Project Summary

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Immigrant women in East San Diego unite to create a community space to address gender based violence, discrimination, and poverty. By organizing around issues that are important to them, women create healthier, safer and more enjoyable lives.

About me

I am a Kurdish women rights activist from Iraq. I received Degree in Psychology from Baghdad University in 1988. For four years, I was Executive Director of Wadi Organization for Women (women's shelter) in Northern Iraq. I was granted political asylum in the United States in 2001. I was resettled in San Diego with my three children. I work with License to Freedom and the Domestic Violence Response Team. I facilitate immigrant women support and educational groups and volunteer with Torture Abolition Survivor Support Coalition. I am currently earning my Master's Degree in Community Psychology from Springfield College. I grew up in a military family home where my father hit my mother. I had no way to speak up. When I was older I wanted to help women break the silence, but the culture, laws, and religion of my country prevented me. When I came to the United States, the "land of the free," I thought that women would have more power. I found out that women, especially immigrant women, face similar challenges as those on my home country. I have been living in a diverse immigrant enclave where my neighbors, children's friends, and shopping center all are immigrants. Working as a community organizer has allowed me to develop close friendships with women from many different communities. Relying on this network, I have organized several women's celebrations. I enjoy collaborating with people from different backgrounds and serving as a model for my daughter and other women.