Founder and president of the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Association, Rita Anwari, fled a war-torn Afghanistan for Australia 30 years ago, and she’s helped others like her ever since.
Ms Anwari fled to Melbourne in 1993, before moving to Logan where she began her career empowering women like her.
She said she was born into a well educated family in Afghanistan, but they were forced to flee during the civil war.
“I have experienced the trauma of war,” Ms Anwari said.
“It wasn’t pleasant, and that’s why I’m trying to help women like me – I understand them because I experienced the same thing in my life.”
She said leaving her home was “not an easy task”.
“It’s not an easy task for anyone, because you leave your country not because you want to, but because you’re forced to,” she said.
“And as a refugee, you don’t feel welcome because you don’t speak the language or know anything about the environment or culture – everything is new, especially for people coming from Afghanistan.
“I have been on this journey and I know how tough it is, and I don’t want another woman to have the same experience.”
Ms Anwari founded the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Association in 2017 to help woman find education, employment, resettlement and safety, and to make assimilation into Australia an “easier journey”.
The organisation has helped thousands of Afghan and culturally diverse women in Logan to become independent and empowered.
She said one of her proudest moments was on 15 August 2021 – the day the Taliban captured Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.
“I managed to get over 600 families out of Afghanistan after that,” Ms Anwari said.
“And now they call Australia home.
“We’ve got a couple of hundred of them in Queensland and some of them are in Logan.
“They couldn’t find a job in Australia, but now, 80% of those woman have a house and 99% of those woman are driving.”
Her organisation makes impacts all around the world, and Ms Anwari said she loves what she does and she loves doing it in Australia.
“I can’t ask for anything better,” she said.
“Because when you help someone, you feel comfortable when you sleep at night.
“Australia is the country – this is a big honour and I can’t ask for anything more.”
