by Sahar Foladi
This year’s Australian Day Honours List has awarded Gulghotai Bezhan for her services to the Afghan community in Victoria.
Founder and president of the Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria (AWOV) since 2009, Ms Bezhan – now named as an Order of Australia Medallist (OAM) – left behind her doctor’s degree attained in Kabul when she embarked on community work in Australia.
As she settled in Australia, she set her mind on the path she is on today to make real changes and differences.
“At the beginning we did volunteer work. We started with 10 women from Afghanistan and an Australian lady. It’s very big now.
“Every night I look forward to tomorrow.
“I told my mum this is similar to being a doctor.”
Now she has up to 10 paid staff working in her organisation as well as volunteers and also secured a grant to provide settlement services for new arrivals across the South East.
Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria provides everything Afghan women in the community need to settle and find their way in the county.
Something as simple as learning English to learn the names of vegetables, fruits and utensils in order to go shopping and communicate what they need.
There are also citizenship classes, knitting, various information sessions on family violence, childcare, health and facilities available to them in the community.
It also provides karate classes for young girls to be able to defend themselves when required. AWOV also helps parents to understand and bond with their children as they change within the new environment.
Ms Bezhan has literally saved lives when she took about 50 women from her organisation to do breast screening tests.
Out of the 50, two women were diagnosed with breast cancer and are undergoing treatment.
“One got a surgery and has started chemotherapy.
“I’m so glad we caught it on time otherwise it would’ve been too late for them.
“Its basic but it’s very important for them to know in their own language.”
She is not just making a difference here in Victoria but is also working tirelessly and under great risk in Afghanistan to run home-based school for girls under the rule of the Taliban.
After the Taliban came to power, one of the first things they banned was the education of young girls and women.
Despite the great risks involved, Ms Bezhan had her house in Afghanistan renovated to be used as a school for girls, who also risk their lives to attend, to lean and to laugh openly for some time.
“We renovated my house to run micro finance programs (inspired by her trip in India), sewing classes, cooking classes.
“It was a way for women to learn and earn small amounts of money through their small business.
“Since the Taliban has arrived, the sewing class is more popular.
“Even now in winter we normally shut down but because of Taliban the girls were interested to come to school and sewing class.
“The girls openly laugh and talk during these classes.”
Her advocacy and efforts to educate women and young girls may not be supported in Afghanistan, but they are supported here in Victoria, recognised and commended by all.
Her organisation has won many awards including the 2022 Victorian Honour Roll of Women and recognised in the business category at the Victorian Refugee Awards by Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).
