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Publications

2021

Situation Analysis: Migrant and Refugee Women’s Experiences of Policing and Good Practice in Police Responses

This paper is based on our research with police jurisdictions across Australia to understand systems and processes in place to facilitate culturally appropriate and gender responsive engagement with migrant and refugee women. The aim of the paper is to scope good practice, highlight challenges faced by police in facilitating culturally and gender responsive engagement, and consider approaches towards enhanced experiences for migrant and refugee women across Australia.

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First Time in Court: E-Guide

Many women can feel overwhelmed and anxious when going to court for the first time. To help you with your court experience, this e-guide provides basic information on what to expect when going to the Magistrates’ Court, including tips for getting ready for court, arriving at court, and what to do when in the courtroom.

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Submission to Department of Home Affairs’ public consultation on the English language requirement and the new sponsorship framework for the partner visa program

In this joint submission by Harmony Alliance, inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence and Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, we highlight concerns of migrant and refugee women regarding the partner visa reforms and potential negative consequences of the proposed English language requirement and new sponsorship framework for the partner visa program.

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2020

Migrant and Refugee Women in the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact, resilience, and the way forward

Based on our national consultations, this report presents key issues faced by migrant and refugee women in the context of the pandemic, their resilience and leadership in dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, and essential considerations for policy responses to ensure equitable outcomes for migrant and refugee women in the recovery process.

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Supplementary 2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission: Measures required to ensure migrant and refugee women’s inclusion in COVID-19 response and recovery

COVID-19 pandemic—and the ensuing economic crisis—has disproportionately impacted migrant and refugee women’s economic security, access to safety, health, justice, and education. This submission outlines a range of proposed measures to ensure women from migrant and refugee backgrounds are adequately included in COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives in 2020-2021 financial year.

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Intersectionality Position Statement

Harmony Alliance believes that in order to achieve positive outcomes for migrant and refugee women in all their diversity, intersectionality should be incorporated in all spheres of policy and practice, from legal rights to provision of services. We encourage and commend the embedding of the principles of intersectionality—including ongoing reflection, substantive representation, and commitment to equity—in policy and practice. This statement, informed by our members’ responses to Intersectionality Discussion Paper (January 2020) and earlier discussions within the Alliance, lays out what intersectionality means to us as migrant and refugee women.

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Emerging Insights from our National Survey on Dowry Abuse

Through the Community-led Projects to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children program, Harmony Alliance (the Alliance) has been working with the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health to support the development of an emerging evidence base on dowry abuse in Australia. Dowry giving is the practice of transferring substantial gifts, including money, property and jewellery, from the bride’s family to the groom’s family upon marriage whereas dowry abuse refers to controlling, isolating and violent behaviours linked to demands for dowry. From August to October 2020, the Alliance ran a national survey to understand levels of knowledge and awareness in the community regarding dowry demands and their link to abusive behaviours.

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Submission to inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence

Migrant and refugee women are disproportionately affected by domestic, family and sexual violence due to compounding barriers and intersections of multiple forms of systemic disadvantage—including on the basis of migration status, race, culture, religion, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and disability. Any national plan to reduce the occurrence of family, domestic, and sexual violence against women in Australia must address migrant and refugee women’s concerns at structural level.

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Submission to Public Consultation on National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan

We welcome the recognition of migrant and refugee women’s health concerns and needs—including higher risk factors and additional barriers to accessing healthcare—in the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. In this submission, we offer recommendations to ensure provision of high quality, safe, accessible, equitable, and culturally responsive care and support to women from migrant and refugee backgrounds who are bereaved or at high risk of experiencing stillbirth.

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Submission to Inquiry into the Australian Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Migrant and refugee women have been significantly affected by the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government response to the pandemic has been inadequate in providing reliable support to many migrant and refugee women, particularly those experiencing income loss and/or family and domestic violence while on temporary visas.

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Submission to Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System

Migrant and refugee women face significant structural barriers to accessing justice—including through the Family Law System—in Australia. These barriers include inadequate or insufficient access to interpreting services, low levels of systems literacy in a new country, complex interactions between migration regulations and family law system, and limited access to specialist legal aid and advice services. All of these factors impact migrant and refugee women’s access to justice, particularly in situations of family and domestic violence and family breakdown. A family law system reform must take these barriers into account and provide sufficient resources and training to all entities involved in family law proceedings to ensure that the family law system is accessible to those with special cultural and linguistic needs.

