At a time when isolation was widespread and community connection was fragile, founder Seema Abdullah observed that migrant women were contributing across farms, factories, hospitals, small businesses, families, and community settings, yet their presence in mainstream leadership, civic forums, and decision-making spaces remained limited. During the launch event, Seema Abdullah reflected: “Here in the Shepparton Region, we celebrate multiculturalism. Yet we also see a visible invisibility of migrant women in the mainstream community sphere. The issue isn’t capability. The real barrier is a lack of information, opportunities, support, networks and access needed to step into civic platforms and be seen and heard.”
Every opportunity is a door. Sometimes all a woman needs is a community encouraging her to ring the bell, step through the door, and take her place. The Door Bells exists to help migrant women feel ready to knock, ring, enter — and belong.
During 2021, Seema Abdullah discussed these concerns with Khadija Fatima and Farah Shaikh. Their discussions planted the seeds of the organisation. By December 2021, the idea had grown into a formal association, and the network launched publicly in April 2022.
