Narges is preparing treats for Eid celebrations while many women have little reason to rejoice

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Narges Andar is standing at a kitchen bench, adding the finishing touches to an elaborate white cake, specially designed for Eid-al-Fitr celebrations.

“The pattern that I’ve used around the cake is very traditional Islamic art designed around theme of Eid, including the moon shape,” she said.

Eid is a busy time for the mother of two who runs a home business called Sweets by Narges, producing a range of delicious treats.

“At Eid, sharing is done through food. It is a way to show love, appreciation and affection. So, having a cake that everyone enjoys at the same time is a wonderful blessing,” she said.

A white cake with red flower frosting and a plaque saying Eid Mubarak.

One of Narges Andar’s Eid themed cakes. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

‘Sad and disheartening’

While Andar’s cakes may be sweet, she feels a deep bitterness about the plight of .

In the three years since , UNICEF estimates around 2.2 million girls have been impacted.

“It is very sad and very disheartening to see that women and girls are forced to leave their education half finished,” she said.

“For new generations, it means they will not be able to live their dream of becoming a doctor or lawyer.”

A woman with long brown hair in black clothing sits in front of a laptop.

Narges Andar supports efforts to educate girls online in Afghanistan. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

It is one reason Andar supports online education for girls in Afghanistan.

“I constantly see footage on social media of girls in Afghanistan crying because they cannot finish their studies or they’re struggling financially,” she said.

“If a woman is the sole income earner of the family, and she has no male guardian, how is she supposed to support her family?

“So, my husband and I try to do our bit wherever possible for these women who want to have some education. It could be something as simple as learning English.”

Decades have passed since Andar fled Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, with her family, journeying on donkeys into Pakistan. Yet, the memories remain vivid.

By the late 1980s, Russian forces had withdrawn from Afghanistan, but the country’s conflict continued to rage.

An old photo shows three young children — a girl sitting on a bicycle with her arms crossed in the middle, flanked by a younger girl and a boy standing on either side, saluting on a road next to a vehicle.

Narges Andar (left) as a child in Afghanistan with her brother and sister. Source: Supplied / Narges Andar

“I remember as a child seeing the skies light up and thinking it was fireworks. But the loud bangs were not fireworks but something more scary. It was shelling,” Andar said.

“So we escaped Afghanistan by road. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the driver of our bus fell asleep and ran into the back of a truck.

“A lot of people were injured and the driver died. We were sitting in the middle of the bus and my family was badly injured.

“I had broken teeth and a broken leg and my dad broke his hip.

“After that, we stayed in Pakistan for two years until we were approved for Australia on a refugee humanitarian visa.”

The data from the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees suggests that by the end of 2025, over 139.3 million people are expected to be forcibly displaced or become stateless worldwide.

A woman in a blue jacket sits in a grassed area near a small tree.

Dr Parisa Glass is the co-founder of the University of NSW’s Justice Inclusion Access initiative that works to create an inclusive support ecosystem for women from forced migration backgrounds. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon

‘It felt like the gates of hell opened’

Dr Parisa Glass is a Sydney-based academic dedicated to improving outcomes for women seeking safety in Australia.

“Forced migration happens for many reasons. It could be war, human rights violation or even climate change,” she said.

Glass runs JEINA, a University of NSW-funded justice inclusion initiative that creates pathways for displaced women. The name is derived from a Kurdish word meaning life-giver.

“JEINA started in 2022 after the uprising of women in Iran campaigning for their rights. It was at the time because of the choices of her clothing,” she said.

“We don’t want that to happen, so this is about justice for women wherever they may be.”

Four women sit on chairs in a half-circle arrangement on a raised platform while another woman with her back turned sits in front of them.

Dr Parisa Glass is also a refugee from Iran, having fled her homeland as a teenager. She participated in a recent JEINA panel discussion for International Women’s Day. Source: Supplied / UNSW JEINA

Glass is also a refugee from Iran, who fled her homeland as a teenager.

“I remember being very young and having men surrounding our home, chanting that they want to kill my father and other Baháʼí in the community,” she said.

“It feels like the gates of hell opened, and a lot of hostility was directed against minorities.”

Glass escaped with her family, was taken by people smugglers across the border into Pakistan, and finally arrived in Sydney in 1988.

“Coming to Australia, I didn’t have any networks. We had a lot of financial problems as new arrivals and I had to make my own way and also support my family as well,” she said.

Glass hopes JEINA can ease the transition for others like herself.

“To help overcome barriers like finding employment and as well as issues like domestic violence, which impacts forced migrant, migrant and refugee communities as well as mental health issues.”

She said she has connected hundreds of women with broader networks so far and hopes to expand further.

“UNSW has a massive mentoring network. We want women to take advantage of that and hope that industry will partner with us to build even bigger networks in future.”

A brown haired woman stands behind a bench with two white cakes.

Narges Andar said the world needs a lot more love and kindness at the moment. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

For the first time in decades, three major religions — Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í faith — observed their sacred fasting periods simultaneously.

As Ramadan concludes this weekend, Andar hopes women everywhere will share the message of Eid.

“It is a time to be grateful and appreciate what you have, whether the food we eat that we take for granted or even a sip of water.

“And the world needs a lot more love and kindness at the moment.”