Hazara Nation

WHEN Maryam Hossein releases the handbrake and pulls away from the kerb for her first driving lesson, it will be more than just her maiden journey behind the wheel.

For the 23-year-old refugee it will be the latest step in a journey that began when her parents were forced to flee Afghanistan for Iran during the Russian occupation in the early 1980s.

By learning to drive, she is doing something once virtually impossible for women in her home country — and fast-tracking her integration into Australian society.

She is not alone; Ms Hossein is one of 28 Afghan women, including her 41-year-old mother and 19-year-old sister, attending a driving school in Dandenong designed to help recent refugee arrivals gain their licences.

"This is a very good opportunity for Afghani women," she said. "All of the things we need in life, like going to the doctors or school, mean that we have to drive."

Traditionally, very few women drove in Afghanistan's male-dominated society, a situation that worsened under Taliban rule when they were denied the right to drive and forced to remain at home.

This has caused problems for the Afghan community in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, which comprises around 3000 families.

Female-only families such as the Hosseins have been practically immobile and unable to get access to the services needed to integrate into society.

"It was causing a lot of stress as men were under pressure to handle the settlement process for their families and provide for them financially with houses and cars while the women were totally dependent," said Abbas Amiry, co-ordinator of the driving school.

"By running this course we want to give women the opportunity to drive and at the same time increase their self-confidence and self-worth so that they really feel part of the community here in Australia."

The driving school is run by the Association of Hazaras in Victoria, assisted by $19,700 in funding from the Transport Accident Commission and a car provided by Adult Multicultural Education Services.

It is already oversubscribed. The women, who range from 18-year-olds to mothers with five or more children, is halfway through a series of sessions run by senior community members, alongside Vic Roads, Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria, in which they are taught road rules and driving theory. It is an essential precursor to taking control of a vehicle as not only do they come from a country without road rules but, according to Aisha Mahboob, a female Afghan driving instructor from Hampton Park, some women she has taught had never sat in a car before moving to Australia.

Ms Mahboob, who moved to Australia 11 years ago, has helped about 50 Afghan women learn to drive since becoming an instructor in 2006, often giving lessons for free.

She said: "The women can handle the car very well after just five lessons, but they don't know the rules of the road so this course is very important.

"Most have realised they need to drive to get their kids to school or to get to work and now they have the chance to get up and do it."

Once the women have finished learning the theory, the driving school will fund their first five lessons with Ms Mahboob. After that, they hope members of the local community will come forward to act as volunteer trainers.

Mr Amiry says plans are in place to bring in professional instructors who will train people to act as mentors who can guide the women through extra hours of driving practice as they work towards qualification.

"We need the support of the mainstream community," he said. "I came to Australia on a boat and entered society as a TPV holder, which meant I couldn't go to school without paying, but I received amazing support from volunteers.

"They made a huge difference to my life and I hope people will be willing to help us again."

Ms Hossein, from Dandenong, who supports her mother and younger sister, said: "I'm very happy to have this chance.

"It would have been very expensive for us to learn to drive with another company, but now we are able to learn a lot."

The age