'It starts with disrespect'

On Tuesday, Year 10 students were visited by Arman Abrahimzadeh OAM who led a moving discussion about domestic violence. Arman's personal experience of losing his mother, Zahra, to domestic violence in 2010, inspired him to become a vocal campaigner for victims of domestic violence in Australia.

Arman feels strongly that the best way to prevent domestic violence is to change the culture that enables it. He has been sharing his story with the public in an aim to raise better awareness about what domestic violence behaviours look like and how they can escalate. Through his personal experience, Arman came to understand first-hand how financial dependence is a significant factor that affects victims from being able to escape domestic violence. His family faced homelessness, poverty and isolation as a result of fleeing their family home in fear of his father.

In 2015 Arman and his sisters established the Zahra Foundation Australia in honour of their mother and with the core aim of providing economic empowerment to women who have had to leave their homes for the safety of themselves and their children.