This consultant turned charity CEO is empowering migrant women

This article was originally published on Westpac Wire. 

 

SisterWorks, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering migrant and refugee women, is transforming lives - one sister at a time.

 

The Melbourne-based organisation, which is supported by Westpac Foundation, has helped over 2,500 women from 105 countries in its first decade. It offers a range of education programs that help the women to develop their skills, build their confidence and forge connections.

 

For CEO, Westpac Scholar and fellow migrant Ifrin Fittock, a chance volunteering stint at SisterWorks during a sabbatical ended up being her biggest, most rewarding career pivot.

 

"I spent 23 years in management consulting," says Fittock. "Before I was about to go back to my consulting work, I decided to volunteer and got introduced to SisterWorks. It was an eye-opener for me on the challenges that women of migrant and refugee backgrounds face here." Seven-and-a-half years later, Fittock is now at the helm of the not-for-profit.

 

Australia is home to over 7.6 million migrants, making up nearly 30 per cent of the population. Among them are countless women who face unique challenges as they navigate their new lives.

 

From finding an Australian referee for job applications to negotiating the country’s complex superannuation system, the hurdles can seem overwhelming. SisterWorks helps to bridge these gaps, offering programs that cover everything from understanding employment contracts to job interviews.

 

"The biggest challenge for these women, especially those who want to be involved in employment, is understanding the system," Fittock explains. "Concepts like superannuation; casual versus part-time contracts - and the difference between them."

 

The organisation’s work-ready program ensures that by the time these women step into their new roles, they are well-prepared and confident.

 

Migrants may face big challenges, but SisterWorks helps to build confidence in the women by emphasising their unique strengths.

 

"Determination is definitely one thing," Fittock notes. "If I look at their past experiences and how they got here, a lot of our sisters come from different backgrounds. Some grew up in refugee camps, with zero work experience to date – and others had professional level qualifications and experience in their home countries before."

 

Either way, navigating a new language, culture and country, let alone a new career, builds a money-can’t-buy resolve and grit - assets to any employer.

 

Since opening its doors in 2013, SisterWorks has helped 801 Sisters earn an income.

 

One sister, after being placed at cosmetics giant L'Oréal, expressed her gratitude, saying, "I had tried to apply for a job there three times myself through the normal recruitment process but never got a reply. When we told her about the opportunity with L'Oréal, she thought, 'No, I've already tried three times.' But she got in because we championed her" says Fittock.

 

Another sister, placed at Ferguson Bakery, used her very first paycheck for two boxes of donuts to gift to SisterWorks, a touching gesture of gratitude that Fittock tearfully remembers.

 

SisterWorks latest venture is a new manufacturing hub, funded by WISE, a grant co-funded by Westpac Foundation.

 

"We used to work or manufacture items in a workshop model, not industrial at all," Fittock recalls. "Now we have a facility with pallet storage and stacking, an industrial setting. With this new tech, we are now able to take on bigger projects - like re-upholstering tram seats in Melbourne, which would not have been possible in the workshop model."

 

This facility not only provides employment opportunities but also allows SisterWorks to grow its social enterprise arm.

 

“That’s what Westpac Foundation support has allowed us to do, and we are super grateful. I’m, proud to be a Westpac Fellow too – I learned so much from the opportunities given to me through that program,” says Fittock.

 

This International Women's Day, Ifrin is keen to spread the word that migrant and refugee women have much to offer, they just need the opportunity.

 

"I’ve learnt that no [one] is an island… some problems are too big to solve alone. It takes a village to help these women thrive," Fittock says. "The community and society need to be part of it. It's not just women solving women's problems; everyone needs to be involved."

 

“We are not looking for special treatment; we want the same opportunities that everyone else wants: to work, have money in our pockets, and savings in the bank.”