Hanan is from Jordan/Bosnia. This is what freedom means to her:
When I was a refugee, I was treated like an alien and faced racism when I practiced my traditional way of life, even in Australia. Racism exists in every country, but here I am protected by Australia’s legal system. It was not the case when I was a refugee.
I am free to wear my traditional dress here and I can speak my own language. Compared to the Middle East, where I lived as a refugee, I enjoy equal rights as a woman in Australia.
Here in Australia, as a woman, I manoeuvre my own life. I can have an opinion.
I find freedom in diversity when I mingle with women from different backgrounds. We dance and we celebrate together, and I feel welcomed and accepted. Diversity is what enables us to be ourselves; however, harsh immigration policies have harmed diversity as a core value of Australian society.
In my free time, I volunteer to support women from all backgrounds, and try to help them solve their problems. I am pursuing a career in nursing or psychiatry to support people in need.
From my cultural background, I have learned that money is not everything, but empathy.
