Senior Sergeant Maha Sukkar APM

In 2004, Maha Sukkar became the first Muslim policewoman in Victoria to wear a hijab, challenging stereotypes and setting a trailblazing example for police forces around the world.

In her 20 year career, Maha has taken a lead role in promoting social cohesion, breaking cross-cultural barriers, and encouraging diversity within the police. Her commitment and dedication is changing the way newly-arrived communities see the police and how police think about these communities.

She is the founder and past president of the Victoria Police Muslim Association (VPMA), the first police association of its kind in Australia and the Asia Pacific. She is also the co-founder and past Vice Chair on the Victoria Police Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Network, which is the umbrella network for all religious and cultural networks in Victoria Police. The network supports members and advises Victoria Police on CALD community matters. She is also a Co-founder of Victoria Police Women of Colour Network (VP WoCN) that is the first of its kind in a policing service.

Maha is active on several other committees focussed on the prevention of gendered violence and holds a position on the Australasian Council for Women and Policing (ACWAP) committee as well as a board member on SisterWorks, a not for profit social enterprise supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers through work and economic empowerment.

Maha has shown ground-breaking leadership in tackling underage and forced marriages. She designed and implemented culturally-specific training packages for police members and service providers, and led the “Tell Someone” initiative, which empowers school students to understand the issues surrounding forced and underage marriage. The initiative was a Victorian first, and received extremely positive feedback from the community and support from Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, and the Victorian education and health departments.

She is dedicated to creating a Victoria where everyone feels welcome and safe. In 2009 Maha was named “Australian Muslim Women of the Year” at the Australian Muslim achievement awards (AMAA). In 2010, she was awarded the Australian Council for Women and Policing Bravery Award in recognition of her work with multicultural communities. In 2019 she was awarded the Australian Police Medal (APM) which is the Order of Australia Medal equivalent for Police in Australia. In 2019 she was named in The Australian Financial Review 2019 “100 Women of Influence”.