whw news

mental
wellbeing
edition

EDITION 2 2015

WHWs
contributions
to the Victorian Royal
Commission into Family
Violence called for longstanding,
overarching plans and funding that look past
the horizon of election periods or parties.
Read more on page 10

A word from the ceo

elcome to the
second edition of
whw news for 2015,
which focuses on our
priority area of mental
wellbeing. The power of
the stories written by women who participate
in our programs struck me as I read this
newsletter. They inspired me; they left me
wanting more. I wanted to send these stories
to our funding bodies to show what we can do
given half a chance; to email our staff to say
congratulations, do some more of this; and
to find a way to send them to other women
who might be feeling isolated and alone, so
they know there are women out there just
waiting to include them in whatever they
are doing. Women, when they get together
to share their experiences and support one
another, are nothing short of extraordinary.
You can read some of those stories yourself
on page 12, where Sally Camilleri reports on
one of our long-running programs, Power
On, and the impact it is having on women in
Queensland. See also page 13, where women
who participate in our Sunrise program for
women with a disability let us know what
sort of changes they are noticing in their lives.
Our family violence outreach coordinator,
Tess, also outlines the story of Jasmine,
whose experiences of the complexity of
winding her way through the court process,
provides us with much to learn from.
These women are honouring the tradition
that was left behind by our wonderful former
premier and fabulous western suburbs woman,
Joan Kirner. As we note in our tribute to Joan
on page 2, supporting, encouraging and
connecting women was at the forefront of
all of that Joan did. It is a fine tradition for
Womens Health West to uphold and our

Dr Robyn Gregory

womens refuge, Joans Place, named in Joans

honour in 2004, reminds of this on a daily basis.
Having a strong and long term political focus
was equally important to Joan Kirner, who
saw equity and justice for women as the
cornerstone of her efforts in government. The
importance of long term policy is the feature
of our submission to the Royal Commission
into Family Violence. Given our core business in
primary prevention of violence against women
through health promotion, and responding
to women and children through our family
violence services, the outcomes of the royal
commission are of enormous importance
to us as a service. You can read about the
submissions we wrote and endorsed on
pages 10-11, and in detail on our website.
Womens Health West has begun our
strategic planning process in this context,
with board director, Catherine Harding,
providing more information on page 4, along
with encouragement for our members and
partner organisations to let us know how
we are tracking as a service. What would
equity and justice for women in the west,
our current strategic vision, look like to you
if we were to achieve it? We look forward
to continuing to hear your thoughts.
Of course, we want to hear from children
and girls as well as from women. Ruby Roo,
our resident marsupial counsellor, talks about
her experiences with children, including
using sparkle jars to help shift from the brainswirl of strong emotions to a more still and
reflective space. You can read more about
this in the Ruby files on page 6. Aoibheann,
one of our childrens counsellors, explains
how to make your own jar on page 7, as
well as providing insight into mindfulness
to help us recognise and then choose how
to respond to our thoughts and emotions.

Continued p.2

womens health west equity and justice for women in the west

inside:

VALE
JoanKirner
p.2
Womens Health West farewells
an inspirational westie woman,
read more on page 2.

Mindfulness after
violence p.7
Paying attention in a particular way
can reduce stress and depression,
and support relief from trauma.
WHW use mindfulness tools with
children learning to deal with
difficult emotions.

Get some
sunshine
in your
life p.13
This was just what I needed; a place
where I can feel safe, a place where
I wont be judged Three members
of the Sunrise womens group
talk about what the group means
tothem.