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Submission to the consultation on National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-24

We welcome the opportunity to make a submission to the consultation on National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-2024. Trafficking, forced marriage, and modern slavery—practices identified by the consultation paper—often intersect with migration, and since women are overrepresented amongst victims of these practices, the national action plan to combat these practices must be considerate and inclusive of the perspectives and experiences of migrant and refugee women.

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2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission

This submission outlines a range of proposed measures that have the potential to promote the full, effective and equal participation of Australian women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

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Submission to the second consultation on Religious Discrimination Bill

This submission highlights our concerns as migrant and refugee women regarding the proposed bill, particularly the impacts on our right to healthcare, mental and physical well-being, and equal opportunities to work and study. The Harmony Alliance is strongly opposed to the bill in its current form as it infringes upon the principles of integrity and fundamental human rights and will disproportionately affect us as migrant and refugee women.

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Submission to Retirement Income Review

There are several factors that contribute to significantly lower retirement income levels for migrant and refugee women. The retirement income review, therefore, must consider the multiple and compounded disadvantages and vulnerabilities faced by migrant and refugee women. We welcome the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on retirement income review and respond to some of the specific aspects raised by the consultation paper in this submission.

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2019

Submission to the Inquiry into the adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia

The unemployment rate for women who have migrated to Australia sits at 6.3 per cent compared with 5.4 per cent for all Australian women and migrant men, jumping to 6.7 per cent for women who speak a language other than English at home. This highlights the additional barriers that women from migrant and refugee backgrounds face in seeking to enter the workforce, and the need for adequate income support and other social security payments to assist this cohort to secure ongoing employment.

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Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan

Indigenous Australians represent the oldest living civilisation on earth. We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the custodians of this land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We commit to this acknowledgement on an ongoing basis in a manner that is meaningful in our everyday practice and conversations. It is a commitment of the Harmony Alliance to ensure that the starting point of any conversation we have in relation to the rights of migrant and refugee women is firmly centred around the broader conversation on the rights of First Nations women and First Nations people.

 

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A strategic approach to improving employment outcomes of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds in Australia

Promoting meaningful participation in the workforce by women from migrant and refugee backgrounds produces a win-win situation – boosting workforce performance while improving quality of life for individuals. This strategic approach seeks to contribute to facilitating better employment outcomes of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds. It is intended as a recommended roadmap for what better outcomes would look like, and what steps need to be taken in order to achieve these.

 

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Working Together for Equality: NGO Beijing+25 Review 2019

Jointly drafted with 51 other organisations, networks, alliances, and individuals, “Working Together for Equality Beijing+25 Review 2019: Australia” is part of the ongoing Australian Civil Society monitoring and evaluation of women’s rights commitments made by the Australian Government and Civil Society to the advancement of women through use of agreed strategies from the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA) (1995), and the Beijing+5 Outcomes Document (2000). The purpose of this document is to measure Australia’s progress in the last 5 years (2014 – 2019) against the BPFA 25 years since it was agreed in 1995.

 

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Blueprint for Reform: Removing Barriers to Safety for Victims/Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence who are on Temporary Visas

Harmony Alliance is a member of the National Advocacy Group on Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Violence, that consists of over 50 state and national peak bodies, service providers and other organisations working to address violence against women across Australia. The Blueprint has been developed and endorsed by the group with an aim to collectively advocate for policy and law changes to support women on temporary visas experiencing violence and their children to be safe.

 

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Election Priorities

Australia is a thriving multicultural society. Migration has been instrumental to Australia’s growth, with 49 per cent of Australians either born overseas or with at least one parent born overseas. All levels of our society have benefitted from the skills and diversity that migrants bring to Australia.

 

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Women from all backgrounds have the right to live free from violence

5 March 2019

The Harmony Alliance has today welcomed the strong funding commitments announced by the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, the Minister for Women, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, and the Minister for Families and Social Services, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, as part of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

 

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Submission regarding the 63rd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

February 2019

The Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change notes the importance of social protections in fostering equitable societies and promoting equality and non- discrimination.

 

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Pre-budget submission 2019-20

February 2019

Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Treasury regarding the 2019-2020 Federal Budget.

 

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Submission to the Review into integration, employment and settlement outcomes for refugees and humanitarian entrants

February 2019

Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Review into integration, employment and settlement outcomes for refugees and humanitarian entrants.

