Description:
The
project began in 2002 when members of the
Auckland Club made contact with the local
Shakti Women’s Resource Centre and
became aware of the issues facing refugee
and migrant women as they tried to settle
into a new way of life in New Zealand.
The
methodology was based on the importance
of first hearing from refugee and migrant
women about their own needs (with the use
of interpreters if required). It was then
necessary to ensure that any projects to
improve the status of refugee and migrant
women were driven by the people affected,
with BPW providing appropriate support and
transfer of skills and resources.
At
meetings at the Shakti Centre, the women
themselves identified the difficulties they
faced in a new country. These included learning
to speak English and shopping for food when
they could not understand the labels on
food packages. They also did not know what
to do with the unfamiliar New Zealand foods
they saw in food markets and wanted to cook
local food, especially for their children
attending local schools.
BPW NZ Pg.1.of 4
Objective:
The
aim of the project was to build bridges
of tolerance and peace by assisting local
refugee and migrant women to resettle in
the New Zealand community.
Cooking
Classes
Members of the Auckland Club organised
cooking classes for the women which also
provided them with an opportunity to practice
their English language in a safe environment.
In
this way it is estimated more than 30 refugee
and migrant women were directly helped to
improve their English language skills, to
shop independently and provide nutritious
New Zealand meals for their families.
National
Conference Workshops
The 2003 BPW New Zealand National Conference
was held in Auckland in May 2003. The theme
was ‘A World of Peace’. BPW
New Zealand has historically been comprised
of white middle-class business and professional
women.
During
planning for Conference, the Auckland Club
representative described their project and
it was decided to focus the six conference
workshops on resettlement issues for refugee
and migrant women.
Speakers
included representatives from various governmental
and non-governmental agencies working in
the refugee and migrant area, together with
refugee and migrant women themselves sharing
their own personal experiences.
The
workshops were attended by approximately
150 women and were followed by an evening
cultural performance from various refugee
and migrant womens’ groups, as a celebration
of peace and cultural diversity.
Follow-up
Workshop
Following Conference, representatives of
local refugee and migrant women and BPW
members held a workshop to develop practical
community group project ideas to support
and advance the integration of refugee and
migrant women into New Zealand society.
Ideas from this workshop were included in
the booklet (see below) and circulated to
all BPW Clubs and other community groups.
Resource
Booklet
Following on from the conference, a publication
entitled ‘Resettlement Issues for
Refugee and Migrant Women’ based on
taped sessions of the conference workshops,
and the community group project workshop
ideas, was compiled by members of the Franklin
and Tamaki BPW Clubs.
The
booklet was launched for national release
by the BPW national president Anita Devcich
on International Women’s Day 2004,
at a celebration and seminar in Auckland
at a local Maori meeting house, the Ruapotaka
Marae. Approximately 35 women participated
in the event.
This
gave the BPW Clubs of the Auckland region
the opportunity to establish connections
with tangata whenua women (indigenous Maori
women) and celebrate recent achievements
in the area of education and well-being
for their community. For many of the BPW
members present, it was their first visit
to a marae. BPW NZ Pg.2.of 4
The
Booklet has been registered with the National
Library of New Zealand and is in high demand
from individuals, Government agencies, civic
libraries, universities, technical institutes
and non-government organizations to use
as a resource for their work with refugee
and migrant women in New Zealand. To date
21 organizations have obtained copies and
orders continue to come in. If each one
uses the information to help just 15 women,
at least 315 women will have been assisted
through use of the booklet.
Translations of the BPW NZ brochure
Following on from the launch of the booklet,
local BPW members present at the marae held
workshops to consider how they could best
establish direct connections with local
refugee and migrant women at a grassroots,
community level and maintain links with
the marae.
As
a first step, our BPW NZ membership brochure
was translated into 4 different languages
– Maori, Samoan, Chinese and Arabic
- so that refugee and migrant women had
a basis for understanding what our organisation
was about. BPW Clubs are now using the translated
brochures to actively seek members from
other ethnic groups who live in their locality.
As an example, Auckland BPW now includes
members from 13 different ethnic and cultural
groups.
The
establishment of direct connections was
intended to enable a transfer of skills
and resources from BPW members to local
refugee and migrant women. Transfer of skills
was seen as fulfilling the aims of our international
organisation, promoting peace in our community
and encouraging a much greater awareness
of cultural diversity within our community.
Migrant
women’s cooking classes
One of the issues reconfirmed at the 2003
National Conference workshops was the desire
by refugee and migrant women to develop
social skills, often being isolated in their
homes, gaining skills in sourcing and cooking
local ingredients and dishes and gaining
skills in speaking English with native speakers
(English is New Zealand’s predominant
language of communication).
A pilot
project, based on the model developed with
the Shakti Women’s Resource Centre
in 2002, was established between BPW Auckland
and local Burmese refugee women in May 2004.
The project was coordinated by two Auckland
yBPW members, Amanda Aye(Burmese) and Elena
Fowler(New Zealand) and involved the establishment
of ongoing joint cooking classes held at
the Ruapotaka Marae over a number of months.
Together the Burmese women and BPW members
agree what ingredients are needed, buy them
from a local supermarket and cook the dish
for the day. As shopping skills develop,
that part of the class is no longer necessary.
Each month the Burmese women decide what
they want to learn.
BPW
NZ Pg.3.of 4
The
purpose of the cooking classes is threefold:
(a) |
To enable BPW members
to share with the Burmese refugee
women their methods of cooking and
sourcing local ingredients within
their neighbourhood |
(b) |
Providing a forum whereby Burmese
women could regularly practice English
skills with native English speakers |
(c) |
Providing a regular monthly point
of social contact for Burmese women |
10
women participated in the classes and the
project has proved to be a very practical
and fun way to help build relationships
of trust, improve English language and communication
skills and promote peace, tolerance and
friendship in the community.
Results:
It
is estimated that to date more than 540
women have been assisted in their efforts
to resettle in New Zealand as a result of
this project.
Local
BPW clubs in Auckland are beginning to established
direct working relationships with both the
tangata whenua women of New Zealand and
local refugee and migrant women. Since the
project began, clubs have also gained new
BPW members from amongst local refugee and
migrant groups, making for a more culturally
diverse organisation.
The project has helped to break through
cultural barriers at many levels and foster
a spirit of peace, tolerance and harmony
within the Auckland community between women
of different backgrounds.
In
May 2004, the project received a personal
citation from the New Zealand Government
Race Relations Conciliator for positive
contributions in race relations.
Project
Team:
Since
2002, the project team include:
-
Anita Devcich. (BPW New Zealand, President)
- Penny Stevens (BPW Auckland, President)
- Moira McLean (BPW Tamaki, President)
- Rosalie McKenzie (BPW Franklin, President)
- Catherine Webster (BPW Hibiscus Coast,
President )
Evidence:
• |
“Resettlement
Issues for Refugee and Migrant Women”,
published by NZ Federation of Business
and Professional Women, 2004. |
• |
Photos
of the cooking classes. |
• |
On the
Bright Side, May 2004, publication
of the Human Rights Commission in
New Zealand, including citation for
BPW NZ. |
Last
update: year 2005 |
