Women Empowerment and Leadership

wel

International Small Business Summit Melbourne Tour 2023

Women Empowerment & Leadership takes great pride in its involvement in the esteemed International Small Business Summit Melbourne 2023. We are particularly delighted to highlight the significant role played by our distinguished representative, Dr. Rita Anwari (founder and director of Women Empowerment & Leadership), who graced the occasion as the keynote speaker. This summit brought together a notable assembly of influential figures across various sectors, including distinguished members of parliament and prominent business leaders. The Women Empowerment & Leadership Association operates a program aimed at providing new women with internship opportunities, enabling them to transition from the educational realm to practical, real-world experiences. As part of this initiative, Women Empowerment & Leadership had the distinct privilege of enhancing the International Small Business Summit by extending an opportunity to three interns from Bond University, each of whom is currently in the final year of their respective master’s degree programs. These accomplished interns, namely Yewayi (Final Year Law Student), Emilie (Final Year International Relations Program Student), and Shahna (Final Year Criminology Student), were granted a distinctive platform to actively participate in the summit and contribute through a presentation focused on the topic of women in business. This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering educational and professional development among aspiring women while promoting gender equality and empowerment. We are delighted to provide a comprehensive account of the experiences during our participation in the International Small Business Summit 2023, which took place in Melbourne on the 21st and 22nd of September 2023. This event has undoubtedly proven to be an invaluable experience for the interns, and they are deeply appreciative of the opportunity it afforded them. The summit featured an array of distinguished keynote speakers who delved into critical topics highly relevant to small businesses, encompassing areas such as taxation, technology, competitiveness, regulatory frameworks, and the establishment of a national Australian small business agency. The thoughtful structuring of the event, complete with breaks for morning tea freshness, a delectable lunch, and an afternoon tea break on both days, facilitated invaluable networking opportunities and the exchange of knowledge. The diverse range of topics covered provided us with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that define the small business landscape. Notably, the presence of honorable members of parliament lent a unique and authoritative dimension to the event. Throughout the duration of the summit, various salient topics were explored, including discussions on trade relations between Hong Kong and India, with a spotlight on India’s potential to surpass China in this regard. Additionally, insights were provided into the coalition’s support for small businesses and discussions on matters concerning education, training, and industrial relations. The summit culminated with wrap-up sessions for both days and closing remarks, marking the conclusion of this intellectually stimulating event. Our time in Melbourne was genuinely enriching, as we had the privilege to interact with numerous distinguished individuals, including several honorable ministers. We wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Anwari for her unwavering belief in her interns and for granting her interns this remarkable opportunity. Her mentorship has played a pivotal role in the intern’s personal and professional development, and we genuinely value the wealth of knowledge and experiences she has shared with the interns. As we move forward, we are committed to applying the valuable insights and knowledge acquired during the summit to further advance the mission and objectives of Women Empowerment & Leadership. We would like to extend our sincere and heartfelt appreciation for Dr. Anwari’s unwavering support and invaluable guidance throughout this transformative journey. With great enthusiasm, they eagerly anticipate the ongoing continuation of their internship under her esteemed mentorship, recognizing the potential for further nurturing the personal and professional growth of young multicultural women. Dr. Anwari’s mentorship has undeniably played a pivotal role in facilitating their transition from the educational sphere to the practical realities of the real world with confidence. Furthermore, her mentorship has empowered them, as young multicultural women, to aspire to become future leaders in their respective fields. Her guidance has been instrumental in shaping the path toward empowerment and leadership for each of these women as interns.

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“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.”

