By Aaron Cordy
WHAT began as five women juggling work and family commitments during the COVID lockdowns in 2021, trying to create a space where migrant women could be seen, heard and supported in Greater Shepparton. The Door Bells: Migrant Women’s Network has blossomed into a community leader with over 80 members, which was celebrated at a packed event filled with guests at La Trobe University’s Shepparton Campus late last year.
Deputy Mayor of Ararat Rural City Council, Cr Teli Kaur, was the keynote speaker of the event, with Zahra Khademi, Meena Malla, Mariola Nebiu and Nudrat Israr showcasing their journey of coming to and navigating their early experiences in Australia in a panel discussion.
Like Greater Shepparton’s vast multicultural community, the four women’s stories are vastly different. For Afghan mother, Zahra Khademi, coming to Australia was about giving her children every opportunity possible.
She shared a touching story about being lost when a descendant of the Afghan cameleers, who came to Australia from the 1860s to 1920s, came to her rescue.
“He said, ‘You’re in Australia. You’re safe. If you need help, call to the security guards or the police. It’s their duty to look after you.’ After that, I was never scared. This is amazing. So I found myself in the country we have a future,” said Zahra.
“Starting a new life was absolutely hard, absolutely. I came to a country which is completely different culture, different environment. But what’s called me to continue? The hope, the aims I had for my children. A better life, for their future.”
Building a better life for the migrant women in the community is the foundation of the Door Bells, by empowering women to step up and become leaders in local civic and political spaces.
“Too many migrant women remain unheard—not because they lack ideas or talent, but because they lack opportunity and recognition. This is the gap The Door Bells – Migrant Women’s Network is determined to close,” said Khadija Fatima, Founding Member and Vice President of The Door Bells – Migrant Women’s Network.
“Looking around this room—seeing people from diverse migrant backgrounds sitting alongside members of the broader community—is a powerful reminder that the vision of The Door Bells no longer belongs to us alone. It belongs to everyone who believes in a more inclusive, more representative society.”