Continued from p.1

Womens Health West has been
relieved to be able to offer new and
expanded programs as a result of
additional funding from the Victorian
government for childrens counselling
and a new program to strengthen risk
management for women and children
at serious and imminent risk from
family violence. You can read about
this new program on page 9. Given
the ongoing increase in demand for
family violence services arising, in part,
from publicity surrounding the royal
commission, we are also hoping for
additional funds to ensure we can
offer a timely intake and crisis response
service. While we havent yet finalised
our statistics, preliminary estimates
suggest an increase of around 37 per
cent in demand for services in the last
financial year a 1,077 per cent increase
since 2006-2007, when the integrated
family violence service commenced.
It is heartening to see women
increasingly standing up and refusing
to accept that violence should be a part
of their lives and that of their children.
This is a great step towards achieving a
society in which violence against women
is no longer tolerated or conceivable.
And so, as a final comment, I encourage
you to share your copy of whw news
with women and girls who you
think might need the inspiration and
encouragement to join one of our
groups, or participate in one of our
programs, or stand up against violence
in their personal lives, so that they can
share some of their extraordinariness
as well. Joan would be proud of you!
ISSN # 1834-7096
Editor: Nicola Harte, Communications
Manager
Contributors to this edition: Angela,
Aoibheann, Catherine Harding, Debra Wannan,
Elly Taylor, Intesar Homed, Karin Holzknecht,
Nicola Harte, Stephanie, Ruby Roo, Patrina
Crowden, Robyn Gregory, Ruth, Barbara,
Katrina, Sally Camilleri, Sophie Campbell,
Tess, Trish Hayes, Yvonne, Emma Weaver,
Susan Timmins, Nirvana Bhandary, Liliana,
Fiona, Phoebe
Photographers: Karin Holzknecht, Naoko
Hansen, Sally Camilleri, Stephanie, Aoibheann,
Nicola Harte, Trish Hayes, Shan Keng
Illustrations: Isis and Pluto
Design and layout: Susan Miller,
millervision@netspace.net.au
Read this edition and archives of whwnews
online at www.whwest.org.au/news/
newsletter/
Edition 2 published: July 2015
Edition 3 deadline: 3 September 2015

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

VALE Joan Kirner

worked in the
Womens Policy
Coordination
Unit in Premiers
Department in
the early 1990s when Joan was Premier
and I remember attending a Reclaim the
Night march. Joan walked around talking
to each of the women who worked in
government-funded womens agencies;
she knew everyones names, where they
worked and treated them so personally.
About fifteen years later I saw Joan at
a forum and figured Id re-introduce
myself but she saw me and said, Robyn
Gregory! I hear youre at Womens Health
West and youve just written a PhD on
abortion? You need to get that published,
lets talk about who you need to talk to

them to lead work and collaborate to

change the conditions for all, and then
to go about the task of linking them
together. It was never about Joan; never
about ego; it was always about equity
and justice for women. She inspired
us at Womens Health West as a
passionate westie and a great leader.
Robyn Gregory, CEO WHW

What always struck me about Joan

was her drive to improve the lot of all
women. She truly embodied the phrase
the personal is political. Her great skill
was to remember women, to support

About Womens Health West

Womens Health
West (WHW) is
the womens health
service for the western
metropolitan region of Melbourne.
Our vision is to achieve equity and
justice for women in the west.
We have two main programs that
complement each other allowing us
to work across the continuum from
preventing problems, to responding
to problems after they occur.
Our health promotion, research and
development program plans and
implements activities designed to
promote womens health, safety and
wellbeing across three key areas
sexual and reproductive health,
mental health, and prevention of
violence and discrimination.
Our family violence services provide
women and children with the range
of services they require while in
crisis such as court support, crisis
housing and case management,

through to services designed to

promote healing and recovery, such as
womens and childrens counselling.
All women living, working or studying
in the western metropolitan region of
Melbourne are eligible for membership
of WHW, as are organisations whose
client base includes the western region.

Connect with
Womens Health West
Facebook
www.facebook.com/whwest
Twitter
www.twitter.com/whwest
LinkedIn
If youre on LinkedIn too, please
connect with us to receive our
updates. To find us, log in and
search for Womens Health
West.
Instagram
www.instagram.com/
womens_health_west/

Womens Health West acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work,
the people of the Kulin Nation, and we pay our respects to Elders and community members past
and present. We express solidarity with the ongoing struggle for land rights, self-determination,
sovereignty and the recognition of past injustices. We express our hope for reconciliation and justice.

Silent lines
save lives:

Wanted:

specialist school for

sexual health program

Telstra work with

Womens Health
West to improve
womens safety

Angela, Family Violence Intensive

Case Manager

Many women and children experiencing

family violence require free access to
a silently connected telephone line to
be safe; it is essential that their phone
number and address are not listed
publicly to protect them from substantial
risk of harm. In June Telstras General
Manager of Risk and Compliance,
Hilde Marais, and Chief Privacy Officer,
Ben Carr, met with Womens Health
West to discuss ways to improve their
Silent Line processes for women and
children at risk of family violence. They
identified procedural and consultant
error as two significant risk areas to
unauthorised personal information
disclosure. Telstra plan to mitigate these
risks by implementing an automated
system to ensure an accurate allocation
of all requests for silent lines.
At the close of the meeting Telstra
thanked Womens Health West for
providing on-the-ground feedback
on their customers needs, and
we in turn were confident that
Telstra are aware of their grave
responsibility for customer safety.

