Purple Dandelion

PURPLE DANDELION is the true story of Farida Sultana, it begins in Bangladesh when as a young girl, she found herself in conflict with her traditional family values and the Islamic culture that prevents girls and women from learning music and arts. Later her arranged marriage to a doctor at the age of 18 took her to war-torn Iran with her husband and young daughter, then to the UK and finally to New Zealand. At each stage of the journey, she attempts to capture the nuances, sights and sounds of the events that she became a part of as she continued on her quest to find herself – in Bangladesh during its freedom struggle, in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, in England as a single mother and a survivor of domestic violence, and in New Zealand as an immigrant woman. 


Soon after her arrival in New Zealand, Farida became aware that there were many more immigrant women like her who had to overcome domestic violence and the oppressive, patriarchal societies they lived in. Their need drove her to initiate Shakti, which has grown into the largest ethnic community organisation in New Zealand, bringing together women and families of over 42 different ethnicities. In recognition of her work, Farida was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for Community Service in 2003. In recent years she has been working in Asian and Middle Eastern countries encouraging women to condemn violence and claim their human rights.


Farida Sultana has been working in the area of violence against women for over 17 years. She first became associated with Shakti AID UK as a survivor of violence and then as a volunteer. In 1995 she started Shakti in New Zealand. Farida is an advocate for various migrant and refugee issues, works closely with the wider communities and also serves on various boards in New Zealand. She has one adult daughter. Shila Nair (co-author) qualified and worked as a journalist in India for 15 years before she migrated to New Zealand with her husband. She has since divorced and has requalified as a counsellor. Being a survivor of violence herself, she is a passionate advocate for the cause of violence against women. She has been working with Shakti since 2002.