Donate one hour of your pay to help women get their independence
ARRIVING in Auburn from Afghanistan three years ago as a refugee with her mother and four younger siblings 20-year-old Nasima Esmaeli admits it was “very challenging”.
“I didn’t have enough English and I couldn’t really understand what people were saying,” she said.
“It was a wholly different environment.”
Aged 17, she spent a year in a language school before going on to tackle Year 11 and 12, and has just begun a Business Administration course at Macquarie University. She is also learning to become a swim coach.
Helping her find her path, she said a visit organised by Auburn Diversity Services Inc (ADSi), to non-profit organisation Dress For Success gave her the confidence and skills needed to land her first job, working as a retail assistant at a shop in Newtown.
“Dress for Success was very helpful for me,” she said.
“It was more than just clothes. I had no idea about interview skills and making a resume and they helped with all of that and more.”
In recognition of International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, Dress for Success is calling on both men and women to give one hour of their pay to help set a woman on the path to success, employment and financial independence.
Through their Empower Hour campaign (#empowerhour), people can help to achieve economic independence and get back into the workforce.
