The MiRA Centres director Fakhra Salimi was today presented with the Professional Organizations Central Associations Equality Award for 1999. The award presentation is based on Salimis “active and fearless efforts” for women with refugee and immigrant backgrounds. The award will “stimulate increased efforts in the work to promoted equality between men and women and to give recognition to those who are involved in this type of work”.

Minority women are fighting the same battle that the ethnically Norwegian women´s movement has fought before them. They are demanding their rights, some of which require a reshaping of society´s values and a structural change in women-repressing mechanisms in the society. Female liberation consists of changing relationships in the society that repress women. A lack of rights for immigrant and refugee women is one of these relationships and minority women have among other things, fought for their legal rights for more than 20 years.

Fakhra Salimi herself says: “I am happy that our years long work for minority women is now receiving recognition. Immigrant and refugee women in Norway have unfortunately a long way to go before they achieve equality with Norwegian men and Norwegian women. I see this award as a great inspiration to continue working for women’s rights and equality for minority women in Norwegian society.