Elly Taylor, Health Promotion Coordinator

omens Health West and cohealth

are seeking expressions of interest
from specialist and inclusive schools
in Melbournes west that have a high
number of students with a disability to
participate in Girls Talk Guys Talk A
Health Promoting Schools project.
A strong body of research shows that
an effective way to improve the longterm sexual and reproductive health of
the community is to give young people
appropriate sexuality education that
supports their ability to make healthy
decisions about their relationships
and sexual practices. Womens Health
West started running the Girls Talk
Guys Talk project in 2006 to foster
sustainable school environments
in which young people gain the
knowledge, skills and resources they
need for healthy relationships and sexual
choices now and into the future.
We work with each school
over four to six terms to:

Develop and adapt sexuality

curriculum, teaching and learning
for year eight and/or nine students

Develop and enhance community

and organisational partnerships
that recognise the central role

of parents, carers and families in

supporting learning, and the health
and wellbeing of young people

Enhance the school culture, ethos and

environment and its practices, policies,
procedures and codes of conduct.

Womens Health West and cohealth,

funded by a Helen Macpherson Smith
Trust Social Impact Grant, will deliver
Girls Talk Guys Talk in two specialist
schools over the next three years.
We have prioritised working with young
people with a disability, recognising
that these young people often have
poorer sexual and reproductive health
outcomes and experience higher rates
of violence and abuse than people
without disability. Over the past year,
cohealth has worked in partnership
with Jackson School and Womens
Health West to tailor the project to
meet the diverse needs of young people
with a mild intellectual disability.
We are currently looking for expressions
of interest from other schools who
would like to begin in the first term
of 2016. If your school is interested in
participating, please contact Elly Taylor,
Health Promotion Coordinator, on
96899588 or at elly@whwest.org.au

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

e often say that preventing violence

against women is everyones
business and the same goes for
early intervention and response, but
what does that look like? In January this
year, Telstra indicated their intention to
make family violence their business by
introducing ten days of domestic violence
leave for their workers. Commendably
it seems they are extending that
responsibility toward developing a
safer community for their customers.

Behind the scenes

WHW Board
Catherine Harding
BOARD DIRECTOR

Womens Health West has begun to

develop a new strategic plan. While,
traditionally, the organisation has
relied on a three-year planning cycle,
the board, in consultation with the
management team, has decided
to transition to a five-year cycle.
A shift to a five-year plan will look
beyond funding cycles and enable the
organisation to work more strategically
to realise longer term goals. This also
aligns with our call to government
to take a long term approach to the
prevention, intervention and response
to violence against women.
The board welcomes the recent
establishment of the Royal Commission
into Family Violence in Victoria and
sees this as a key pillar of our strategic
planning. This is a pivotal event for
the sector with opportunities to
encourage investment in sustainable
system-wide improvements that
build on achievements to date.

Our recommendations include a call for

government to implement a twentyyear policy on family violence with
bipartisan commitment to withstand
successive governments. It is the political
and funding uncertainty that adds
complexity to WHWs development
of a future-thinking plan; we must
balance our long-term vision with
sufficient flexibility to ensure it can be
adapted to whatever challenges come
our way. A robust plan also requires
the input of all our communities of
interest and members to ensure it is
inclusive and reflects the needs and
aspirations of everyone involved.

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

To ensure the plan

is reflective of our
community and the
challenges facing the
sector, we gathered
information from
clients and community
women via surveys
and facilitated forums.
We also invited senior
staff from government,
universities, community
service organisations
and health services
to participate in two forums in July as
part of the development process.
The morning forum focussed on health
promotion, followed by a forum on
family violence. We enjoyed a robust
discussion on changes to public policy
and legislation and the ways it is
affecting our community, including
some great ideas to collaborate on
responding to these challenges.

PHOTOS: Karin Holzknecht

WHW is especially pleased to hear that

the Victorian Government has promised
to accept the recommendations arising
from the inquiry, and WHW will continue
to engage with the government as part
of the implementation process. A copy
of WHWs submission is available on our
website at www.whwest.org.au/
news/policy/submissions along with
four other submissions that WHW
both contributed to and endorsed.

