International Women’s Day will highlight the many ways women inspire change at the of communities.
For social justice advocate Tasneem Chopra, the inspiration needed to overhaul the barriers to change comes from tackling the stereotyping that puts people “in boxes”.
Stereotyping is her speciality; both those doing the typecasting and those who accept the labels have her attention.
“I was female, over 35, brown, short, Muslim and with a headscarf,” she recounts in a YouTube clip that has been viewed by thousands of people.
“I was off the charts on the radar … but I owned it. I owned that difference because it gave me avenues to platforms I wouldn’t have previously had.”
Chopra is one of a growing number of Muslim women from around Melbourne who are actively engaging the broader community about Islam and the rights of Muslim women.
She chairs the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre For Human Rights, is an ambassador for Possible Dreams International, heads the board of Lentil As Anything and was the 2013 Australian Muslim Achievement Awards woman of the year. She is also curator of the
Faith, Fashion, Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia exhibition at the Immigration Museum.
Working as an independent cross-cultural consultant, Ms Chopra presents workshops on race, identity and diversity to a range of audiences, including Supreme Court judges, police officers, church groups and students.
She will speak at Hume council’s 2014 International Women’s Day event next Wednesday, headlining at a municipality that epitomises multicultural Melbourne.
Hume mayor Casey Nunn said International Women’s Day was a chance to acknowledge the achievements of women who inspired change and empowered others.
“International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the successes of women and the continued efforts to inspiring change and equality,” Cr Nunn said. Ms Chopra’s speech is at the Hume Global Learning Centre, Broadmeadows, from 10am-1pm.
» CarmenLa@hume.vic.gov.au
