Purple Dandelion

For many Muslim women, life is a continual struggle to realise their true potential and assert their right to a peaceful life. An unconventional child, Farida Sultana, struggled through her adulthood and married life, surviving violence and abuse. Her arranged marriage to a doctor at the age of 18 took her to worn-torn Iran with her husband and young daughter, then to the UK and finally to New Zealand. Soon after her arrival in New Zealand, Farida became aware that there were many more immigrant women like her who had to overcome domestic violence and the oppressive, patriarchal societies they lived in. Their need drove her to initiate Shakti, which set up the first immigrant women's refuge in the country. It has now grown into the largest immigrant women's organisations in New Zealand, bringing together women and families of over 42 different ethnicities.