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Key Points
- Gen Z and Millennials now form the largest voting bloc in Australia, and many come from multicultural backgrounds.
- First-time voters stress the importance of involving young migrants in policy-making to ensure their voices are heard.
- Advocates call for mental health education in schools and accessible local leadership.
Arozoo Rahimi. Credit: Sam Biddle
As the eldest in her family, Rahimi said she faced many challenges and responsibilities of settling into a new culture.
Now, she amplifies the voices of young migrants and refugees on issues like racism, employment, discrimination and education — areas where, she said, they often feel excluded from national conversations.
When I see someone in Parliament speaking about our issues without having lived our experiences, it discourages me from engaging with politics.
Arozoo Rahimi
“When I first arrived in Australia, I had to learn a lot, but also unlearn many things I grew up with, like the stigma around mental health. Here, I learned that it’s okay to talk about your mental health. As the motto of R U OK? Day says, ‘It’s okay not to be okay.” she told SBS Persian.
“Students need to be made aware of what their culturally diverse peers go through,” she said.
Arozoo Rahimi is studying health science while also working as a dental assistant. Credit: Fountain Gate Secondary College
Rahimi pointed out that while politicians frequently attend multicultural events, what’s needed is genuine engagement.
“There should be someone who walks the talk, not just talks the talk.”
From displacement to determination
She moved to Melbourne from the small Queensland town of Toowoomba, having migrated to Australia at the age of eight after spending a few years in Pakistan.
Lena Nabizada at the National Youth Policy Launch by MYAN. Credit: Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN)
Her experiences with migration gave her a deeper understanding of starting over, which led to a strong sense of purpose and a clear determination to advocate for migrant communities.
“To create real change, they need to engage directly with those communities, listen to young people in their own spaces, and give them a voice in decision-making.”
Lena Nabizada, together with her peers at the National Youth Policy Launch. Credit: Ishani Buff – Ishani Photography
Nabizada sees meaningful investment as the solution — actively creating platforms and funding opportunities that support youth-led initiatives, especially those led by migrants and refugees.
There are already so many young leaders doing impactful work at the grassroots level. What’s missing is long-term support and political will.
Lena Nabizada
“I’m thinking about climate change. Australia has the resources and expertise. What we need is action,” she said.
Shared struggles and common ground
They also shared stories of discrimination in education and career guidance:
Some of us were told we weren’t suited for certain careers, like becoming medical doctors, and were pushed toward ‘easier’ options like nursing instead. It’s disheartening.
Arozoo Rahimi
“She proves we are more than capable when given the chance.”
Listening isn’t enough
Young people don’t just need to be heard; they need to be involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.
Rana Ebrahimi
“Those with lived experience are best placed to inform policy. Yet too often, they’re brought in as an afterthought instead of a central voice.”
Rana Ebrahimi National Manager of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN). Credit: Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN)
Ebrahimi pointed to the resilience that young migrants already possess, navigating displacement, resettlement and cultural adaptation, and calls for greater trust in their leadership.
Ebrahimi said this year’s MYAN requests of the government are clear: strengthening youth leadership through genuine co-design, improving digital safety and inclusion, and ensuring national policies reflect the lived experiences of diverse young Australians.
Rana Ebrahimi, advocating for youth voices in policy-making. Credit: Ishani Buff – Ishani Photography
With the rise of artificial intelligence, Ebrahimi said it’s more critical than ever to include young people in designing systems that will affect their futures.
“We can’t design a system for them without them.”
Breaking stigmas, building connections
She has direct experience of how the stigma of mental health continues to silence young people, particularly within multicultural communities.
Kleinert recommends two key government actions to support mental health in multicultural youth: integrating mental health into school curricula and improving access to local leadership.
Michelle Kleinert. Credit: Fiona Huber Photography
“There should be an (extra) ‘S’ in STEM — maybe for ‘social’ — to represent life, the real world, and reality,” she suggested.
Kleinert also encourages young migrants to actively build connections in their new country, especially through language.
“They need to understand that racism isn’t personal. Often, the person being racist is just looking for a target. With education, they can build resilience and better protect their mental health.”
The younger generation needs to understand politics, because their vote matters and comes with responsibility. It’s a right that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Michelle Kleinert
“Think about it this way: if someone you love needed support, you’d be there for them, right? So let others be there for you too.”
Looking ahead
Together, Rahimi, Nabizada and others like them represent a generation determined to be heard, not just during elections, but every day.
Rana Ebrahimi with youth leaders at FUSE National Youth Leadership Summit. Credit: Tom Saunders – Big Idea Media
“We hope for a day when we feel like we belong, not one where we constantly have to prove ourselves,” Rahimi said.
“We, as young people, are powerful,” Nabizada added. “We’re building a future we want, and we’re hopeful that we’ll have a seat at the table.”
