Dilnaz Billimoria is a founding member of the Whitehorse Interfaith Network (WIN) and board member of the Communities’ Council on Ethnic Issues (CCOEI) and Women’s Health East.
A proud Indian Australian woman of Persian background and Zoroastrian faith, Dilnaz is the recipient of the 2025 Victorian Seniors Award for Promoting Multiculturalism — an honour she says belongs to the entire community.
What does the award mean to you?
We — government, corporate and community organisations — often say multicultural communities are ‘hard to reach’ because we do not participate in mainstream activities, do not volunteer, or do not have our voices heard.
I prefer to say we are ‘hardly reached’, and ask what efforts are being made to strengthen engagement with our marginalised and vulnerable communities. Engagement begins with trust, respect and listening.”
I am both humbled and honoured to receive the 2025 Victorian Seniors Award for Promoting Multiculturalism. This recognition reflects the amazing efforts of multicultural seniors across our state who continue to promote peace and foster harmony for humanity.
What do you see as the key emerging issues for multicultural seniors?
Our demographics are changing fast. We now have more faiths, cultures and languages represented in our CALD seniors community than ever before.
Communication is the first issue. Many seniors may not have literacy in their own language, let alone English. We need to focus on plain language — not just plain English — so translations stay simple and easy to understand.
We also need to think beyond written materials. Some communities, including First Nations peoples, pass on knowledge through storytelling. Using different formats like videos, animation or drawings can make information clearer and more engaging.
What needs to change to build trust and inclusion?
Cultural sensitivity and appreciation of diversity are critical. One size does not fit all.
This article was published in the
Summer 2025-26 edition of Golden Years.