women and children and access to justice for those who need it most. As a human rights lawyer she has represented newly arrived women and children escaping violence, young women experiencing sexual harassment and women subject to involuntary mental health orders. Serina was formerly CEO of the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria, CEO of the YWCA in Qld, Director of Advocacy and Engagement at the ASRC, and Director of a national youth organisation in the UK. Serina has held a number of board and committee positions, including Vice-Chair Rights of Women Legal Service UK, ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Women, and the Victorian Women’s Correctional Services Advisory Committee. At the heart of her work is a commitment to systemic and social change.
Serina led a major project to improve advocacy and communications across the refugee movement in Australia, which informed the #LetThemStay and #BringThemHere campaigns. She has strongly advocated for the integration of legal assistance with broader social services to address people’s multiple needs together, and has increased funding and access to these services across Victoria.