Fiona's story

I’m Fiona Han, a Master’s student in Public Relations and Advertising at UNSW. Before moving to Australia in 2024, I thought the hardest part would be my studies. I was wrong - the real challenge has been building a life and career here.

As a woman on a student visa, I’ve faced many barriers in job hunting. Even in media and communications roles, the effort I put in and the pay I receive often don’t align. Visa restrictions, industry hurdles, and quiet biases can make hard work feel invisible.

During a research project on accent discrimination in the workplace, I spoke with remarkable women whose ideas were dismissed simply because they didn’t “sound local.” That was when I understood that being heard is not just about language - it’s about rights and respect. For many women, access to work is shaped by layers of pressure: family responsibilities, visa status, and an employment environment that doesn’t always see our value. We are also less likely to enter physically demanding sectors that hire more easily.

I’m from China, where gender equality is still evolving. Doing an internship with JEINA taught me that change rarely starts with grand gestures - it begins with people who meet, support each other, and keep going.

Here, I’ve learned to turn vulnerability into connection and personal stories into testimony for change. Advocacy doesn’t have to be loud; it can be steady listening, clear expression, and walking alongside one another.

If you’re also finding your way in a new country, trust your skills and your kindness. Allow yourself to grow through uncertainty. Equality isn’t a distant dream - it’s the direction we move together. Even if unfair pay and uneven opportunities remain for now, our connection and persistence are already, quietly, changing what’s possible.