How AI for Good is helping empower migrant and refugee women

Digital knowledge offers lifesaving support

Maryanne Awasi, who volunteers as treasurer at the Arise Women Support Association, a non-profit group supporting South Sudanese women in Brisbane, believes that one-on-one AI training from a caring mentor can literally hold the key to a successful relocation to this new – and often confusing – country. “We have ladies with disabled children who need government support, which you can only get with an online account,” says Maryanne, an agricultural researcher with CSIRO.

If you can’t use myGov or My NDIS or their chatbots, you can’t order nappies or special foods and whatnot to look after your child. So this kind of knowledge can be lifesaving.

- Maryanne Awasi - Volunteer treasurer, Arise Women Support Association 

Nor does it need a lot of resources – just the will to help out.  Maryanne continues, “Our organisation only has one laptop, but we’ve been getting our ladies together in meeting halls and other venues – even in local parks, where mothers can bring their children. This project has helped our members with writing resumés and job applications, doing their family accounts, getting government assistance, and just getting together to support each other. Back in Africa, the husbands usually control the finances, but here it’s a shared role which can be a bit tricky – but it’s so much easier if you can use AI to find information, fill out forms, and navigate online services.”

A world of new possibilities

Huda Alsayed Yasin, a volunteer mentor who helps teach AI for Good classes in Arabic at The Place - Charlestown Community Centre in NSW, says that while her students are well-versed in the use of Google Maps, Translate and other first-generation platforms, the arrival of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, “and even DeepSeek” has brought a world of new possibilities – and challenges.

“These apps are definitely helping our ladies find their way around town, prepare new foods, and learn the right way to pronounce English words,” says Huda.

....we still find a lot of challenges with the new AI tools… Some of the women are suspicious of them, but some can be too trusting!

- Huda Alsayed Yasin - Volunteer mentor, AI for Good 

Learning about the risks is equally important

“One of our ladies was describing ChatGPT as her ‘new friend’, which was recommending new ways for her to talk to her husband! Many ladies are isolated or disconnected from their families when they arrive, so it’s important to have a group where they can ask questions about these things with no judgment. It’s particularly important for learning about the risks of sharing information online.” - Huda Alsayed Yasin

As AI rapidly becomes more embedded in daily life, people without digital skills risk being left further behind. Beyond using AI, the women we are supporting are learning to understand and think critically about the information it creates. Our collaborative AI for Good program is ensuring that migrant and refugee women can fully participate in society and equally benefit from our digital world.

– Jess Wilson - CEO, Good Things Foundation Australia