Farida Sultana
Manager, Shakti Migrant Services TrustThis speaker's paper is available here.
Farida Sultana is Manager of the Auckland-based Shakti Migrant Services Trust which co-ordinates the Women's Centre, the Asian and African Women's Community Education Centre, the Migrant Resource Centre and the Women's Refuge.
Farida was born in Bangladesh. Before moving to New Zealand she was involved with the Shakti Women's Aid organisation in Edinburgh UK. When she arrived in New Zealand as a new migrant she felt the need for similar services here so, in 1995 with eight other migrant women, she initiated the Shakti Women's Support Group. This has become the Shakti Migrant Services Trust.
While working with migrant families, Farida found an increasing amount of family violence amongst the Asian migrants and refugee communities. She lobbied Government and non-Government agencies and consequently, with the contribution of the Minister of Social Welfare and the Shakti women, the first Asian Women's Safe Houses were set up throughout New Zealand in 1998.
The following year she founded the Migrant Resource Centre in Onehunga. The Centre assists new migrants and refugees to settle in New Zealand.
Farida represents the Migrant Sector on the Community Organisations Grants Scheme Committee. She is active in various forms of migrant community development including the Migrant Forum run in conjunction with the Auckland City Council.
