about us
Our vision is a future where young women from culturally diverse backgrounds have the power to lead, thrive and create lasting change, building stronger and more equitable communities for all.
we are ethni
We are a sisterhood where young women from culturally diverse backgrounds can heal, grow, connect, and lead.
We believe that building a future of cultural and gender equity starts with supporting young women as they discover their strengths, share their stories, and form lasting bonds. Ethni is a place for young women of colour to come together, to navigate life’s challenges, learn from each other, and inspire change in their communities.
We’re not here to rescue anyone. Our young women are already passionate, resilient, and brave. They’re committed to shaping their own futures and being their own heroes.
Our role is to walk alongside these young women, providing skills, encouragement, and support as they tackle challenges in their own way. We honor each individual journey and we’re there by their side if and when they need us - for the long haul.
what makes us different?
Truly youth-led
Young women are the backbone of Ethni. They have created the vision and drive it forward everyday. 95% of our team are young women of colour aged between 15 and 25. Our community are also represented on our Board to ensure they are leading the way. Our sisterhood are co-creating, leading programs and facilitating discussions that are having a real impact to drive social change.
Partnerships
We value collaboration and work with every partner towards a shared vision. Positive benefits from our partnerships flow directly to young women, but also to the organisation. We focus on peer to peer learning and ensuring our young women’s voices are amplified in every conversation. It’s a dialogue, a discussion, and the way forward.
Holistic approach
We provide services that cover the full life experience of young women; from menstruation to mental health, from family violence to career support, we’re here to tailor what support every individual needs, no matter what she’s going through. We are a constant presence in her life and here for the long haul.
our story
Founded in 2017 by Kim Rollason-Nokes, Ethni began as a social enterprise that provided support and meaningful training and employment opportunities for young women from culturally diverse backgrounds.
In 2019, we officially transitioned to a non-profit organisation, grew the team, and brought on a Board featuring youth representatives that would reflect the voices of young women.
Even though we had supported young women to gain part and full-time jobs, we noticed they still wanted to stay involved with Ethni. When asked why, they said it was because Ethni was a place where they had a voice and felt heard.
This insight was the catalyst for us to reimagine the future of Ethni.
In that moment, we realised we had created much more than training and employment opportunities—we’d created a powerful sisterhood.
Ethni had naturally evolved into a hub where intelligent and determined young women could feel safe to share stories, dream bigger, and drive meaningful change in their communities together.
In early 2020, with a new sense of purpose, we launched a range of programs that would support young women and equip them with the tools they need to thrive across a broad range of life situations. In the words of the sisterhood, we provide the tools they need to “do life”.
