Kenyan- born, young Sunshine leader Kauthar Abdulalim is out to inspire the next generation of young Muslim women. The 24-year-old talks to Ben Cameron about her own struggles adapting to Australian society and finding her identity.
You moved to Australia 10 years ago from Kenya – what brought you here?
We basically came because they (my parents)wanted us to get exposure to good education here, and also a change of environment and culture.
Was it difficult at first?
It was tough for the family to understand the culture. Everything was new. (Migrant) parents can be over-protective of their children because they’re scared. But it’s not so scary out there – we share common values.
What about you personally?
I think the main struggle was my whole identity – I felt I was different. Even though it’s a multicultural society, I still felt different. That kind of changed later.
What helped the change?
Going to university – you have people from different backgrounds, and people are more open to learn about each other. Identifying myself was important; I had to find myself first before I could share myself with the world.
I have a mixed cultural background. I always struggled with my identity. I have a mixture of Indian, African and I became an Australian citizen. It was like: “Okay, what am I really?” On top of that I’m a Muslim, which is a whole other identity to deal with.
It took me a really long time to be comfortable with who I am.
You founded Her Project Inc last year – how did that come about?
We realised there was a lack of activities for young Muslim women. We’re looking at teenagers between the ages of 11 and 15. There were a lot of events for women aged 18 plus, but nothing for the younger women. We wanted to start educating young women about leadership and empowerment, so they can be proud of who they are, proud of their identity and have confidence. We’re looking to work with 20 girls to start with for a year-long program next year.
How do you think Muslims are portrayed in the media?
The classic one is that Muslim women are oppressed – Muslim women are not empowered, they’re not leaders, they’re basically second-class citizens. I feel like I need to show the world Muslim women can be leaders, and they’re not oppressed, whether they wear the hijab or not, the face veil or not … we’re not what the media portrays us to be.
What do you love about living in Sunshine?
What I love is the diverse community … I’ve just seen growth in lots of different cultures.
Where do you like to go locally to relax?
I love go to Village Cinemas and catch a Bollywood movie once in awhile. There are some really nice restaurants as well, and new cafes opening up … and the library, it’s central.
Find out more at: www.herproject.org.au
