Migrant women lead Project Sitara's family violence prevention work
Project Sitara trains trusted women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to spot and handle family violence in Victoria.
Project Sitara recruits trusted community members from migrant and refugee backgrounds to help women facing family violence. Project Sitara members are safety helpers.
The name means star in Hindi and Urdu. Project Sitara members speak the women's languages and understand their cultures.
Chitra, an Indian community member, recently helped a woman escape an abusive husband by driving her to safety. Police then connected the woman with family violence services Safe Steps and Orange Door.
The woman has since built her confidence and left the relationship. Project Sitara has been running for four years through family violence organisation GenWest.
It recently won charitable funding from the Minderoo Foundation to expand to more migrant and refugee communities across Victoria. The program trains community leaders on safety regularly.
It gives them tools to help women navigate Australia's family violence system.
- Four years through GenWest
- Years operating
- Sitara means star in Hindi and Urdu
- Word meaning
- Melbourne's western suburbs and Victoria
- Service region
Why it mattersWomen from migrant backgrounds often face isolation. They may distrust authorities. Community-led help can reach them earlier and more safely.
AustraliaVictorian project model offers new approach to preventing family violence in Australian migrant and refugee communities.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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