A Dandenong woman has been recognised for her 18 years of volunteering to help migrants and refugees settling in Australia.
Khadija Karimi is one of five women from multicultural communities highlighted for their contributions to building the capacity of their own communities and to bolstering broader social cohesion.
The AMES Australia ‘Women of Impact’ initiative, now in its third year, recognises grass roots community leaders who are making a difference in the lives of members of their communities.
Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the initiative is aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.
Ms Karimi is an Afghan refugee who volunteers with AMES Australia as a way of giving back to the country that gave her refuge when she had to flee the Taliban’s takeover of her homeland.
Sponsored by her sister and brother-in-law, both doctors working in regional Victoria, she arrived in Australia in 2005.
She has been a dedicated AMES volunteer tutor at the Dandenong site for 18 years, beginning her service in 2008.
AMES stated that Ms Karimi is renowned by students and teachers alike for her kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to helping others.
Chair of migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia Vanda Fortunato said the ‘Women of Impact’ initiative was aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.
“These are women from multicultural communities who are making significant contributions to their own communities and to broader social cohesion,” Ms Fortunato said.
“It is important to recognise women who are doping great things, but we also need men to join the journey in achieving true gender equity,” she said.
“The women we are celebrating come from a range of backgrounds, fields of endeavour and locations but they all have in common the fact they are making a difference in other people’s lives.
“And we are recognising them in conjunction with International Women’s Day, which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality,” Ms Fortunato said.
