By CASEY NEILL
CRANBOURNE’S Nida Iqbal is urging women to hold their heads high.
“I am very proud of being a female… I am very proud of being who I am,” she told a Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) forum last Friday.
“I would not change it for a day.”
The celebration ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March reflected this year’s theme, Make It Happen.
Almost 30 women received awards, including Luz Restrepo, who felt frightened and isolated when she arrived in Australia from Colombia in 2010.
Luz started to make and sell crafts with other women in similar circumstances, and support group SisterWorks was born. She received the Service to the Community award.
Nigerian-born Abiola Ajetomobi was awarded the Future Leader title for juggling studies, work and family life while raising funds and collecting goods to support other Nigerian migrants.
Tiffany Hughes, 16, won the Youth Achievement award for her school involvement and leadership.
Family violence survivor Carla Gagliardi, profiled in the News late last year, received the Inspirational Woman title for her work to change laws around naming and shaming those who breached intervention orders (IVOs).
“When I began this journey, it wasn’t to be inspiring or achieve recognition,” she said.
“I simply felt the justice system had let me down.
“I felt I had to be the voice of other applicants for IVOs.”
Another 25 women received recognition awards.
Tears welled up in Nida’s eyes from the moment the guest speaker started to address the forum.
The 34-year-old explained that her mother was born into the Pashtun majority in Afghanistan but found love with a man in the persecuted Hazara minority.
Her family disowned her and Nida’s father was captured and hanged for supporting equal rights shortly after they married.
The 25-year-old widow then found out she was pregnant with Nida. It gave her a reason to go on.
The family fled to Pakistan where they received death threats for speaking out against the Taliban.
They arrived in Australia in 1998 with no English skills.
“I have not stopped learning… I have not stopped struggling,” Nida said.
“Refugees are not burdens.
“We are broken but we are resilient.
“Give us an opportunity and we could do anything.”
Nida has since completed a raft of studies and is now studying law. Any suggestions she should hold back because of her gender make her more determined.
“I never look at it as something negative,” she said.
Keynote speaker Clementine Ford said there were few days on the calendar about celebrating women.
She urged the women in the room to stop worrying about “massaging men’s egos” when speaking about feminism and striving for equality.
“Men take up far too much space in the feminist discourse,” she said.
“Equality does involve loss… It does involve sacrifice.
“This isn’t about your (men’s) feelings, it’s about saving women’s lives.”
