Afghan Women Support Association

06/10/2026

🎬🇦🇫 Supporting Afghan Film & Celebrating Our Community

Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA) was proud to have our community leaders and members attend the Ghan Film Festival and show their support for Afghan cinema, creativity and storytelling.

We sincerely thank the Ghan Film Festival team for their hard work and for welcoming our community. We truly appreciate the opportunity to support and celebrate the talented people behind Afghan film and culture. ❤️

A special thank you to our community leaders who represented AWSA at this event:

• Abeda Mashal
• Soraya Nawabi
• Nooria Latife
• Engeela Wahab
• Zainab Safdari
• Wasila Shamal
• Zarnegar

We also extend our appreciation to all our hardworking community members who attended the festival to show their support, respect and encouragement for the Afghan film community.

For AWSA, supporting our talented Afghan artists, filmmakers and storytellers is another way of keeping our culture, identity and stories alive for the next generation. 🇦🇫❤️

Thank you to everyone who represented and supported our community. We are proud of you all.

GIFFA - Ghan International Film Festival Australia

29/09/2026

🇦🇺❤️🇦🇫 Connecting Afghan Communities Across Australia

During my recent visit to Brisbane, I had the pleasure of meeting Mudabrah Popal, Manager of Mashal-e-Irfan Afghan Language School, and spending time with members of the Afghan community in Brisbane.

It was a genuinely special experience to meet Mudabrah Popal an Afghan woman who is dedicating her time and energy to supporting children and families and helping the next generation stay connected to their language, culture and heritage.

I felt very proud to meet her and learn more about the work she is doing in Brisbane. It was also wonderful to meet members of the local Afghan community and have the opportunity to connect, listen and share our experiences.

At the Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA), we deeply respect the work of Afghan women, community leaders and community organisations across Australia. Although we are based in Western Sydney and each community has its own organisations and leaders, we can still come together with respect, friendship and a shared commitment to supporting our people and future generations.

Sharing these moments is our way of showing our respect and support for the Afghan community in Brisbane, and recognising the people who contribute their time, knowledge and heart to their community.

I hope my visit was the beginning of a meaningful connection between our communities.

From Western Sydney to Brisbane — different communities, connected by our shared Afghan heritage, respect and support for one another. ❤️🇦🇺🇦🇫

Queensland MashalEIrfan AfghanLanguageSchool CommunityConnection AfghanCulture WomenSupportingWomen AfghanCommunityAustralia

28/09/2026

🇦🇺❤️🇦🇫 Connecting Afghan Communities Across Australia

During my recent visit to Brisbane, I had the pleasure of meeting Mudabrah Popal, Manager of Mashal-e-Irfan Afghan Language School, and spending time with members of the Afghan community in Brisbane.

It was a genuinely special experience to meet Mudabrah Popal an Afghan woman who is dedicating her time and energy to supporting children and families and helping the next generation stay connected to their language, culture and heritage.

I felt very proud to meet her and learn more about the work she is doing in Brisbane. It was also wonderful to meet members of the local Afghan community and have the opportunity to connect, listen and share our experiences.

At the Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA), we deeply respect the work of Afghan women, community leaders and community organisations across Australia. Although we are based in Western Sydney and each community has its own organisations and leaders, we can still come together with respect, friendship and a shared commitment to supporting our people and future generations.

Sharing these moments is our way of showing our respect and support for the Afghan community in Brisbane, and recognising the people who contribute their time, knowledge and heart to their community.

I hope my visit was the beginning of a meaningful connection between our communities.

From Western Sydney to Brisbane — different communities, connected by our shared Afghan heritage, respect and support for one another. ❤️🇦🇺🇦🇫

28/09/2026

27/09/2026

Connecting Afghan communities across Australia. ❤️🇦🇺

During my recent visit to Brisbane, I had the pleasure of meeting Sahba Hamed, President of the Afghan Association of Queensland.

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with a fellow Afghan community leader who is dedicated to supporting and strengthening the Afghan community in Queensland.

Although our organisations work in different states, our shared commitment is very similar — supporting Afghan families, strengthening community connections, empowering women and young people, and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Meeting Sahba was a reminder of how valuable it is for Afghan community leaders and organisations across Australia to connect, share experiences and support one another.

Our communities may be spread across different cities and states, but many of the challenges and hopes we share are the same. By connecting with each other, sharing knowledge and working together, we can create stronger networks of support and greater opportunities for our community.

I am grateful for the warm conversation, connection and opportunity to meet in person.

From Sydney to Brisbane, our communities may be in different places, but our commitment to supporting our people brings us together. ❤️

Let’s continue building bridges between Afghan communities across Australia — sharing ideas, supporting one another and working together for a stronger future for our families and the next generation.

25/09/2026

Representation matters. ❤️🇦🇺

During our recent journey from Sydney to Brisbane, seeing Muslim women wearing hijab and confidently working at Sydney Airport made us feel genuinely welcome, proud and represented.

