Farzana, a former refugee from Pakistan and member of the Hazara ethnic minority, dedicates herself to improving settlement, education and employment outcomes for culturally diverse communities in NSW.
Early in her career, Farzana was a Master Trainer with UNICEF in Pakistan, where she championed the Girl Child Initiative, focusing on girls' empowerment and human rights. Farzana faced challenges as an educated woman in Pakistan, and increasing discrimination forced her to seek refuge in Australia in 2010. In Australia, her multilingual abilities (in Hazaragi, Farsi, Dari, Urdu, Hindi and English) and expertise were recognised by Navitas Skilled Futures, where she progressed from a Program Administrator to Operations and Stakeholder Engagement Manager.
Farzana is now Program Manager with the Community Migrant Resource Centre, allowing her to further her commitment to refugee women and community development. Her firsthand experience helps her support newcomers facing the complexities of resettlement. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the Kateb Hazara Association, and a board member of Women’s Shed Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Multicultural Integration Community Support (MICS). She holds a Master of Business Administration from Western Sydney University.