Sarah is a social anthropologist with more than 25 years experience working for governments, firms, NGOs/CBOs, UN agencies, multilateral banks and universities.
She has worked in diverse sectors and thematic areas including:
- infrastructure (transport, logistics, energy, sanitation and critical public)
- circular, green and blue economies
- women’s entrepreneurial and economic development
- water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
- sustainable tourism; emergency management
- conservation, agroforestry, and nature-based solutions
- maternal, sexual, reproductive and child health
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH)
- Higher and Vocational Education Training (VET)
- public health and HIV/AIDS
- governance and policy development
Education: Sarah holds a PhD in social anthropology from Melbourne University, She also holds a BA with 1st class honours in psychology from Deakin University.
Field-based experience: 36 months in Papua and West Papua. 10 months in Bougainville. 15 months in Java. Multiple missions.
Languages: English (mothertoungue) and Bahasa Indonesia (advanced written and spoken)
Country Experience: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia.
“My cultural awareness and passion for gender and social inclusion comes from years of living in Indonesian communities and working with remarkable people”.
Sarah’s ability to work in challenging and complex environments was shaped by three AusAID development volunteer assignments: in West Papua (1994-1997), Bougainville (1999) and Central Jakarta (2017)
Sarah Richards, PhD 