Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards held in Brisbane

Aishwarya Somal wins Young Multicultural Business Person of the Year award

The 2020 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards was held on Friday, 6 November, 2020, at the Main Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall in Brisbane. The Awards celebrate Brisbane as Australia’s Inclusive City that embraces diversity, innovation and economic prosperity.

The event attracted a strong following from Brisbane’s multicultural community and business sector. All funds raised from the night support the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Scholarship Program and Mentoring Scheme which has supported over 500 recipients since the program began in 2008.

The event was organised under a Queensland Health approved COVID Safe Plan.

Aishwarya Somal wins Young Multicultural Business Person of the Year award

One of the Indian community members, Aishwarya Somal, won the Lord Mayor of Brisbane’s Nick Xynias Award for Young Business Person of the Year 2020.

Upon being nominated for this position, Aishwarya submitted to a grueling 4-person panel interview with representatives from the Lord Mayor’s office where she was questioned about all aspects of her business and its growth.

Who is Aishwarya Somal

Aishwarya is the sole Director of Emerson Family Law and Emerson Migration Law. Her passion for advocacy and her commitment to advancing the rights of the more vulnerable members of our society led her to practice in the areas of Family Law and Migration Law respectively. In 2013 she became the sole Director of Emerson Family Law. She established Emerson Migration Law in 2015 and Global Pathways Education and Migration Services in 2019 from inception and currently has a team of 8 staff.

Across both arms of her practice, she ensures a steadfast focus on a culture within the firm wherein clients always obtain comprehensive advice as to their entitlements under the relevant legislation.

Along with her professional life, Aishwarya is married and is a very proud mother to two young children.

Her community engagement/ awareness efforts

Aishwarya has also been an active participant in community awareness programs and has attended and presented at several events in the Family and Migration Law arenas. To name but a few over the last 12 months, she has been involved with the Indian Women’s Health Expo at the Sahara House Domestic Violence Shelter, and the Bringing Cultures Together Event held by Queensland Police Service at which she was the supporting lawyer to their presentation. These events have been aimed at addressing DFV issues in a culturally inclusive environment where the subtle nuances of family relationships can be identified and addressed accordingly. In light of her knowledge and experience in this field, Aishwarya has earned the respect of QPS who regularly call on her for advice.

As a result of these events, Aishwarya was introduced to the CEO of Women Empowerment and Leadership and has recently been involved in assisting in hosting zoom webinars during Covid-19, which again involve the distribution of information regarding DFV and other social issues amongst CALD and Diaspora communities. These events have included information sharing regarding State Government initiatives surrounding DFV, Refugee issues and the interplay between such. She has also embarked upon

broader peace building initiatives through her role as Peace Ambassador of the Universal Peace Federation and also in her capacity as Vice President of Women’s Federation for World Peace. Both UPF and WFWP are Non-Government Organisations which sit in consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC.

She has co-authored a written submission to the House of Representatives (HoR) Standing Committee on Social Policy & Legal Affairs -- Inquiry Into Family, Domestic And Sexual Violence. This submission identified and articulated particular ‘risk factors’ affecting CALD women which contribute to their further marginalization in the Australian context. Further, concrete recommendations were provided for ways in which to best address the needs of CALD women in the family violence arena, both from the Family Law and Immigration Law perspectives.

This award represents recognition of Aishwarya’s tireless efforts in the legal and humanitarian field and will undoubtedly provide a platform for her to effect further meaningful change in our community.