 

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2018

Path to Nowhere Report

9 December 2018

Path to Nowhere (the Report) examines the issues for women on temporary visas experiencing violence and their children.

 

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Migrant and Refugee Womens' Voices: Survey Report

26 November 2018

The Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change conducted the inaugural Migrant and Refugee Women’s Voices Survey in partnership with SBS and SBS Radio over six weeks between May and July 2018.

 

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Migrant and refugee women must be supported to participate in the workforce

20 November 2018

The Harmony Alliance has today welcomed a series of measures announced by the Minister for Women, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, in the inaugural Women’s Economic Security Statement.

 

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Submission to the Consultation on the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030

October 2018

Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership and Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change welcome the opportunity to make a joint submission to the consultation on the draft National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030.

 

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Submission to Department of Social Services consultation process regarding the development of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022

September 2018

As part of the Alliance’s commitment to advocate for better health and wellbeing of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, we held four consultations in the lead up to the development of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

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Submission to the Inquiry into the appropriateness and effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of jobactive.

The Alliance welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the submission to the Senate Education and Employment Commitees regarding the appropriateness and effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of jobactive.

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Submission to the Inquiry into the practice of dowry and the incidence of dowry abuse in Australia

17 August 2018

The Alliance welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee regarding the practice of dowry and the incidence of dowry abuse in Australia.

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Submission to the Future Employment Services Consultation

August 2018

The Alliance welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Future Employment Services Consultation.

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Open Letter to Female Members of Parliament and Senators

22 May 2018

An open letter calling upon the female Members of Parliament and Senators to oppose proposed changes to Social Services legislation that would see new permanent residents of Australia wait four years before being eligible to access many crucial welfare payments.

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Migrant and refugee women overlooked in Budget

8 May 2018

The Harmony Alliance has this evening welcomed a series of measures announced in the 2018 federal budget aimed at improving the lives of Australian women. The Alliance has, however, expressed concern at the lack of focus on the needs of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

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Submission to the Inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Commitments for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2018

27 April 2018

The Alliance welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee regarding the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Commitments for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2018.

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Submission to Inquiry into the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018

18 April 2018

The Alliance welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Committee regarding the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018

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International Women’s Day 2018 - Response to Government and Opposition policy priorities

19 March 2018

The Harmony Alliance reiterates its commitment to working with the Government and the Opposition to improve experiences and outcomes for women in Australia from migrant and refugee backgrounds, including women seeking asylum.

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It’s time to improve data

28 February 2018

The Harmony Alliance has today called on the Australian Governments to prioritise for further research the experiences of violence by women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, after the release of the Australian Institute on Health and Welfare report on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2018.

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2017

Increased waiting periods to keep women out of work

19 December 2017

The Harmony Alliance has today expressed concern at the Government’s announcement that it will seek to increase waiting periods to three years before new migrants can access many welfare payments, and introduce a three-year waiting period to access Family Tax Benefit, Paid Parental Leave and Carer Allowance.

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2018-19 Pre-Budget Submission

15 December 2017

AWAVA and Harmony Alliance call on the Government to facilitate the implementation of actions and commitments made in the Third Action Plan 2016-19 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

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Headshot Nyadol

Nyadol Nyuon

Nyadol Nyuon is the Chair of Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change. She is a lawyer, community advocate, writer, and accomplished public speaker.

Nyadol was born in a refugee camp in Itang, Ethiopia, and raised in Kakuma Refugee camp, Kenya. In 2005, at the age of eighteen, she moved to Australia as a refugee. Since then, Nyadol has completed a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. She now works as a commercial litigator with Arnold Bloch Leibler.

Nyadol Nyuon is a vocal advocate for human rights, migrant and refugee women, and the settlement of people with refugee experiences and those seeking asylum. She has worked and volunteered extensively in these areas with a range of organisations. Nyadol is also a regular media commentator on these issues, having appeared on ABC’s The Drum, as a panellist on Q&A and contributing to The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and the Saturday Paper, to name just a few.

In both 2011 and 2014, Nyadol was nominated as one of the one hundred most influential African Australians. In 2016, she was the recipient of the Future Justice Prize. In 2018, her efforts to combat racism were widely recognised, with achievements including the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Racism. It Stops With Me Award for her advocacy and activism on behalf of the Australian-African and Melbourne’s South Sudanese communities, and the Harmony Alliance Award for significant contribution to empowering migrant and refugee women. Nyadol was a co-winner of the Tim McCoy Prize for her advocacy on behalf of the South Sudanese community and received the Afro-Australian Student Organisation Unsung Hero Award.

