Noor Azizah’s journey as a Rohingya Refugee

Noor is a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who was forced to flee her country due to ongoing genocide, resettling with her family in Sydney in 2003.

She is now a dedicated advocate and is a strong voice in her community, standing up for refugee rights and engaging in a variety of work such as public speaking, advocacy and mentoring.

Her formative years were marked by homelessness, poverty and a need to constantly move between countries in an attempt to seek safety. Noor's family often had to navigate perilous jungles, trying to escape danger and avoid hunger.

Noor now holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney. She has been awarded a plethora of awards and accolades such as NSW Young Woman of the Year 2024 and Global Citizen 2024.

"I myself went to school in year three in Australia. That was the first time I entered a classroom and now I graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Education in a master's of peace and conflict studies. And I had to learn English. I had to learn everything. My own sister resettled at the age of 20 and she's got to be a medical doctor."

"I myself went to school in year three in Australia. That was the first time I entered a classroom."

"From my understanding and from my experience as a refugee and also being in the refugee field and meeting so many refugees, they strive and they contribute positively to society. And in Australia there is a migrant society. We have migrants that have been here for the last 100 years and we have restaurants that they are running." - Noor Azizah

She works closely with the UNHCR as a refugee expert and is the co-founder and director of Rohingya Women's Network.

As an advocate, Noor has made remarkable strides in amplifying the voices of women who share similar journeys to her own.

"You know, we have many Rohingya that are contributing positively in society. In Sydney, you see Rohingya that are doctors, lawyers, engineers working at supermarkets. So when we resettle, we don't resettle and sit down, resettle and ensure that we have education and ensure that we build our skills and that we contribute to society when we need people to contribute to society." - Noor Azizah

A lot of her focus is on empowering refugees, specifically Rohingya women, to make a difference and create positive change.

Despite this, Noor believes that refugees shouldn't have to justify themselves through outstanding achievements, and that they deserve peace and security regardless.

"The best thing for us is both to show that refugees do contribute so much, but to also say that…everyone deserves a basic [human] right." - Noor Azizah

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