AWAU forms new, independent organisation.

The African Women’s Advocacy Unit (AWAU) was formed by ANCORW as a project to provide training and mentoring in employment, advocacy and leadership skills to women of African background. In mid 2010, AWAU formed an independent organisation with its own constitution, namely, African Women Australia. This is a major cause for celebration and a perfect end for a project aimed at empowerment of women through building on their extensive skills and knowledge.

Below is a report of the launch of the newly independent organisation from the co-chair, Olivia Wellesley-Cole.



AFRICAN WOMEN AUSTRALIA LAUNCH – 21 June 2010

The launch of African Women Australia (AWAU) Inc took place on the 21^st of June 2010 at Parramatta Town Hall, NSW. This organisation has grown out of the African Women’s Advocacy Unit (also AWAU), a project of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCORW) which was started 5 years ago. The launch of AWAU Inc was a fitting end to a successful program initiated to assist African women from refugee background to gain information, knowledge and skills for sustainable representation in the Australian political and social environment, and it has resulted in a new organisation for African women migrants and refugees resettling in Australia.

It was a wonderful night.

Some 20 women graduated from the program that night and received their certificates from the state member for Parramatta the Hon. Tanya Gadiel. There was an air of auspicious timing about this event – it was held in refugee week, and also in the year of women in Local Government.

The room was filled with graduates, their families and friends, alumnae and other supporters of the program since its inception in 2005. We were told that 140 women had gone through the program over the past 5 years showing the significance of the program on the lives of many women.

The ANCORW board was represented by Olivia Wellesley-Cole - vice-chairperson, Astrid Perry – AWAU/ANCORW liaison and Tenneh Kpaka – alumna graduate from the 1st group. Of the three ANCORW board members who initiated the project (Juliana Nkrumah, Carol Shaw and Olivia Wellesley-Cole) only Carol was unable to attend and other AWAU graduates who had been on ANCORW board for some time in the past 5 years such as Liliane Lukoki and Nava Malula were also present.

The project had been funded over the past 5 years from the Settlements Grants Program of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and it was pleasing to have a speech by their representative Cathy Milne. Also active in the program was Melissa Monteiro of the Hills Holroyd Parramatta MRC where AWAU now has its office.

It was a great opportunity to celebrate the birth of a new organisation that has evolved from the work of ANCORW. While ANCORW works with and for women who are or have been refugees (and their families), AWAU has a different set of client customers in which any woman from an African country can join AWAU Inc and participate in the training.

The birth of AWAU Inc now enables ANCORW to look to the next part of our long-term mentoring project – working with women from other communities of refugee and humanitarian entrants to assist them in identifying their place in Australia.

We wish African Women Australia (AWAU) Inc good luck and long life!