Photo of Jeanette Hourani

Jeanette Hourani

A refugee in her own country Lebanon, then a refugee in Germany until she migrated to Australia in 1988. Jeanette has passion to gender equity and advocacy. Established Voice of Arabic Women on Radio 3CR to address the issues of gender, power, domestic violence, women’s empowerment in the capacity of a volunteer. Worked at SBS radio as a paid journalist/broadcaster. Held various positions and coordinated various programs and projects including women’s health, family and children’s services and early childhood, training and education including Dianella Community Health, Royal Women’s Hospital and VICSEG New Futures. Worked with grassroots women as an advocate, support and mentor. Joined the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition (VIRWC) and held Chairperson positions and a Board member. Winner of Hume City Council’s 2007 Teacher’s Award.

Anyier Yuol

Anyier Yuol is the chair of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCORW).
Anyier was born in a refugee camp in Kenya and moved to Australia when she was ten years old. In 2015 she completed a Bachelor of Arts Major in Development Studies, Sociology and Anthropology at UNSW and is currently studying her Masters in International Development (Refugees and Displacement).

She is currently employed at Community Migrant Resource Centre (CMRC) as a Youth Transition Support Worker, where she works particularly with newly arrived refugee youth to connect them with education, sporting and employment opportunities, as well as to the local community.

Anyier Yuol currently divides her time between refugee community activism, youth leadership, mentoring, playing soccer and being a sports advocate, and modelling. She is determined to encourage, inspire and support her fellow women to find and exceed their potential within the modelling world and all other facets of their lives and those around them.

Anyier has extensive experience speaking and performing to large and diverse audiences. She is acknowledged and credited for leadership and motivational skills, as well as her drive, perseverance and capacity to engage a wide variety of groups and individuals.

Michal Morris

Ms Michal Morris is the CEO of inTouch Multicultural Centre against Family Violence, based in Melbourne, Victoria.

Michal has a deep commitment to social justice evidenced by a senior executive career across the government and third sector, driving access and equity in client centred care and evidence based service and program delivery.

Michal has 20 years’ experience working in the multicultural sector, as well as leading a range of health programs including mental health, suicide prevention and drug and alcohol.

Photo of Carla Wilshire

Carla Wilshire OAM

Ms Carla Wilshire represents Migration Council Australia – an ex-officio member of the Council.

Carla is the CEO of Migration Council Australia, the national research and policy institution on migration, settlement and social cohesion.

Carla has a background in policy development, corporate governance and tertiary research. She has worked as a public servant and as an advisor to Government, principally in the area of migration and resettlement, including as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

Carla is a member of the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity, which provides policy advice to the Council of Chief Justices of Australia on improving access to justice for culturally and linguistically diverse Australians.

Carla is also a member of the National Anti-Racism Partnership and co-founded the Friendly Nation Initiative, which aims to link corporate Australia with the settlement community to improve employment outcomes for refugees.

Eugenia Tsoulis OAM

Ms Eugenia Tsoulis has 40 years of work experience across a number of sectors focusing on multicultural policy research and review, leadership management, mental health, education, the arts, and employment and training.

Eugenia is the CEO of the Australian Migrant Resource Centre, and over the past 20 years, she has overseen its expanding work, ensuring a critical leadership position in South Australia’s social, cultural and economic development.

Previously, as the Director of the Migrant Workers’ Centre, her work furthered migrant women’s employment, training and participation. Eugenia has established programs that serve to empower migrant and refugee women and young people through the Stronger Families initiative that counters domestic violence and through women’s training and employment.

She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994, ZONTA Woman of the Year Award in 2007, and the Governor’s Multicultural Award—Individual Achiever of the Year in 2012. Eugenia was a founding member of the Settlement Council of Australia, and has served on a considerable number of State and Commonwealth boards and advisory committees.

Eugenia received the inaugural Harmony Alliance Award in 2017, for lifetime contribution to empowering migrant and refugee women.

Tamara Stewart-Jones

Ms Tamara Stewart-Jones represents Multicultural Youth South Australia.

Tamara has 14 years of leadership and service delivery experience in the human services in both mainstream and multicultural contexts. She has extensive knowledge and experience in responding to a range of social issues and problems, having worked across service areas as diverse as settlement, health, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, crisis intervention and domestic violence.

