Rabia Sharif

Rabia Sharif is a Foreign Policy Adviser at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, currently serving in the Middle East Branch. She has contributed to Australia’s foreign policy responses on a range of sensitive and complex geopolitical issues, including work on the Israel-Gaza Taskforce. She has also advised on the Iran-Israel conflict, as well as trade and economic matters in the Gulf States.

Rabia previously worked in the office of the then-Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP (and AIYD alumnus), where she was closely involved in advancing Australia’s engagement with India.

Before entering foreign policy, Rabia spent over six years in legal practice across both the public and private sectors, advising in civil, family, and criminal law. She also contributed to Australia's Forced Marriage Project and human trafficking work with Anti-Slavery Australia.

Rabia was awarded a prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship, through which she undertook a program at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, with the Centre for Human Rights and Duties, focusing on gender-based violence.

She holds an LLM in International Law and Human Rights from UNSW and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Law and Social Science (Peace and Development Studies). She is admitted to practice in NSW and ACT.