“Family violence is a pandemic”: Shakti marks 30 years with events across NZ

“Family violence is a pandemic.” With these words, Shakti Chairperson Dr Shanthi Selvakumar set the tone for the organisation’s 30th anniversary commemorations held across New Zealand in October, marking three decades of advocacy and support for migrant and refugee women of Asian, African and Middle Eastern origins.

Shakti, founded in 1995, observed the milestone with a series of national and regional events, reflecting on its growth, challenges and the thousands of survivors it has supported. 

Over the past three decades, Shakti has grown into a nationwide network offering five culturally sensitive women’s refuges, a 24/7 crisis line (0800 SHAKTI), more than ten drop-in centres, and a range of counselling, safety, and life-skills programmes.

The commemorations began on October 22 with an inaugural event at Parliament, held in the Legislative Council Chamber and attended by former survivors, community members and partner agencies. Speakers included Minister for Prevention of Family & Sexual Violence Karen Chhour, former minister Marama Davidson, and MPs Phil Twyford and Helen White. Shakti’s first Chairperson Amokura Panoho opened the event, while the Guest Speaker was Girijamba Polubothu, CEO of Shakti Women’s Aid, UK.

Founder Farida Sultana, addressing attendees, expressed gratitude to those who have supported Shakti’s work over the years, especially survivors who have used its services. She reiterated her long-held aspiration to see an end to domestic violence but acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying she always hopes that domestic violence can be eliminated, but that is a dream that will be hard to achieve.

Reflecting on the organisation’s impact, Shakti Chairperson Dr Shanthi Selvakumar said the organisation had helped thousands of women rebuild “their confidence, independence, and dignity.” She added, “Like many charitable organisations, Shakti has faced many challenges. But nothing has ever shaken its steadfast commitment to wiping the tears of our sisters. Family violence is a pandemic. And Shakti remains committed to eradicating this social disease through education, awareness, and empowerment.”

Following the Parliament event, regional commemorations were held in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The month-long programme concluded with a Charity Dinner at Novotel Hotel on October 25, attended by MPs Carmel Sepuloni, Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Vanushi Walters.

All tickets were sold out, signalling strong community support.The dinner in Auckland began with a lamp-lighting ceremony, followed by speeches from members reflecting on Shakti’s journey, a short video highlighting founder Farida Sultana’s contributions, and a powerful classical dance performance highlighting a struggle in a domestic household. 

Across all the events, Shakti launched a commemorative book, OurStory – 30 Years of Social Transformation, chronicled by long-time member Shila Nair and released by Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money. The book traces the organisation’s evolution and the experiences of the women it has worked with.

In a LinkedIn post, Nair described the publication as “a powerful reflection on Shakti’s collective journey,” adding, “It’s been an honour, to be involved in this awesome organisation for the past 24 years. Our commemorative events, whether in Parliament or in the community, were about the women who refused to accept violence and oppression and knocked on our doors… and came out well on the other side with their children; about those who crossed that precarious bridge, be they the women within Shakti or in the community; about the women whose lives were lost even as Shakti
made sure that their lives were not lost in vain; about our hardworking staff, volunteers, founding members and governance; about our stakeholders who stood by us over the decades.”

Speaking about writing the book, Nair added,

 “Writing the book, OurStory— Shakti’s 30 year history of social transformation was a sheer privilege for me, as arduous as the task was.”

As the peak body and specialised lead organisation for domestic violence prevention and intervention within these communities, Shakti strives to maintain high-quality standards in offering culturally responsive refuge and safehouse services.

The organisation is deeply committed to social justice and human rights advocacy, both nationally and internationally, and works collaboratively with educational institutions, government, and non-government agencies to support research and resource development in the domestic violence sector.

Shakti also ensures its services are environmentally sustainable, accessible, and inclusive of gender-diverse and disabled women and children, while continuing to foster and strengthen strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships with organisations that share feminist values and perspectives.

The organisation has also contributed to several law reforms impacting migrant and refugee groups.

Shakti operates in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, while also supporting partner agencies in regions without local offices.