Get to know Multicultural Hub Canberra's Women's Service!

We are proud to be offering one of the only services in our region dedicated to multicultural women, building connections to community and linking women to other services they might need.

To get to know the service and how you can get engaged, we sat down with Managing Director, Zakia Patel.

Zakia, what is the Multicultural Women's Service? What services/support does it offer?  The Multicultural Women's Service aims to support women across the ACT and South-east NSW. This service supports all women from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Some of the services provided include personal assistance, information and referrals, networking opportunities and group activities, as well as community development opportunities. A key element of the Multicultural Women's Service is that it is also an outreach service, where support workers can go and meet women in a setting where they feel safe and comfortable. 

Why is it important to have a service specifically for multicultural women?  The Multicultural Women's Service is an integral support service in the community. It provides a safe space for CALD women to receive confidential support with any issues that they may be facing, as well as an opportunity to link in with other women in the wider community.

For many new migrant women, outside of their partners and immediate family, they have very limited social networks and the Multicultural Women's Service provides this to them.  In addition to this, the Multicultural Women's Service provides women with information about their legal rights in Australia, and information on how to stay safe and seek support and assistance if needed.  What are some of the ways that the service has been able to support women since it has been operating? Any highlights/positive stories to include?  The Multicultural Women's Service provides a link to other services offered in the Multicultural Hub Canberra, such as settlement services, youth and family support, employment and community development. 

We also host social gatherings, including a weekly craft meet-up in Queanbeyan. If there are other activities that women are interested in, we'd love to hear about them!

How can women access the service? 

Women can access this service by either emailing zakia@mhub.org.au or contacting Zakia (Director for Multicultural Women's Service) on 0417 550 143