Leaving violence now costs more than $7,000, new research finds
It now costs more than $7,000 for a woman to leave a violent relationship, and the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre says the rising cost is creating another barrier to safety. New research from Anglicare estimates the immediate cost of leaving domestic and family violence has risen to more than $7,000 – up 71 per […]
Healing on canvas: We Are exhibition opens at Shellharbour Civic Centre
The journeys of healing, hope and self-discovery experienced by women recovering from domestic, family and sexual violence will be shared with the community through a month-long exhibition at the Shellharbour Civic Centre. Opening on Monday, August 3, the We Are exhibition features paintings, ceramics, stitching and mixed-media artworks created by women participating in programs at […]
Four in five intimate partner homicide victims are women
Four in five people killed by a current or former intimate partner in NSW are women, according to a new public dashboard that sheds fresh light on the gendered nature of domestic violence. The Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre has welcomed the launch of the first-of-its-kind resource, saying timely, publicly available data will strengthen understanding, […]
New national framework puts recovery and lived experience at the centre of measuring domestic violence reform
A new national framework to independently assess Australia’s response to domestic, family and sexual violence has been welcomed by the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre (Women’s TRC), with its stronger focus on recovery and the experiences of victim-survivors. Released by the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) Commission, the Monitoring and Reporting Framework will guide […]
How understanding trauma could change courtroom outcomes for victim-survivors
Helping juries better understand trauma could lead to fairer outcomes for victim-survivors of sexual violence, the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre says. The Centre has welcomed proposals from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) to strengthen NSW’s sexual consent laws, including expanded jury directions to challenge common myths about sexual violence. The proposed reforms […]
How the ACT is building on NSW’s coercive control laws
The z says the ACT’s move to criminalise coercive control provides an opportunity to build on lessons from New South Wales and Queensland as more states and territories recognise patterns of abuse in law. The comments come as the ACT Government introduces legislation that, if passed, will create a standalone coercive control offence, recognising domestic […]
Funding boost welcomed as demand for domestic violence support continues to grow
Frontline domestic, family and sexual violence services will receive an extra $184.1 million over four years under a major NSW Government funding package. The investment delivers a 50 per cent increase in funding to six frontline programs, including Safer Pathway, Staying Home Leaving Violence, Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services, Men’s Behaviour Change Programs, Domestic […]
New role to strengthen Aboriginal community partnerships across the Illawarra
The Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre is seeking an Aboriginal Partnerships and Community Engagement Coordinator to help strengthen connections with Aboriginal women, families and communities across the Illawarra and ensure Aboriginal voices, knowledge and perspectives continue to shape the Centre’s services and future direction. The Aboriginal Identified position has been created as the Centre continues […]
Why recovery must be at the heart of Australia’s next National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children
Australia’s next national action plan to address domestic, family and sexual violence must place recovery and healing at its core if the nation is serious about breaking cycles of intergenerational abuse, according to Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre CEO Elise Phillips. Ms Phillips has welcomed the national consultation process that will inform Australia’s Second Action […]
Building hope and recovery: Manda Rochester joins the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre as Head of Programs
The Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre has welcomed Manda Rochester as its new Head of Programs. Manda brings extensive experience in trauma recovery and domestic violence services to the organisation’s work supporting women affected by domestic, family and sexual violence. She has spent much of her career supporting people through some of life’s most challenging […]