Women from the Northern Territory's multicultural community want to use this year's International Women's Day to dispel stereotypes about their religious or ethnic backgrounds.
Darwin is home to about 100 nationalities and dozens of religious and cultural groups, as well as many diverse migrant families.
Ahead of the international day, the Islamic Council hosted an event about the hijab for Muslim and non-Muslim woman, aiming to break down common misconceptions about the veil.
Young Muslim women used the opportunity to speak about their connection with the hijab as a spiritual journey and a way to be connected to God.
Muslim and non-Muslim women learned new ways of donning the hijab, with a styling workshop and a henna design class.
Darwin's multicultural community also organised an International Women's Day lunch for migrant families and women from all backgrounds, where young and older women shared their stories, cultural music and dance.
T he ABC spoke to women from different backgrounds about their challenges and hopes for their own and their daughters' futures in Australia.
Safiyah Muyeen
Safiyah Muyeen is studying human rights law in Melbourne and was a keynote speaker for the Don a Hijab event in Darwin in late February.
She described the hijab as a part of her greater spiritual journey, but said it was important to recognise it meant different things to other Muslim women.
"We're not a homogenous group, different women wear it for different reasons," Ms Muyeen said.
She questioned why Muslim women were constantly asked for explanations about the way they dress.
"Because a conversation that limits Muslim women to their hijab is a great injustice," she said.
Ms Muyeen said she wanted to dispel the misconception that the hijab is a symbol of oppression for women.
"By appropriating the agency of Muslim women that wear the hijab and stating for them what the hijab represents is a form of oppression — it is taking away someone's voice," Ms Muyeen said.
She argued that sometimes Muslim women find themselves in oppressive circumstances such as conflict, but the hijab was not symbolic of oppression.
"They represent strength to me, because despite how bad their situation ... they are rising above."
Letwunnie Tendayi
Letwunnie Tendayi moved from Zimbabwe to the Northern Territory with her family about five years ago.
She has become a stalwart of Darwin's multicultural community.
Ms Tendayi said one of her biggest challenges when migrating to Australia was assimilating with a culture that demands more independence from women.
"Zimbabwe is so different to Australia. It was hard to settle at first, but now I feel a part of the community," Ms Tendayi said.
"It's difficult being a migrant woman because as compared to my culture, men are always ahead and you have to follow behind them," Ms Tendayi said.
"But because of the pressure in Australia you have to learn to do everything so you can stand by yourself. I think there's more independence in Australia."
She said International Women's Day was an opportunity to remind her daughters to seize opportunities and become leaders at school and later in their fields.
"It's about celebrating the importance of women, and recognising women," Ms Tendayi said.
Pritika Desai
Pritika Desai was the Northern Territory Young Achiever for 2015 and is the project leader of Shout Out! — a youth mental health organisation.
Ms Desai, in the first generation of her family to be born outside India, has struggled with Borderline Personality Disorder since her teens.
Growing up in Darwin, Ms Desai said it was hard for women in the local multicultural community to be open about their mental illness.
"For a very long time I suffered in silence because of how my community viewed me and my mental health issues," Ms Desai said.
"The biggest stigma that a lot of multicultural women face is you don't talk about your issues outside of the home."
She sees International Women's Day as a chance to help break down those barriers, as well as make practical changes such as mandating pay equality.
< h2>Reyyan Emniyet-Ates
Reyyan Emniyet-Ates is a Melbourne entrepreneur who opened the first hijab styling salon in Australia, the Haya Atelier.
Reyyan started her business a year ago because she saw a need for Muslim women in Australia to feel more confident in their hijab.
"I worked a lot with Muslim students who would wear the headscarf and would find it hard to fit in with their non-hijab friends, and they felt untrendy with it as well," Ms Emniyet-Ates said.
"I could style the girls so they could blend in and feel more confident with how they wear their hijab."
For Ms Emniyet-Ates, like other young first generation Muslim women in Australia, considers the hijab part of her spiritual journey that helps define her individuality.
It's a point she wants to project to overcome ideas about the hijab hiding Muslim women .
Opening her business has allowed Ms Emniyet-Ates to highlight the power and agency Muslim women can play in the community, which she wanted to celebrate this International Women's Day.
