Some of the Wagar members after a skills training workshop. - Wagar group
The pride on the faces of Leena Al-Mujahed and Hasfa Khanom was unmistakable as they shared about the upcoming ERW (Empowering Refugee Women) Expo 2023, an event organised solely by refugee women to showcase, among others, their work in Malaysia.
Themed “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures: Showcasing the work of a consortium of eight refugee women-led groups in Kuala Lumpur”, the expo is part of the “Refugee Women and Girls – Key to the Global Compact on Refugees” project led the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.
“This expo was entirely thought up and organised by refugee women from eight groups in Malaysia: Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Myanmar, Somalia and Sudan,” says Leena, who is from Yemen.
“The women are all part of the Wagar (Women and Girls at Risk) group and they have worked hard to empower themselves through a series of projects they have been involved in through the years. The expo is our way of sharing their journey and showcasing their work.
“The expo will host a market with stalls selling goods made by the women, including cakes and craft, and also workshops: For example, if you want to learn a traditional dance from these communities, you will be able to do so at the expo,” she says.
The planning for the event began in August and the women even went for training on how to produce their own videos, the results of which will be showcased at the expo.
“There will also be a documentary screening, sharing of stories and experiences of these women in Malaysia,” adds Leena, 28, who has been in Malaysia since 2018.
Having gone through empowerment programmes, refugee women have become leaders in their community and the expo will highlight some of the work they have been doing, says Leena. - LEENA AL-MUJAHEDThe expo, which will be held on Nov 28 in Kuala Lumpur, has several aims: To advocate for gender equality, prevent gender-based violence and empower women through awareness-raising activities; to support and acknowledge the work of the refugee women who are taking on leadership roles in their communities and supporting their families; to raise funds and secure funding for future projects; and to explore work opportunities, taking into account employment restrictions because of their status as refugees.
“At the moment, Wagar projects are being funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and UNHCR. However, this funding will end this year and this expo is our way of finding potential funders,” says Leena, adding that the group is also supported by Universiti Malaya, the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network and Tenaganita.
The Wagar group is an empowerment group for refugee women who have experience sexual violence and has, since 2017, ran many programmes – such as skills building and education workshops – to empower women.
Women driving change
The overreaching aim of Wagar is to promote gender equality and drive positive change in the refugee communities through its women.
“Through these programmes, the women have become more self-confident. They have learnt about gender-based violence – its root causes as well as how they can protect themselves.
“They have become more empowered to go out and earn and provide for themselves and their families. And because of this, they are respected in their communities and by their husbands,” says Hasfa, 28, from Myanmar.
Some of the women have started successful pastry businesses after learning the skills required. - LEENA AL-MUJAHED
Many of the projects by the Wagar group were also initiated by the refugee women.
“Initally we attended programmes organised by various NGOs for women. But after some time, the women themselves said that they wanted to plan projects based on their own needs and so, for the past few years, the Wagar workshops and programmes have all been mooted by the refugee women. Being able to have their say has also been very empowering to them,” says Leena.
The women also go for language classes so that they will have basic communication skills to enable them to go about their daily lives easily.
Refugee women in the Wagar group meet three times a week and they are each other's support system, says Hasfa. - LOW LAY PHON/The Star“With basic language skills, they can go to the clinic and anywhere else and be able to communicate with anyone,” she says.
“The women meet three times weekly in their own respective communities,” explains Hasfa. “At the meetings, the women support one another and often share experiences with each other,” says Hasfa.
Leena adds: “In my community, there are about 20 women who own their own bakeries and businesses, making cakes, pastries and so on. Many are single mums, either divorced or widows, who have to rely on themselves to survive. The cakes and pastries they produce are amazing.”
The expo, adds Leena, will show the public how, despite their unfortunate circumstances, these refugee women are strong and able to be self-sufficient.
“The life of refugees are not easy and for these women who suffer gender-based violence it is even more challenging.
“But we are strong and we can build ourselves up. And that’s what we want to showcase. We are proud of what we have accomplished and with some support and funding, we will be able to do more,” she says.
Leena and Hafsa are women leaders in their community and along with six others, have led the organisation of the expo.
“It is going to be good because these women are amazing,” says Leena, a single mum from Yemen who has been in Malaysia for about three years.
“We want to show everyone what refugee women can do and what we are capable of.”
To find out more about the ERW Expo 2023 go to: erw-expo.com/ and to register for the expo go to: https://forms.gle/ExYPnJUZWTYMrg9s6
