Women in Western Sydney are taking steps to overcome barriers to work and financial security 

In Liverpool, Doorways to the Future is listening to women to identify the challenges they face to help shape pathways into stable and meaningful economic participation.  

In Liverpool, the early months of Doorways to the Future have been about listening. Led by Sydney Women’s Fund, the program began its community engagement in January 2025, meeting women where they are and creating space for their experiences to guide what comes next.

One of the earliest conversations brought together eight recently arrived Afghan women. Initially hesitant to participate, the women soon began sharing their personal stories and the challenges of settling into a new country. With the support of a skilled interpreter and the NSW Refugee Health Service as co-facilitator, the conversation unfolded in a safe and trusting environment.

The women spoke openly about their experiences, from navigating unfamiliar systems to finding community connection in the face of language barriers, and about what they needed most: practical information, community links, and support that recognised the realities of resettlement.

Doorways to the Future is delivered by the Sydney Community Foundation, engaging women in Western and South Western Sydney to take practical steps to overcome barriers to work and financial security. Through a place based, co-designed approach, Doorways to the Future supports women to identify the challenges they face, such as childcare, transport and limited job opportunities, and shape community-led pathways into stable and meaningful economic participation through participatory grantmaking. 

These insights are now shaping the program’s co-design work, ensuring the next phase reflects the lived experience of women building new lives in Liverpool.

Across the past few months, the Doorways to the Future team has heard from more than 100 women in the Liverpool community through focus groups, pop up kiosks at Liverpool Plaza, Green Valley Plaza and the Network 2168 Hub, and conversations with local organisations. Women spoke about the pressures of childcare, the rising cost of living, the difficulty of finding flexible work close to home, and the pride they feel in Liverpool’s diversity.

In a session with Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections, 15 women described the challenge of wanting to work while managing family responsibilities. “I want to work, but in a part time job so I can manage both things, my pay and my house,” one woman said. Another shared how often she applies for jobs:

We apply to many, many, many companies, but they just don’t have it.”

These conversations, honest, specific and grounded in everyday life, are becoming the foundation for the next stage. Over the coming months, Sydney Women’s Fund will bring local organisations together for a series of co-design workshops in Liverpool, drawing on what women have shared to shape practical initiatives that reflect community aspirations. A Reference Committee of local leaders continues to guide this work, helping ensure the program stays rooted in Western Sydney’s priorities and lived expertise.

Doorways to the Future is still at the beginning, but the direction is clear: real change starts with listening.