Dalal Smiley arrived in Melbourne in 1976 with her family, seeking refuge from the civil war in Lebanon. This experience sparked her lifelong passion for empowering migrant and refugee women. With a career spanning multicultural policy, community leadership, and social change, she helped shape the Multicultural Victoria Act 2004.
As CEO of Wellsprings for Women since 2017, Dalal has transformed the organisation into a leading provider of family violence and empowerment programs for women. Honoured with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Deakin University and inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2024), Dalal continues to champion equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all women.