Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing

The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday period. Please note our office will be closed from Friday, December 20 and will reopen Monday, January 6, 2025. If you need support please contact a crisis line like Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 007 339 or 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732. Or find your local services using our Support and Services Directory cwsw.org.au/directory If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call the police on 000

The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing hosted its 2024 AGM earlier this month. Congratulations to Kianna Barker (Hedland Well Women's Centre) and Philippa Boldy (Anglicare WA) who were elected to the CWSW board. We also welcome and congratulate Nicole Lambert (Allambee ) as she takes on the role of Chair. Nicole’s tireless work in the community services sector and continued advocacy for the prevention of domestic, family, and sexual violence will undoubtedly ensure the Centre’s leadership remains strong and impactful as we continue to push for systemic change. Thank you to ongoing Board members Andrea Creado GAICD (Ishar Multicultural Women's Health Services), Petina Pitt-Lancaster (Gawooleng Yawoodeng Aboriginal Corporation), Kelda Oppermann (Zonta House Refuge Association), Justine Colyer (Rise ) and Laurel Sellers (Yorgum Healing Services) for their commitment and strategic direction. A heartfelt thank you must go to outgoing chair Donna Chung; your dedication, support and unwavering service to the cause is nothing short of amazing. And to other outgoing board member Gloria Moyle (Goldfields Women's Health Care Centre) for her tireless work to improve the lives of women and children in WA. We would like to acknowledge and thank our staff, partners and the organisations and government agencies who generously continue to support and fund our work. Read our Annual Report here: https://lnkd.in/gAbJ6wj5

Curtin University is calling for participants in a new study. 👩🎓   The research project, funded by Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing, aims to understand how domestic and family violence affects women in the long term. Researchers are looking to hear women’s experiences of separation and rebuilding after experiencing domestic and family violence through an online survey and an interview. The women can participate in only one part or both parts of the research. To take part you must: ◾ identify as a woman ◾ be 18 years or older ◾ live in Australia ◾ have experienced domestic and family violence by a partner or former partner and have been separated from the abusive partner for at least 3 years. For more information https://lnkd.in/esixdMPy   Donna Chung Curtin School of Allied Health

Last week we released our review of the specialist Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) which predominately service regional WA. We believe that victim-survivors should have access to high quality, wrap-around support through the specialist sexual assault services. The entire workforce is only 12 FTE for these services which sit outside of the major metropolitan area (which is serviced by the Sexual Assault Resource Centre) . The sexual violence response infrastructure in WA is threadbare at best, and as a result too many victim-survivors are going without the bare minimum level of support. The SASS must be supported to deliver and maintain expertise in their communities. CWSW will continue to advocate to improve outcomes for victim-survivors of sexual assault in WA. We believe in change. Get involved here: Cwsw.org.au/believe Read a summary of the review including the 16 Recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/dCePEh33 Read the full review here: https://lnkd.in/ddwt53Ud Allambee Desert Blue Connect Waratah Support Centre Goldfields Womens Health Care Association Gloria Moyle Relationships Australia WA

Today is Human Rights Day and the final day of #16DaysinWA but it's important to remember that the work doesn't stop here. If we want a world free from gender-based violence we must continue to BELIEVE. In victim-survivors. In our services. In change. Take the pledge https://lnkd.in/gPYMYcex Everyone has a part to play. #16DaysinWA #16DaysofActivism #HumanRightsDay #stoptheviolence

Our vision is a safe an equitable world where women and their children thrive. We BELIEVE that everyone has the right to live free from fear. On Day 11 of #16DaysinWA we're asking you to show you BELIEVE by joining our campaign. https://lnkd.in/gPYMYcex If we all play our part together we can end family and domestic violence. We BELIEVE in change.

Interested in picking up a book or starting a TV show related to gender-based violence or gender equality during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, but don’t know where to start? 📖📽️📺 To mark Day 12 of the global UN campaign against gender-based violence, we’re sharing 16 recommendations that Circle Green staff picked to celebrate the #16DaysofActivism. To Read • Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo • Abortion Care is Health Care – Barbara Baird • Eggshell Skull – Bri Lee • Women, Race and Class – Angela Davis • Fight Like a Girl – Clementine Ford • Talkin’ Up to the White Woman – Aileen Moreton-Robinson • It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover • See What You Made Me Do – Jess Hill To Watch • The Handmaid’s Tale – TV show, 2017 • Woman of the Hour – Movie, 2023 • We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk, 2017 • She Said – Movie, 2022 • Julia Gillard’s speech on misogyny – House of Reps; 9 Oct 2012 • Nanette – Comedy special, 2018 • Promising Young Woman – Movie, 2020 • Maid – TV show, 2021 Comment your recommendations for what to watch or read to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism below. ⬇️ #16DaysOfActivism #16DaysinWA #16Days #GenderEquality #GenderedViolence

Our vision is a safe an equitable world where women and their children thrive. We BELIEVE that everyone has the right to live free from fear. On Day 11 of #16DaysinWA we're asking you to show you BELIEVE by joining our campaign. https://lnkd.in/gPYMYcex If we all play our part together we can end family and domestic violence. We BELIEVE in change.

On Monday we released our review of the specialist Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS). We believe that where you live shouldn’t stop you getting help after a sexual assault. But the review found this isn’t always the case, as many parts of WA have no access to sexual assault services and limited outreach. Access to forensic and medical examinations, which are crucial evidence collection tools, is dependent on where you live. CWSW looks forward to working with our services, Government partners and other stakeholders to improve outcomes for victim-survivors of sexual assault in WA.   We believe in change.   Get involved here: Cwsw.org.au/believe   Read a summary of the review including the 16 Recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/dZ-BHsX5   Read the full review here: https://lnkd.in/dHX_5XTu   Read the story here https://lnkd.in/dFbvVD-c Allambee Desert Blue Connect Waratah Support Centre Goldfields Womens Health Care Association Gloria Moyle Relationships Australia WA

This morning we were humbled to hear the stories of lived experience experts Alison Scott and Renna Gayde at the End Gender Based Violence – #16DaysinWA Community Event, Joondalup March Against Domestic and Family Violence. Renna spoke so eloquently about the danger of not believing victim-survivors. “What I cannot believe is that our women and children continue to be met with such inconsistent responses when we find the courage to speak up. Our systems and society tend to weigh and measure our credibility and meet our cries for help with often guarded or skeptical responses that perpetuate the message that we are exaggerating or attention seeking or deflecting, the message is loud and clear, we will not be believed “Believe me or don’t believe me, the great tragedy is that I learnt to believe I was crazy and so I stopped believing in myself.” We must continue to believe if we want change. Show you believe. Support the CWSW’s BELIEVE campaign. Cwsw.org.au/believe Alison Evans Jennie Gray Alison Scott Renna Gayde Department of Communities WA