Helena Hassani

organization overview

Boland Parwaz is a non-profit organization that equips survivors, organizations, local and international government agencies, communities, groups, and young people with the tools and knowledge needed to prevent child and forced marriage in Australia and globally. Boland Parwaz is developing innovative and survivor-led initiatives, including training programs, youth and cultural leader workshops, culturally-sensitive native language resources and tools, grassroots advocacy campaigns, and multimedia communications strategies. Boland Parwaz also employs innovative storytelling techniques via mobile app to drive behavioral change within target communities and to nurture the next generation of advocates.

Personal Bio

Helena Hassani is the founder and executive director of Boland Parwaz. Born in the picturesque region of Hazarajat, Afghanistan, Helena’s childhood was upended by the Taliban insurgency of 1998. Forced to flee her homeland and take shelter in Pakistan, she experienced firsthand the struggles many displaced women and girls face before she found safety in Australia.

Driven by her experience with displacement, genocidal persecution, and child and forced marriage (CFM), Helena is an inspirational advocate for the rights of women and girls. As a leading practitioner for men’s behavior change programs and prevention of family violence, Helena is a formidable force for prevention of CFM in Australia and globally. She holds a master of human rights law and a bachelor of health science and social work. Helena is a researcher at Anti Slavery Australia, a public speaker, a podcaster, and a community CFM trainer. She served as a delegate at the United Nations Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement and a panelist at the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women.