The CALD communities Taskforce, through Multicultural Affairs at the Department of Premier and Cabinet had a project to provide funding to enable multicultural organizations to partner with the government to deliver emergency relief and directly engage with communities impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this funding is to provide immediate and crucial support to the multicultural community organization to enable engagement and stronger connections with their communities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Based on the community’s needs, Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV) had started providing emergency relief support with the help of local churches and councils since last week of March and about 500 students were able to receive support before we received COVID impact support from DPC. As an effort from our team during this COVID crisis, we were able to secure some funding from the Victorian Government to continue our work to help the vulnerable and most affected members of our community.

To start with the project plan, we took a request from you to be able to help you based on the project plan through Google form (need identification) and 1045 had registered within a period of 10 days. Based on the guidelines of funding and plan, we reached out to more people as well as provided various forms of supports, such as:

Sharing available resources and referrals

Provision of food relief and sanitizing items to vulnerable population

Health and wellbeing (online sessions on meditation, yoga and building resilience on mental health)

Capacity building and linkages

The interaction programs were organised as per feedback from Google form and with a particular aim to support the needy in any way possible to facilitate service as required. Some sessions organized via zoom were as follows:

Interaction Program (to understand their current issues and for them to know about DBSV programs for students, and recognize areas of support DBSV can provide)

Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation (Every Thursday for 8 weeks – aimed at improving physical and mental wellbeing)

Mental Health Support on 30 Oct 2020 (aimed at facilitating the service access and providing opportunity to directly interact with the mental health professional during the session)

How Northern Community Legal Centre can support you? on 06 Nov 2020 (to explore how the Northern community Legal center can support international students)

Therefore, the individuals and families who reached out to us through the online form accessed emergency relief (provision of food relief and sanitizing items to vulnerable population) along with information, education, and linkages to the other support system and groups. Through DPC funding, we were able to support additional 1045 students.

Thank you for your support.

Images from interaction programs:

DBSV organized a handover program in the park on 29 Nov 2020 to give (virtually) AUD 4,000 raised to support victim-survivors of family violence in Nepal and coincided with the occasion of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

In the last five DBSV Teej programs, the entry fee that was collected creatively used to support to meet the needs of women and girls who are victim-survivors of sexual assault/family violence in the Mid-Western part of Nepal. The amount was varying every year with the highest of AUD 4000 sent last year. This year we were expecting to send $5000, but sadly it deemed impossible to celebrate our Teej due to the current restrictions imposed with the COVID pandemic. Consequently, recent data in Nepal showed a significant increase in sexual violence during this pandemic requiring even more urgent support. Therefore, we felt even more obliged to fulfill our commitment to support.

Amidst Stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne this year, we tried to use an alternative source to raise funds and reaching out to you all with the special request to expand your generous heart and support our commitments of helping those women and girls. With your support, we generated over AUD 3,500 for this noble cause over the month of September and October from members, patrons, and well-wishers who gifted us this Teej with generous donations.

For more information, check facebook Live:

From the past few years, Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV) has been organising mother’s day dinner with an aim to promote “self-love, self-care, self believe and self-respect” for Nepalese migrant women living in Victoria.

Like last year, over 70 beautiful strong ladies came together to celebrate motherhood. It was a huge success not just in terms of crowd, but also in terms of support, strength and experience shared among each other.

During the program, DBSV president Jamuna Parajuli strongly urged women by asking to  “be you sometimes which is very important and remember do not dim your lights to fit in others shine bright’’. One of the senior mothers also shared her valuable insight on life: “Don’t give the remote of your life to other’s hand , control your own life’s remote”.

The program also included some gift hampers,  poems reading and singing on motherhood celebration. Ladies from 18 to 70 years old enjoyed the event thoroughly with all smiles and laughter throughout the evening. The dinner was organised at Crown Melbourne on 9th May 2019.

Check more photos on our gallery

This year Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria has changed its modalities to raise the awareness about Gender-based violence through the use of social media. I would like to thanks everyone from the bottom of my heart who have participated in the campaign.

We know Violence against women is serious and pernicious. It ruins lives, breaks up families and has lasting negative impacts. It is very common in across the culture and communities. It is not only the problem of women, it is problem of our family, it is problem of our society, and it is a problem of our nation. All forms of violence against women are unacceptable, in any community and in any culture. It is everyone responsibility to reject and prevent violence.

It’s very sad to know that, 73 % of Australian women experienced more than one incident of violence in their life; it is even more in Aboriginal community and other multicultural ethnic communities such as ours. While violence against women is highly prevalent and serious, it is also preventable.

Nearly all Australians (98%) recognise that violence against women is a crime. The prevalence of violence, however, continues to be unacceptably high.

Violence not only affects the victim themselves but the children who are exposed to it, their extended families, their friend, their work colleague and ultimately the broader community. This occurs across the Australian community.

