For women fleeing domestic violence, some of the hardest things to leave behind are the social and familial connections – especially for migrant women, who find themselves suddenly alone in an unfamiliar country.
A Diwali event in Noble Park aimed to counter that by providing an opportunity for women to celebrate and enjoy one of the most joyous events on the South Asian calendar in a safe, women-only space.
The intimate celebration, held on Saturday 19 October, was organised by Inspire, an arm of InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence.
Women were invited to come along with their children to enjoy face painting for kids, candle decorations, a photo booth, dances and an Indian feast.
“It was quite intimate. It was really a day for mothers and children; we sat together and shared a meal and talked and laughed,” said chief executive officer of InTouch, Michal Morris.
“Everyone got involved in the activities and was open to talking to people they didn’t know. They dressed up and they came to celebrate.”
The Diwali event was also special as it marked the first activity organised by InSpire.
“When we set up InSpire we spoke to many ex-clients and community members to find out what our purpose and role should be, and found that one of the loneliest times was around community festivals and feeling safe enough to celebrate festivals, so that’s why we knew we had to provide an opportunity to have one,” Ms Morris said.
Just under half of InTouch’s clients are on some sort of temporary visa, she added, meaning that when they leave a relationship due to violence, they often lose any social and familial connections they have in the country and have to start from scratch to rebuild their lives.
Ash, a project worker who helped organise the event and who has lived experience of violence, said she could recall the feelings of isolation she faced during various stages of her journey.
“Thinking back to festivals, it was a low period of my own journey. It was really awful to not be part of something anymore.”
She joined the organising team for the Diwali event, keen to create “a festival for people to come together with food and music, that felt authentic and still held a lot of value in terms of how they celebrated back home.”
Ash said that many of the guests thanked her afterwards and told her the celebration had been exactly what they needed – a bit of a breather in amongst their struggles and a way of meeting people going through a similar experience.
“‘Living in an unknown country, an event like this makes me feel I am part of the family. I feel accepted,” one guest said.
Ash said the event was empowering for the women who attended.
“It brought people together and when you’re in a room of people with similar backgrounds and journeys, it’s this whole foundation of strength.”
“It was amazing to see them have a good time without thinking about it,” she said.
Anyone interested in finding out more about InSpire or donating can go to Intouch.org.au/inspire.
If this story brings up any issues for you, you can call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