On the 20th of June, Women Empowerment and Leadership was offered the wonderful opportunity to travel to the Parliament in Canberra and have a meeting with Hon. Jim Chalmers and the Chief Secretary of Hon. Murray Watt. The director and Founder, Rita Anwari Sultani, was joined by her intern, from Bond University Kaitlyn Byrnes international law and Human Rights Ambassador, Emelie Nordh International relation student. The visit to the #Parliament was incredibly fruitful. During the meeting with the incredible Hon. Jim Chalmers MP, Kaitlyn and Emelie were able to voice their ideas and thoughts on the #budget created by the Australian Labor Party Government. Furthermore, they received wonderful advice and encouragement from the treasurer of Australia, a gift that Kaitlyn and Emelie always will cherish. The team at Women Empowerment and Leadership were also fortunate to visit the Speakers House and had the honour of being personally invited by Hon. Milton Dick MP. It was a fantastic chance for #Kaitlyn and #Emelie to witness and learn about the intricate procedures at work in the Speakers House. Finally, the day ended with a meeting with the Chief Secretary of Hon. Murray Watt – Senator for Queensland, where a spectacular discussion was held, followed by remarkable insights and advice which further ignited a drive and passion for #Emelie and #Kaitlyn to realize their dreams. Human Rights Ambassador, Emelie Nordh and intern Kaitlyn Byrnes want to extend their gratitude to the parliament and especially to Hon. #Jim Chalmers for his passion and interest in listening to the youth of Australia. There is something magical when speaking and listening to the exceptional people who have been able to accomplish and become the very thing that you yourself aspire to be. This is where the ultimate inspiration and hope is created from. There are so many women around the world whose rights have been revoked and who do not have the opportunity in their society nor the tools to become empowered and to realise their fullest potential. This is a privilege that Women Empowerment and Leadership is grateful that they can provide to their incredible interns and volunteers who have big ambitions and even bigger dreams. This is what our not-for-profit organisation stands for, the empowerment of women, giving them the opportunities and tools to become the leaders of their own lives, and ultimately someday the change-makers of our time.

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Strong Vision of WEL for Empowering Women Through Education!

Women Empowerment and Leadership has a strong vision of empowering women through education and was lucky enough to be able to take its interns from Bond University on this incredible learning program. The interns had the honor of visiting the beautiful Government House in Paddington and attended a remarkable tour to learn more about the protocol of the monarchy, our democratic institutions, the history of the buildings and the previous governors, joined by our wonderful community leaders WEL’s volunteers. #WEL believes that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world, and it is the key to unlocking the world, as it gives you the passport to freedom, and it was an honor for Women Empowerment and Leadership to give this opportunity to our young, ambitious and wise interns. #Women#Empowerment and #Leadership seeks to empower and provide the right tools to young women to harness and unlock their innermost potential and use it to inspire change. Emelie Nordh and #Yewayi’s bright journey began today when they received a wonderful opportunity to meet with the #Queensland governor Hon. #Jeannette#Young. Women Empowerment and leadership would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Hon. #Jeannette#Young and the incredible government team supporting her, it was a truly enlightening experience and priviliage to be able to listen and take part of the wisdom that the governor shared. Rita Anwari Sultani, the director, and founder of WEL has always been dedicated to the vision in bringing together young aspiring women with a shared purpose and a passion for change, and to witness her interns #Emelie Nordh and #Yewayi Mushaya grow into their roles as future leaders was the most giving experience of all. In particular, to see Emelie and Yewayi be so warmly welcomed and encouraged to pursue their dreams by such an inspiring and outstanding individual as Governor Jeanette Young who has achieved the extraordinary through her hard work and dedication. Governor Jeanette Young’s parting words were to always follow your passions and dreams, to base your life on the things that bring you the most joy in life. Women Empowerment and Leadership led by #Rita Anwari, believe in the power of education and using it as tool to realize your aspiration and dreams, inspiring change and empower the people that you meet along your path. This is the purpose of our visit to the Government House, an educational learning experience where our young and ambitious interns studying law and international relations are able to see the beautiful gift that Australia offers, democracy and learning the history and the pillars in which our democracy lies on. There is something extraordinarily beautiful to witness the remarkable democracy that Australia is, and seeing the transparency which is safeguarded by our constitutions – where the public can take part in tours and meeting the governor and government officials, which unfortunately is not afforded to everyone in the world. This visit reminded us on how lucky we are to be in Australia and inspired our team at Women Empowerment and Leadership to continue to harness our collective strength and create a positive lasting impact. Thank you, Governor Jeanette Young and the wonderful tour guides who made this a day to remember.

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Women Empowerment and Leadership Eid Celebration and Voice of Afghan Women

