Balbir Thiara, Kamal Panesar and Preet Johal worked for the non-profit sector in different capacities with immigrant and refugees. Jaswinder Mann-Birring served on the Board of Immigrant Refugee Center Society. During this time they had the opportunity to work with many families and particularly women from many diverse cultures including South Asian women.

As immigrant women ourselves, we always went the extra mile to lessen their struggle by connecting them to community resources and guiding them, as well as supporting them to resolve their issues in settlement and employment areas. We not only built relationships with them and the community at large but also recognized the different yet specific needs of each community in settling in Victoria. Although there are many diverse cultures and minority communities residing in Victoria, it is a City of European descent and seen from the lens of privileged mainstream where visible minorities have to find their place to thrive by having equal access to limited resources and women from minority communities find these resources at the lower end of a hierarchical society.

Balbir Thiara, Kamal Panesar, and Jaswinder Mann-Birring who have similar experiences and interests would like to contribute their expertise and passion to serve women who are immigrants and or refugees. Therefore, we decided to have a women’s organization for a safe environment where they can freely express in their own language and similar challenges to build their strength in the new country.