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Meet Farzana Rahim, a passionate advocate dedicated to ending violence against women and creating safe spaces for them. Her favourite quote from Audre Lorde encapsulates her beliefs: “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
Farzana is a Gender-Based Violence Adviser for the Pacific Women Lead at Pacific Community (PWL at SPC) programme. She emphasises, “Gender-based violence is a violation of women’s human rights, and it's essential to ensure it is integrated into all programmatic areas. This integration is crucial as it amplifies the impact on the community, making our efforts more effective and far-reaching.”
Her journey in ending violence against women and girls began 20 years ago. Her career started at the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), where she built a strong foundation in addressing violence against women and children and human rights. As a GBV specialised counsellor at FWCC, she was confronted with the harsh realities of abuse and discrimination faced by women in their daily lives. Hearing women’s lived experiences firsthand ignited her passion for this work.
Farzana then joined UN Women as an Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Training and Coordination Specialist. She has worked in the development and humanitarian sector, focussing on GBV response services programmes.
In her current role at PWL at SPC, Farzana supports crisis centres in the region to adopt a survivor-centred approach to their services. Additionally, she aids PWL partners in gender-based violence programming.
"I am also excited about this role because it aligns with my passion for integrating GBV programming into all areas of our programmes,” she shares.
Farzana draws inspiration from the passionate women she works with, and every woman's story of resilience motivates her to strive for a world free of violence and abuse.
She attributes her success to her parents, describing her mother as a remarkable, strong-willed woman always ready to help others in the community and her father for his belief that a strong woman deserves respect. “[My mother] was a powerful influence on the path I chose in life—being the first feminist I encountered and a trailblazing activist in our family, challenging societal norms,” she explains.
Farzana's lifelong mission is to champion the cause of women until they are recognised and treated as equals. “I envision a world where women and girls can fearlessly pursue their aspirations without the burden of discrimination or harassment,” she states.
“One of the most impactful experiences of my career was during a six-month assignment in Afghanistan. I was surrounded by some of the most resilient women who continued their work despite threats of violence,” she reflects.
“This experience reinforced my understanding that violence against women and girls is a universal issue, and it strengthened my resolve to tailor prevention and response approaches to support women in different contexts.”