On the 7th of July, the Women Empowerment and Leadership organization celebrated the rich tapestry of culture and shared communal joy at the recent Eid Celebration and Voice of Afghan Women event. Eid is an important celebration for the Islamic community which represents a time for family, celebration, joy, andcommunity. It is great that we can all be here today to share our stories, culture, food, and performances together in celebration. This is significantly important for the women of Afghanistan who underthe oppressive rule of the Taliban, Afghan women are denied many rights and freedoms, including the liberty to celebrate Eid with joy and peace in their homeland. Thus, WEL’s event extended beyondthe bounds of our immediate community, to embrace and represent these brave women, giving a platform to the ‘Voice of Afghan Women’. The Eid celebration was a tribute to their spirit, their resilience, and their strength. The event also highlighted the strength of the community with beautiful displays of cultural pride and performance including traditional dancing and musical performances. This was a special highlight for guests to witness and be united with compassion and joy. This Eid celebration was also an avenue for community education and enlightenment. The event was graced by inspiring guest speakers and riveting presentations that underscored the value of multicultural understanding and unity. These included a talk on the significance of Multicultural Art, which painted vivid imagery of our shared human experience and the beauty of our differences. Additionally, a deeply touching presentation on Mental Health Awareness, delivered by the Women Mentoring Foundation, brought attention to the often-overlooked aspect of well-being. Their insights served as an enlightening call, urging us to extend empathy and support to those struggling silently amidst us. In essence, our Multicultural Eid celebration stood as a symbol of unity, education, and resilience. It was an event that reinforced our commitment to raising awareness, uplifting the oppressed, and celebrating our shared humanity. Together, we raised our voices to echo the voice of Afghan women, and took a step forward in making a difference, one celebration at a time.

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Empowering Afghan Women through Citizenship

Saturday, the 24th of June Women’s Empowerment and Leadership had the wonderful opportunity to host their first multicultural citizenship ceremony, with the support of IWAA, the Department of Home Affairs and Logan City Council. This event helped mark the end of National Refugee Week a campaign highlighting the freedoms refugees deserve. The celebration of citizenship for refugees and migrants highlights a powerful symbol of freedom and new opportunity to  spread their wings and experience a promising future in Australia. The event was a great success with 25 new citizens from 14 different countries, being welcomed into the Australian community. The ceremony was a night of celebration, resilience and pride with shared stories of hope and a promise of a new and opportunistic future. This was especially apparent for the women of Afghanistan who were empowered through citizenship and gained the freedom to share there voices and begin a better future with the opportunity of education, independence, employment and freedom not currently allowed to them in there home country of Afghanistan. WEL is proud to have witnessed and supported these women on their journey to citizenship in Australia. The ceremony was deliver with the assistance of Hon. Dr Jim Chalmers as the Presiding Officer and two of WEL’s Interns Kaitlyn and Emelie who had the opportunity to MC this important event. This was a great learning opportunity for these two young university students to take part and MC in an official government citizenship event for the very first time. Kaitlyn and Emelie were able to expand their industry experience and gain new specialist skills for their future career paths by speaking publicly and assisting with the preparations of the ceremony. Many community leaders, guest speakers and special guests also showed their support for our new citizens and helped to make a truly memorable night for all at the WEL and the Afghan community proud to present the Afghan turban to the Dr Jim Chalmers Treasurer of the Australian federal government and award two best volunteers as Citizens of the Year That’s what we do at WEL to Empower the community.

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WEL’s Report for the 11th of March Event – Raising the Voices of Afghan Women

On the 11th of March, Women Empowerment and Leadership (WEL) held their event“Raising the Voices of Afghan women”. The event has been a legacy that has been passed onevery year by WEL to always celebrate and shed light on the resilient women around theworld, especially Afghan women; Women whose identity has been wiped, whose humanrights have been denied and crushed. Women who have been silenced and forced intosubmission. The event organized by WEL gave a voice to these resilient and strong women,who despite being denied all of their rights, have risen up and shown that there is alwayslight. If only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it. The eventhosted many prominent and powerful people such as the attorney general and minister forjustice, women and the prevention of domestic and family violence, honorary ShannonFentiman, The honorable Leanne Linard MP, Minister for children and youth justice, andminister for multicultural affairs, in addition to Senator for the state of Queensland Hon. PaulSacrr. These prominent figures through their touching messages inspired hope and a beliefthat better days lay ahead. Furthermore, the Founder and CEO of WEL, Rita Anwari, held aninformative presentation on the road map of higher education in Afghanistan; where she stepby step took the audience through the history of the abolishment of education for women inAfghanistan. It was a heartfelt presentation, reminding everyone who attended the event thatalthough women’s rights are an integral part of Australian society, there are still many otherparts of the world where women are denied even the basics of human rights, it is a reminderto never stop fighting to empower women all over the world. On this exclusive event, therewere around 70 community leaders who attended the event, and WEL considers the event atremendous success, where the event gathered and encouraged a community of people whomall strive for the same vision; A world where rights are given out freely to each individual,where privilege is granted to every human being and not allocated on the basis of sex.

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