Somali Nurse aspiring to make New Zealand a nation where all cultures and human rights are valued
A Muslim women's forum in Auckland is creating conversation with the
wider community about employment, discrimination and housing.
The forum has been organised after leaders within the Muslim community met last year and identified areas that needed improvement.
On April 29 residents, community leaders, Government ministers and local MPs would meet in Blockhouse Bay to discuss issues affecting the community.
Minister of Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa would be attending the forum along with other MPs Carmel Sepuloni and Michael Wood.
Salesa said she wanted to learn how community needs could be recognised.
"I would like to know the barriers and challenges women are facing in
our society, for example if they have access to culturally appropriate
services," Salesa said.
"The forum is for Muslim women to show their voices, to be political and to share who we are," she said.
"Anyone can raise questions and the forum is open to debate," she said.
The trust Ahmed works for supports migrant and refugee women and their families through enterprise, health and education.
Ahmed has lived in New Zealand for 18 years but worked as a midwife and public health nurse in Somalia before the civil war broke out in 1991.
After waiting at a refugee camp in Ethiopia, Ahmed and her family were able to move to New Zealand under the family reunification programme as her brother-in-law had come to the country before the war.
In New Zealand, Ahmed wanted to help refugee and migrant women, especially Somalian women who had children and were single mothers after losing their husbands in the war.
Source
The forum has been organised after leaders within the Muslim community met last year and identified areas that needed improvement.
On April 29 residents, community leaders, Government ministers and local MPs would meet in Blockhouse Bay to discuss issues affecting the community.
Minister of Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa would be attending the forum along with other MPs Carmel Sepuloni and Michael Wood.
Salesa said she wanted to learn how community needs could be recognised.
MANDY TE/STUFF
Fadumo Ahmed says "the forum is for Muslim women to show their voices, to be political and to share who we are".
"We aspire to make New Zealand a nation where all cultures and human rights are valued."One of the organisers, New Zealand Ethnic Women's Trust chairperson, Fadumo Ahmed said she was excited about the forum.
JARRED WILLIAMSON/STUFF
Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa wants the forum to be an open conversation with the community.
"New Zealand is our country and where we live - we've come a long way to be part of this nation and we want to give back," Ahmed said."Some people believe Muslim women are silent.
"The forum is for Muslim women to show their voices, to be political and to share who we are," she said.
"Anyone can raise questions and the forum is open to debate," she said.
The trust Ahmed works for supports migrant and refugee women and their families through enterprise, health and education.
Ahmed has lived in New Zealand for 18 years but worked as a midwife and public health nurse in Somalia before the civil war broke out in 1991.
After waiting at a refugee camp in Ethiopia, Ahmed and her family were able to move to New Zealand under the family reunification programme as her brother-in-law had come to the country before the war.
In New Zealand, Ahmed wanted to help refugee and migrant women, especially Somalian women who had children and were single mothers after losing their husbands in the war.
Source
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