Research says women experience an average of 35 incidents of domestic violence before reporting an incident to the police. Here we can easily imagine the devastating effect of violence in women’s mental health.

Data: *Gender inequality is cited as key determinates or factor that underpin violence against women

– It has been perceived that it’s hard to stop because it is hard to report –

– Around the world at least one in three women are affected by family violence.

– Many times women’s self-esteem is so low as a result of spouse abuse, they are unable to see themselves as worthy of seeking help.

– The effect of domestic violence on our society are obviously enormous but are impossible to measure. Our entire nation suffers. You can see the effects everywhere. A person’s spirit is priceless and a broken spirit cost more than can be measured in dollars.

– 76% of DV violence repeat

– 1in 5 Australian women have experienced sexual violence

– 1 in 6 women physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner

– 1in 3 Australian women had experienced physical violence

– 1 in 4 Australian women had experienced emotional abuse.

– 73% of Australian women experienced more than one incident of violence.

The national plan to reduce violence against women and children 2010 -2022- which strongly focus on prevention. It is first to look for long-term, building a respectful relationship and working to increase gender equality to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. It is the first to focus on holding perpetrators accountable and encourage behaviour change.

Everyone regardless of their age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, culture, disability, religious belief, faith, linguistic background or location, has right to be safe and live in an environment that is free from violence.

Sustainable changes must be built on community participation by men and women taking responsibility for the problem and solutions. A successful anti-violence strategy requires a community-wide vision, with strong and committed local and organisational leadership. Promoting community involvement; focus on primary prevention and advancing gender equality.

Thank you

On behalf of the entire team at the Consulate General of Nepal to Victoria Office, I would like to extend its compliments and congratulations to Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV) for their valuable work in uniting Victoria’s Nepalese and wider communities for women empowerment.

It is wonderful to see such a dedicated and inspiring working community group lead the march for such a noble cause, especially at regular community programs in which the Consulate General of Nepal to Victoria Office is honoured and proud to be part.

We express our deepest appreciation to DBSV, for their continuous leadership in promoting women empowerment, and we wholeheartedly stand with you under the slogan, “Women rights are human rights.”

All the best and looking forward to seeing the organisation continue to grow and take part in the next level.

Chandra Yonzon
Hon. Consul General of Nepal to Victoria

A joint TEEZ program brought to you by DidiBahiniSamaj Victoria and Nepalese Association of Victoria. Through this program, we believe in preserving the culture and reserving home.

The event will take place on 1st September 2018 at Estonian House, 43 Melville Road, West Brunswick 3055.

Request you all to attend the event.

The IWD 2018 was celebrated with global theme “Press for Progress”. There is a strong call to action to press for progress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive(www.internationalwomensday.com).

Being a women’s only organization celebration of IWD is a great cause and motivation for Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV).

Objectives of the program
• The major objective of the day was to inform, encourage and provide motivation, moral and social support to Nepalese women to exercise their potential to reach the economic, social, cultural and political success in line with theme of IWD 2018.

• Provide platform to share and celebrate achievement Nepalese women are making in this new land.

Activities Details

The program commenced with welcome speech from MS Parajuli, president of DBSV followed by best wishes from chief Guest Mr Yonzon, consulate General of Nepal to Victoria. Ms Parajuli shared her experience and joy of her recognition as a recipient of Multicultural Excellence Award by Moreland city council 2018, an inspiration to Nepalese women to further their milestone in this new home.

The program was able to bring out the issues that are unique to migrant Nepalese women of Victoria via a short role play and news headlines. Nepalese women are facing the burden of dual role player as a mother, care taker and family bread winner here in Australia.

The program has also provided some fun and refreshment activities to the community by various cultural music mainly related to women’s empowerment such as ‘Jaga Jaga Nari’with group dance.
Basic circus show performed by Women’s circus group was also enjoyed by observer.

In collaboration with women’s circus, DBSV very successfully concluded social circus program along with Nepal Australia circus community day yesterday, after three weeks of social circus workshop for Nepalese women ‘Be the best women’s group’. Through this very interesting program we learnt new skills and many tips for our mind- body fitness which can be used in daily basis in our home, family and community.
The program was very innovative and creative with the application of social circus approach that was underpinned by a broad theme of DBSV women’s capacity and confidence building. All women who participated had unique experiences of learning new skills that never known before, leading to build their confidence

In addition, it was a great opportunity for DBSV to establishing working relationships with Women’s circus and knowing the story of Kathmandu circus; formed by our own brave women. We are really grateful and thankful to Women’s circus for their incredible contributions and generosity to our women’s group and we are also thankful to Sarswati and Sheetal, very brave and inspiring women from Kathmandu circus. It was really great to meet them here in Australia. Thank you those who participated in the program.