Domestic violence victim Zahra Abrahimzadeh’s family establish foundation to help other women
THE three children of murdered domestic violence victim Zahra Abrahimzadeh are establishing a foundation in her name to help other women escape violence for good.
ZAHRA Abrahimzadeh was full of hope when she found the courage to leave her abusive husband - but his violent need for control robbed her of a future.
Five years after her death at his hands, her three children are establishing a foundation in her name to help other women escape violence for good.
They will reveal their plans on Saturday, which would have been their mother’s 49th birthday.
Zahra Foundation Australia will officially launch later this year with the aim of providing women who leave violent partners the opportunity to gain new skills and employment and find safe homes for their families.
Domestic violence crisis workers report that women may return to violent partners up to 12 times before permanently leaving a relationship - often because of a lack of support to remain independent.
Mrs Abrahimzadeh was stabbed to death by her husband in front of hundreds of people at the Adelaide Convention Centre in early 2010.
On September 5 this year, her children Atena, Arman and Anita will “reclaim” that venue for their mother, and others like her, with a gala dinner to celebrate her life and raise funds to help women and children experiencing family violence.
“Mum had a lot of hope and she was seeing a bright future,” Atena, 28, said of her mother’s outlook in the weeks after they fled their abusive household for crisis shelter accommodation.
“She wanted to get back on her feet. When we found private rental a few months later, mum started working.
“She was happy because she felt confident and independent … knowing this was the beginning of many more good things to come.”
That future was stolen from Mrs Abrahimzadeh but her children want to help other women escape abuse and become economically independent.
Zahra Foundation Australia will provide initial grants to cover costs for housing, food, medication or school expenses and later help women take up education or training and find jobs and secure housing.
The foundation is particularly seeking corporate sponsorship or in-kind support.
This could include donated goods or gift vouchers or offering free training courses or other services.
Research by UniSA and Curtin University academics, involving more than 650 women, found half reported that they continued to experience violence after leaving a partner, and this continued for an average of three years.
The findings also showed:
30 PER CENTcould not remain in their job because of safety fears related to domestic violence.
ABOUT two-thirds indicated domestic violence made it difficult to hold down a job.
MORE than 40 per cent had to make a significant move because of domestic violence, to live in another part of their city, interstate or even overseas.
FOR the majority, housing costs increased post-violence.
UniSA associate professor Sarah Wendt, who worked on the study, said the effects of violence and abuse “don’t just end when people escape the relationship”.
“Now we are hearing about how this impacts on women’s lives later, particularly on their health and wellbeing, working and personal lives,” she said.
“We know how often the police are called to domestic violence situations and that refuges cannot cope with the number of women and children seeking support, but we know much less about the longer lasting impacts of domestic violence.”
The Abrahimzadehs hope Zahra Foundation Australia can work with crisis centres to help address longer-term needs.
“Sometimes you see women who leave their partner or their home and, not long after, they go back again and it’s because of the fact that they think they’re not going to be able to survive on their own,” Atena said.
“That’s where this foundation can help them with education and training and finding employment and housing.
“The message really is, if women are out there facing these issues at home, we want to tell them that you can leave because that support will be there.”
Arman, 27 - who is an advocate for the White Ribbon campaign against domestic violence - said crisis services “do a great job of picking these women up and dusting them off, but in order to keep walking and continuing their journey, you do need continued assistance”.
He said the foundation would offer that as the “perfect way to honour” their mother.
“We are wanting to set up this foundation to help those whose situation we were in when we fled our family home,” he said.
“Thinking back now, my mother was the rock and the backbone of the family. Her positive outlook on life is a trait that I miss and will never forget. This particular trait is one we hope to capture with the foundation.”
For more information, to donate or get involved visit www.zahrafoundation.org.au
If you need help contact the Domestic Violence Crisis Service on 1300 782 200.