Tamara has dual qualifications in primary health care and transpersonal counseling, as well as post‑graduate qualifications in Social Work.

She has worked in a teaching and research capacity at the University of South Australia for the past three years with her work focusing on new and emerging issues in both refugee and Indigenous communities.

Violet Roumeliotis

Ms Violet Roumeliotis represents Settlement Services International, a NSW community‑based, not-for-profit organisation that provides support services for refugees, asylum seekers, people with disability, job seekers, and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who require foster care.

Violet has steered SSI through a major growth period, from a staff of less than 70 just four years ago, to over 500 in 2016. She was named in Pro Bono Australia’s 2014 and 2015 lists of the 25 most influential people working in the not-for-profit sector.

Violet has an extensive background in the leadership of large not‑for‑profit organisations and providing services to at‑risk communities. She has developed specialised knowledge and skills in working with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, refugees, women and families in crisis, and prisoners.

Violet has a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Sociology and History from UNSW, and a Masters in Management from UTS. She is also an accredited mediator.

Sahar Okhovat

Ms Sahar Okhovat represents Refugee Council of Australia – an ex-officio member of the Council.

Sahar is a Senior Policy Officer with the Refugee Council of Australia, the national umbrella body for refugees, people seeking asylum and the organisations and individuals who support them. Her work involves research, policy and advocacy on issues impacting refugees and people seeking asylum.

Sahar previously worked with Australian Red Cross as a caseworker and a team leader in Migration Support Program and later on as a Humanitarian Observer, monitoring conditions of immigration detention centres. She holds a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney.

Juliana Nkrumah AM

Ms Juliana Nkrumah AM represents African Women Australia. Juliana is an advocate for women—specifically refugee women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and African women.

She founded African Women Australia as part of her quest to have African women gain a voice in Australian sociopolitical systems.

Juliana has served on several Boards to improve the status of women, including the Board of YWCA NSW, Australian National Committee on Refugee Women, Act For Peace, African Ministerial Committee, and the Eminent Australians Committee to review the Australian Citizenship Test.

Juliana’s past contributions included being the first women's representative of the African Communities’ Council NSW, initiating African Workers Network in Sydney, working as the first Community Education and Development Worker on FGM in Australia and advising in the development of the National Education Toolkit for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Awareness.

She managed the African Liaison Unit set up in Centrelink's Multicultural Services Unit in 2005-2006, and led two nationwide consultations into issues affecting refugees and migrants from African countries.

Juliana Nkrumah was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia for her work in the community, and was the winner of Woman of the West from University of Western Sydney in 2007.

Libby Lloyd AM

During her career Ms Libby Lloyd has been: President of UNIFEM/UN Women in Australia (2002-05); co-founder and board member of White Ribbon Foundation (2003-2013); Chair of Australia’s National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2008-09). Libby has worked internationally with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); in the Commonwealth Public Service and in the private and community sectors.

Libby is or has been CEO, chair or member of a range of government advisory boards, private and not-for-profit organisations and continues to hold a number of senior roles in the community sector. She is Patron of the indigo foundation and of the Gold Coast Centre against Sexual Violence.

In 1992 Libby’s work with the United Nations and for Australian communities overseas was recognised when she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to refugees and to the international community in Iraq and Kuwait.

Maha Krayem Abdo

Ms Maha Krayem Abdo represents the United Muslim Women Association.

Maha has spent over three decades working together with the Muslim Women Association to help give Muslim women safety and assurance in difficult and trying circumstances.

Today she represents and gives voice to all women abroad as well as in Australia. She works at the local, national and international levels advising government on policy, services and strategies to create a harmonious community for future generations of Muslim and non-Muslim women.

In 2016 Maha was the NSW Seniors Week Ambassador as well as the BreastScreen NSW Ambassador. In 2015 Maha was a finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights Medal, and in 2014 she was the NSW Human Rights Ambassador for 2014-15.

Gail Ker OAM

Ms Gail Ker represents Access Community Services. Over the past 20 years,

Gail’s vast industry experience and arguably unrivalled expertise in the Australian multicultural, humanitarian and community sectors have seen her change countless lives for the better. A nationally lauded and award winning visionary, Gail leads nearly 300 staff at Access in pursuit of their organisational vision—to create social, cultural and economic experiences and opportunities that transform the lives of individuals and communities globally.

