Niki Habibis was born in Cyprus and migrated to Australia with her family when she was two years old.
“We came as refugees after 1974,” she said.
Niki Habibis joined Country Fire Authority (CFA) more than 26 years ago to protect her local community, as an active volunteer firefighter and woman with intersectional identity.
“There were not too many other female firefighters around at the time,” she said. “When I first became Captain, nearly 18 years ago, there was one other female Captain in my District.
“There are now seven female Captains in my District, and many more women coming up through the leadership ranks, who are also active volunteer firefighters.”
Niki says the gender stereotype that only men can be firefighters, or leaders, in emergency services is being constantly challenged, with an increasingly diverse representation of women across all areas of CFA.
“It’s an exciting time to be a part of CFA as we collectively #BreakTheBias.”
