Arman Abrahimzadeh is an Iranian-Afghan Australian anti-

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

campaigner based in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, co-founder of Zahra Foundation Australia.

Biography

Abrahimzadeh and his family migrated to Australia from Iran in 1997. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a housewife. Along with his sisters, Atena and Anita, and their mother Zahra, he lived in an abusive home and in constant fear that their father, Ziaolleh, would harm or kill them. In 2009, they were forced to flee their family home, becoming homeless before being referred to domestic violence shelters. After 12 months of threats and stalking, on 21 March 2010, Abrahimzadeh's father Zialloh finally carried out his threat and killed his mother Zahra, during Persian New Year celebrations at the Adelaide Convention Centre, in front of hundreds of witnesses.

Advocacy

Abrahimzadeh, along with his sisters, Atena and Anita, founded Zahra Foundation Australia in 2015 to support victims of domestic violence, including Indigenous family violence, and to create opportunities for economic empowerment. Abrahimzadeh has been a key influential figure in shaping public policies and changes in legislation in relation to domestic violence in South Australia. He regularly speaks at forums discussing family violence and

gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...

, and he is involved with a number of not-for-profit groups in this sector. He has appeared on the current affairs series 7.30 on the ABC Television. He is an ambassador for the

White Ribbon Campaign The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) is a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls. It was established in November 1991 by a group of men in Toronto, Ontario, as a response to the École Polytechnique m ...

in Australia and Our Watch.

Recognition

He has been named 2015 Allan Sloane Young Citizen of The Year, 2016 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia, and the 2017 City of Charles Sturt Young Citizen of The Year. He was awarded a

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

in June 2018.

Other roles

He is a former Australian representative in

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

, and works in design and construction.

Awards

Legacy of Zahra's death

The Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service (WDVCAS) was established in July 2015, as a response to the coronial inquest into the murder of Zahra. Funded for two years by the victims of crime levy, the services provide information, legal advice, support and representation relating to intervention order. The service is accessible via Victim Support Services in Adelaide,

Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

Whyalla Whyalla is a city in South Australia. It was founded as Hummock's Hill, and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, and Gawler, and along ...

Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...

Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an ex ...

and Berri. The service won the 2021 Law Society of South Australia Justice Award, and continues to operate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrahimzadeh, Arman Anti-domestic violence activists Iranian emigrants to Australia Living people Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Year of birth missing (living people)