Five women from multicultural communities have been recognised for their contributions to building the capacity of their own communities and to bolstering broader social cohesion.
The AMES Australia 'Women of Impact' initiative, now in its third year, recognises grass roots community leaders who are making a difference in the lives of members of their communities.
Coinciding with International Women's Day, the initiative is aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.
This year's 'Women of Impact' are:
Maru Jarocky is a leader in the Australian Ukrainian community.
An architect and artist, she is part of a group raising funds for Ukraine and supporting Ukrainians who have arrived in Melbourne since the Russian invasion.
Maru was also a driving force behind the creation of the Ukrainian museum and gallery in North Melbourne.
Palwashi Aslami is a champion of women's sport. She has a passion for encouraging women and girls from culturally diverse communities, especially those from her own Afghan community, to play sport.
As an Under-15 girls' soccer coach, she is shaping a generation of aspiring players.
Informed by her own experience and journey, she has set out to attract more women and girls to join the world game.
Khadija Karimi is an Afghan refugee who volunteers with AMES Australia as a way of giving back to the country that gave her refuge when she had to flee the Taliban's takeover of her homeland.
Sponsored by her sister and brother-in-law, both doctors working in regional Victoria, she arrived in Australia in 2005.
Khadija has been a dedicated AMES Volunteer Tutor at the Dandenong site for 18 years, beginning her service in 2008. She is deeply loved and respected by students and teachers alike for her kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to helping others.
Dr Batool Albatat came to Australia with her family as an 11-year-old, fleeing the Gulf War. Place
After being rescued from a foundering vessel in the Indian Ocean, the Albatats were eventually accepted by Australia as refugees.
Today, Dr Albatat is giving back to the community that welcomed her. After working as a surgical resident at Melbourne's Northern Hospital, she is currently practising as a GP in Melbourne. She is passionate about community health and is committed to improving health literacy within diverse communities.
She recently launched social media platforms dedicated to sharing health education and awareness in both English and Arabic.
Joselyne Majambere, is a Burundian community leader in Mildura. She helped establish Food Next Door, a social enterprise which allows members of local African communities grow their own food.
The 'Food Next Door' garden is a place where people can meet and support each other. Joselyne has also established a choir in Mildura which performs regularly.
The initiative also recognised, for the first time, a 'male champion of changs' in Jun Bin Lee.
Jun is a writer and creative producer who works across theatre, music and animation.
In his work, Jun often engages with issues of gender, power and social justice, including within the Prevention of Violence Against Women (PVAW) space.
He has developed animated video series that engage migrant and refugee communities in conversations about positive male role models.
And his original musicals examine gender-based violence, institutional failure and everyday systems that shape power and silence.
AMES Australia Chair Vanda Fortunato said the 'Women of Impact' initiative was aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.
“These are women from multicultural communities who are making significant contributions to their own communities and to broader social cohesion,” Ms Fortunato said.
“It is important to recognise women who are doing great things, but we also need men to join the journey in achieving true gender equity,” she said.
“The women we are celebrating come from a range of backgrounds, fields of endeavour and locations but they all have in common the fact they are making a difference in other people's lives.
“And we are recognising them in conjunction with International Women's Day, which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.
“As a way of promoting a fresh paradigm and new ways of thinking, we are also recognising a man who has been a champion of change,” Ms Fortunato said.