Racism has a debilitiating effect on women. Most Australian women of colour do not feel safe at work. Women from Muslim or African background or of Asian appearance have encountered heightened racism due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministering to a range of ethnic communities in Dandenong, Wellsprings for Women is a women-only community centre dedicated to empowering women to shape their own life. Among their many programs is the project Acting against Racism, which will employ dramaturgical techniques to empower women for whom English is a secondary language to respond with confidence to the racism they encounter and to build anti-racism resilience. Women will take part in safe and supportive drama classes, playing successive roles of aggressor, victim and bystander, and so expand their repertoire of responses to racial discrimination.
Humanists Victoria has granted ten thousand dollars to this project, in recognition of its creative approach to personal development, protection of human rights and promotion of social justice.
The project will result in the public performance of a play depicting a racist incident and an empowered response. The performance will be recorded for broad dissemination to diverse communities.
