A SAREE CLUB INITIATIVE

Indian (Sub-Continent) Crisis and Support Agency the first NGO for this community in Australia. ICSA is the first fully CALD organisation running professional support services for the target community with a dedicated focus on client-centric support services and advocacy. She is an expert in complex and culturally driven forms of domestic and family abuse, particularly dowry abuse. Kittu has been an advocate against dowry abuse since 2013 and is committed to seeking reform in legislation and systems to protect women who are victims of this form of abuse. Kittu won the Edna Ryan Award in leadership in 2021.

Nimish Matani, FCA, is a qualified Chartered Accountant with full membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Australia - New Zealand with over 25 years of experience in finance, audit, human resources, risk, and treasury. His area of expertise is within the ‘Not-forprofit’ sector that strives to serve in the best interest of the community. He is passionate to serve the well-being of the Chartered Accountants which is reflected in his engagement with the Australian Sydney Chapter of ICAI serving as its Vice Chairman. The Sydney Chapter has 350+ Chartered Accountants from India who have chosen Australia as their permanent home.

Yojana Pareek is a compassionate and dedicated migration consultant and though her primary expertise lies in providing migration assistance, Yojna goes above and beyond her professional responsibilities to support survivors of domestic violence, both migrants and citizens alike. She not only helps individuals with their immigration processes but also actively takes on pro bono cases related to domestic violence. She collaborates with legal professionals, social workers, and support organizations to provide a holistic approach to her clients’ needs. Yojna’s dedication to helping survivors of domestic violence, particularly migrants who may face additional hurdles, has positively impacted the lives of many.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Councillor Sameer Pandey was elected to City of Parramatta Council in 2017. He was elected Lord Mayor in May 2023, and is the City’s first Lord Mayor from the Indian subcontinent. A small business owner with a background in technology and law, Cr Pandey is passionate about ensuring Council delivers what community and local businesses need. Building on the work done by Council over many years, Cr Pandey’s vision is for a healthy, liveable, smart, sustainable and inclusive City. Cr Pandey is focused on ensuring Parramatta continues to thrive as a major economic powerhouse and as the best place in Sydney to live, work and play.Lord Mayor Pandey also served as Deputy Lord Mayor from January 2022 – May 2023 and represents the Parramatta Ward.

A huge shout out to Elizabeth Lovell, CEO Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury and Veronica Macdonald, CEO Macarthur & Western Sydney for your support and sharing of resources. We are immensely grateful to Jodi McKay, National Chair, AIBC and a role model to many of us for her ongoing support and encouragement.

Saree Club also thanks all her members for their participation and support. The mental health session organised by Rupa Parthasarathy was engaging and therapeutic. The participants used art to express themselves, thus creating a meaningful piece of artwork that was donated to Lifeline. A perfect way to finish the afternoon.

The event was a power packed session. It was robust. It was meaningful. It was informative. It was interactive. I feel immensely proud that I was able to initiate, collaborate and execute this forum. Thank you all who attended and supported. ‘Respect & Recover’ ! All attendees walked away with information that made them more aware and better understand how DV can affect lives, what help is out there and what needs to be done.

PS: Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency runs the First Responder course for anybody who may be interested in understanding what a bystander can do. Please reach out to the Saree Club if you are interested.