For the Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA), this was more than simply seeing women at work. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of respect, inclusion and representation in Australian society.

A woman should be able to be proud of who she is, proud of her faith and culture, and still have every opportunity to work, contribute and succeed.

For our young generation, seeing Muslim women wearing hijab in professional workplaces sends an important message:

You belong.
You are valued.
You can be proud of your identity.
You can dream big and achieve your goals.

We want our daughters and young women to grow up with confidence — knowing that their culture and faith do not have to stand in the way of their education, careers or contribution to Australian society.

We are proud to see Muslim women contributing to Australia in so many different professions and roles.

To the Muslim women working at Sydney Airport: thank you for your presence, your professionalism and the representation you provide simply by being yourselves. You may not realise how meaningful it is for another mother, another woman or a young girl to see you and think, “I can do that too.”

From all of us at the Afghan Women Support Association, we are grateful to live in a diverse Australia where we can celebrate our differences while belonging together.

We see you. We are proud of you. And we hope the next generation sees your example and knows that there is a place for them too. ❤️

24/09/2026

It started with five mums chatting in a Merrylands park. Ten years on, Samira Mashal's Afghan Women Support Association has grown into a network of 30 volunteers helping Afghan women across Western Sydney build new lives - one MyGov form, English class and friendship at a time.

"Afghan women should not only be recognised for what they have survived, they should also be recognised for what they are building," says Samira.

Read the full story 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/community-story/afghan-women-support-association/

24/09/2026

GIFFA 2026 Sydney:
Here is screening schedule for Ghan Film Festival in Sydney. Don’t miss to watch some amazing films from Afghanistan.

Date: 3 October
Time: 6:15pm
Location: event cinema Parramatta.

Here is a link for details and tickets 🎫
https://events.humanitix.com/11-ghan-international-film-festival-australia-giffa-event-_-sydney

GIFFA is thankful for continued support of:
Afghan Community Support Association of NSW Australia (ACSA)
Slim Saffron

Community partner;
AFGHAN WOMEN ON THE MOVE
Afghan Women Support Association
Fardatv Australia

15/09/2026

💗 AWSA Health Sessions for Blacktown Community Members 💗

Afghan Woman Support Association (AWSA), in collaboration with Western Sydney Local Health District, is pleased to bring a series of friendly and informative Health Sessions to our Blacktown community.

These sessions are a welcoming opportunity to learn more about health and wellbeing, healthy living, local health services and practical information, while connecting with other women and community members. 🌿💕

📅 First session: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
🕙 10:00 AM
📍 Alpha Community Hall
Alpha Street, Blacktown NSW

🔄 Fortnightly sessions will continue through September, October, November and December.

Upcoming dates:
23 & 30 September
14 & 28 October
4, 11, 18 & 25 November
2, 9 & 16 December 2026

🌷 All women are welcome!

If you or someone you know would benefit from these sessions, please share this information with your family, friends and community.

📞 0434 121 766
📧 [email protected]

Healthy Communities • Stronger Together 💕
CommunityHealth AfghanWomen WesternSydney HealthyCommunities StrongerTogether

14/09/2026

🌸 Thank You, Multicultural NSW, for Seeing and Celebrating Our Community 🌸

We are very grateful to Multicultural NSW for taking the time to listen to our story and shine a light on the work of the Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA) and the Afghan women and families we proudly support.

As a busy community organisation, we do not always have the opportunity to stop and reflect on how far our community has come. Seeing our journey recognised and our voices heard means so much to us. ❤️

AWSA began with a small group of women coming together to connect and support one another. Today, our community continues to grow through education, volunteering, friendship, cultural connection, information sessions and opportunities for women to build confidence and independence.

We are especially grateful that this story recognises something very important to us: Afghan women are not only defined by the challenges they have experienced — they are mothers, volunteers, students, workers, leaders, businesswomen and community builders.

Thank you to the team at Multicultural NSW for paying attention to our community, listening to our experiences and helping share a different and positive story about Afghan women in Australia. Your recognition encourages us to continue the work we do every day. 🌷

And most importantly, thank you to all the incredible AWSA volunteers, community members, women, families and supporters who have been part of this journey. This story belongs to all of us. ❤️

We are proud of what our community is building together, and we look forward to continuing to create opportunities with women, not just for women.

🙏 Thank you, Multicultural NSW, for recognising our community and helping us share our story.

Read the full community story here:

https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/community-story/afghan-women-support-association/

Afghan Women Support Association – Multicultural NSW

Afghan Women Support Association (AWSA)
🌸 Empowering women • Supporting families • Building community

Home Community Stories Afghan Women Support Association Afghan Women Support Association Share this page Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share via Email Celebrating strength through culture and community Supporting women is about empowering them with the confidence and opportuni...