Renowned for her expertise in innovative service solutions for newly arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants, Gail is a recognised thought leader in needs-based community planning, innovative business models, and strategic partnerships. Gail’s knowledge is actively sought by policy makers, politicians, and industry leaders, both nationally and internationally.

She serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Settlement Services Advisory Council advising the Federal Minister for Social Services.

Gail’s standing has been recognised with a number of honours, including the 2010 Order of Australia Medal, and 2017 Australian Migration and Settlement Awards –Empowering Women Award.

Uieta Kaufusi

Ms Uieta Kaufusi represents Tongan Association of Canberra and Queanbeyan.

Ms Uieta Kaufusi is a proud Tongan woman based in Canberra and is the National Sector Engagement Manager for 1800RESPECT, the National Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counseling service.

Prior to joining the 1800RESPECT team in 2016, she led a breadth of initiatives on addressing domestic and family violence both in Australia and overseas. In her previous role as Learning and Development Manager at Lifeline Australia, Uieta managed the development and implementation of the DV‑Alert training suite—a nationally accredited and delivered domestic violence response training program for frontline workers. During her work with DV‑Alert, Uieta oversaw the development, implementation and evaluation of the General, Indigenous and Multicultural streams of DV-Alert, including the DV Awareness session and the Brothers Standing Tall: Aboriginal Men’s Program.

Uieta is married with 3 children and is a member of the ACT Government Multicultural Advisory Council, the White Ribbon Australia Indigenous Reference Group, and the Lifeline Aotearoa Pasifika Reference Group.

Carmel Guerra OAM

Ms Carmel Guerra represents Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network – an ex-officio member of the Council.

For over 30 years, Carmel has been a strong advocate for young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds in Victoria. Carmel has used her extensive experience to improve advocacy and support networks for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. As the CEO of the Centre for Multicultural Youth, she is at the forefront of innovative service delivery and policy development.

Carmel’s contribution and service to multicultural youth in Victoria has been recognised with a Victorian Premier’s Award for Community Harmony in 2015 and a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2016. Carmel is the Chairperson of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN), the national peak body representing multicultural youth issues in Australia.

She also serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Youth Parole Board of Victoria, the Victorian Children’s Council, the Migration Council of Australia, and the Settlement Services Advisory Council advising the Federal Minister for Social Services.

Khadija Gbla

Ms Khadija Gbla is an individual member of the Harmony Alliance Council.

Khadija is a very passionate and inspired young African Australian woman. She is the Director of Khadija Gbla Cultural consultancy, which offers cultural awareness, intelligence training and facilitation to government agencies, not‑for‑profit organisations and individuals; advocacy and mentoring to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Khadija is also the Executive Director of No FGM Australia—a not‑for‑profit organisation, which works to protect Australian girls from FGM and to support survivors of FGM. She is an Ambassador for Our Watch and Director of Reacher’s Philanthropy - Committed to Women's and Girl's Self Empowerment.

Khadija is an award winning inspirational speaker, facilitator and consultant and has been recognised on a number of occasions, including most recently as 2017 Cosmopolitan Women of the Year finalist, 2016 Women's Weekly and Qantas Women of the Future finalist, and 2016 AusMumpreneur Rising Star and Making a Difference Award recipient.

Photo of Sandra Wright

Sandra Wright

Sandra is the CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia, the peak body representing Australia's vibrant settlement services. SCoA's members include organisations, large and small, who are committed to the successful settlement of refugees and migrants across the country. Prior to joining SCoA, Sandra led law reform in the areas of sexual assault and family violence. She has also held leadership positions in settlement services, and a number of board and advisory council positions in the multicultural and women's sectors. Sandra is a qualified lawyer, and is currently pursuing a PhD on domestic and family violence in Australian Muslim communities.

 

Maria Dimopoulos (Chair)

Ms Maria Dimopoulos is the independent Chair of the Alliance Council and the Harmony Alliance.

Maria is a nationally and internationally recognised expert specialising in the intersections of cultural diversity, gender equality and the law. As Managing Director at Myriad International Consulting Services she has had extensive experience in policy formulation for Government, research for social planning and in community legal education.

Much of Maria’s work has been aimed at promoting and enhancing cultural diversity and gender informed approaches in the ongoing complex legal and political reform processes and in ensuring the meaningful inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives in those reform processes.

Maria continues to deliver judicial education programs across Australia and currently sits on a number of boards including the Coronial Council of Victoria, the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity and the Castan Centre for Human Rights.