Narges Ander is standing in a kitchen bank, adding the final touches to an elaborate white cake, specially designed for eid-al-fitr celebrations.
“The pattern I have used around the cake is the very traditional Islamic art designed around the eid theme, including the form of the moon,” he said.
EID is a busy time for the mother of two children who runs a home business called Sweets for Narges, producing a variety of delicious treats.
“In EID, sharing is done through food. It is a way of showing love, appreciation and affection. So having a cake that everyone enjoys at the same time is a wonderful blessing,” he said.
One of Narges Eid’s thematic cakes walk. Fountain: SBS / Spencer Austad
‘Sad and discouraging’
While Ander cakes can be sweet, feel a deep bitterness about the difficult situation of .
In the three years since UNICEF estimates that around 2.2 million girls have been affected.
“It is very sad and very discouraging to see that women and girls are forced to leave their finished half education,” he said.
“For new generations, it means that they will not be able to live their dream of becoming a doctor or lawyer.”
Narges walking supports efforts to educate girls online in Afghanistan. Fountain: SBS / Spencer Austad
It is one of the reasons why walk supports online education for girls in Afghanistan.
“I constantly see images on girls’ social networks in Afghanistan crying because they cannot finish their studies or are fighting financially,” he said.
“If a woman is the only family income, and has no male guardian, how should she support her family?
“So, my husband and I try to do our part whenever possible for these women who want to have some education. It could be something as simple as learning English.”
Decades have passed since walking fled from the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, with his family, traveling with donkeys in Pakistan. However, memories remain vivid.
At the end of the 1980s, the Russian forces had retired from Afghanistan, but the country’s conflict continued furious.
Narges Ander (left) when he was a child in Afghanistan with his brother and sister. Fountain: Supplied / Narges walking
“I remember that when I was a child seeing the illuminated skies and thinking they were fireworks. But the strong bangs was not fireworks, but something more scary. It was bombardment,” Ander said.
“So we escaped from Afghanistan by road. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the driver of our bus fell asleep and ran to the back of a truck.
“Many people were injured and the driver died. We were sitting in the middle of the bus and my family was seriously injured.
“I had broken teeth and a broken leg and my dad broke her hip.
“After that, we stayed in Pakistan for two years until we were approved for Australia with a refugee humanitarian visa.”
The data of the United Nations High Commissioner Office for refugees suggest that by the end of 2025, more than 139.3 million people are expected to be displaced by force or become stateless worldwide.
Dr. Parisa Glass is the co -founder of the Inclusion Access Initiative of the University of NSW that works to create an inclusive support ecosystem for women from forced migration environments. Fountain: SBS / Sandra Fulon
‘It felt as if the doors of hell were opened’
Dr. Parisa Glass is an academic based in Sydney dedicated to improving the results for women looking for security in Australia.
“Forced migration occurs for many reasons. It could be war, the violation of human rights or even climate change,” he said.
Glass directs Jeina, an initiative to include justice funded by the University of NSW that creates roads for displaced women. The name is derived from a word kurda that means life giver.
“Jeina began in 2022 after the lifting of women in Iran campaigning for their rights. It was at that time Due to the elections of his clothes, “he said.
“We do not want that to happen, so it is justice for women wherever they are.”
Dr. Parisa Glass is also a refugee from Iran, after having fled her homeland when she was a teenager. He participated in a recent Jeina discussion panel for International Women’s Day. Fountain: Supplied / UNSW JEINA
Glass is also a refugee from Iran, who fled his homeland when he was a teenager.
“I remember being very young and having men around our house, singing that they want to kill my father and other Baháʼí in the community,” he said.
“It feels as if the doors of hell opened, and a lot of hostility against minorities.”
Glass escaped with his family, was taken by the smuggers of people through the border to Pakistan, and finally arrived in Sydney in 1988.
“Upon arriving in Australia, I had no network. We had many financial problems such as newcomers and I had to make my own way and also support my family,” he said.
Glass expects Jeina to relieve the transition to others like her.
“Help overcome barriers such as finding employment and problems such as domestic violence, which affects the forced communities of migrants, migrants and refugees, as well as mental health problems.”
She said she has connected hundreds of women with broader networks so far and hopes to expand even more.
“UNSW has a massive tutoring network. We want women to take advantage of that and hope that the industry will associate with us to build even bigger networks in the future.”
Narges Ander said the world needs much more love and kindness at this time. Fountain: SBS / Spencer Austad
For the first time in decades, three main religions: Christianity, Islam and faith bahá’í) observed their sacred periods of fasting simultaneously.
As Ramadan concludes this weekend, he hopes that women from everywhere share the EID message.
“It is a time to be grateful and appreciate what you have, be it the food we eat that we take for granted or even a sip of water.
“And the world needs much more love and kindness at this time.”