Strategic
planning
sessions

Our members have also been invited

to participate in an on-line survey to
gauge their views about whether we
are on the right track strategically.
We will now collate these findings
and construct a strategic plan
spanning 2016 to 2021 for further
feedback. Keep an eye on our website
and social media for a copy!

mental
wellbeing
edition

HEALTH
PROMOTION
POLICY WORKER

My first job
was working in
a deli in a posh
shopping mall in
Adelaide, where I
sliced cold meats, cut
cheese, scooped olives and smiled
politely all day. Since then my career
has changed direction and I have
worked in community development,
Aboriginal health and, more recently,
public health research at Gadjah Mada
University in Yogyakarta in Indonesia
and the Burnet Institute in Melbourne.
I have a passion for working towards
greater health equity and a particular
interest in the social determinants of
poor health. When Im not working,
youll probably find me travelling,
cooking, eating, sewing or scuba diving.
Im really excited to join WHW and to
learn more about taking a gendered
approach to health promotion.

Nirvana Bhandary

Liliana

HEALTH
PROMOTION
WORKER

FAMILY VIOLENCE OUTREACH WORKER

I have been a part

of WHW since
2013. I was a peer
educator for the You,
Me and Us Program
and thats when I first got
to know this amazing organisation. In
2014 I completed my final social work
placement in the family violence team,
then joined the crisis team, and am
now in the health promotion team! It
has been such a rewarding experience
working in different areas of the
organisation, and being surrounded
by strong feminist women who are
passionate about what they do. I have
experience working with young people
and facilitating groups, and am very
excited to be responsible for the Lead
On Again program, as I have benefited
from similar programs myself. Outside
of work, I enjoy writing and travelling.

Phoebe

My first job was at a Noodle Box takeaway shop at 13 years of age and since
then I have worked in family services,
youth homelessness, and community
projects. I am a social worker and am
currently studying art therapy part time.
I am also a part time fairy and paint the
faces of adults and children at a range
of events no kidding, I have painted
at a fiftieth party and the adults love to
reconnect with their inner child! I also
create mosaics by commission and sell
handmade jewellery. While at WHW I
hope to learn from my peers and share
my skills and creativity with the team.

Fiona
FAMILY VIOLENCE OUTREACH WORKER

My first job was back in the UK helping

my grandad fix bikes for the local kids.
He paid a pound a bike, which I splurged
on one penny sweets at the newsagency,
yum! He taught me the importance of
self-sufficiency including growing your
own food, fixing bikes and woodwork.
I have worked with refugees, asylum
seekers, and young people. In the past
I have supported myself as an artist
through hospitality and gallery work.
My commitment to social work means
I hope to increase awareness of and
commitment to gender equality, both at
WHW and away from the workplace.

Susan Timmins

FAMILY VIOLENCE OUTREACH WORKER

HEALTH
PROMOTION
WORKER

My first volunteer role was organising

activities with socioeconomically
disadvantaged primary school aged
children in Los Angeles in the school
Michael Jackson attended. I recently
graduated with a Masters in Social
Work and, while studying, I
volunteered with Melbourne
City Mission and the Jesuit
Social Services, working
with children whose siblings
have a disability or who had
a parent that committed
suicide. While at WHW I hope
to develop my ability to work
with women in crisis and
enhance my understanding
of the complexities of family
violence. I also hope to build
professional relationships
within the sector to join
forces with others to
Left to right: Chiedza Malunga, Emma Weaver and
Stephanie Rich
end family violence.

I began my career
as a secondary
school teacher,
but moved into
the community
sector as policy officer
for a peak body representing refugee
and migrant communities across
Victoria. I then worked on a project
to increase awareness of communitybased palliative care among culturally
and linguistically diverse communities. I
have worked as a lecturer and tutor in
the Bachelor of Youth Work program
at Australian Catholic University
and recently completed a Master of
International Politics at Melbourne
University. As a woman of the west, I
am excited to have this opportunity to
contribute to the vital work that WHW
does to support women in my region.

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

PHOTO: Nicola Harte

Emma Weaver

PHOTOS: Karin Holzknecht

WHW Staff

The Ruby files

A kangaroo kids can talk to
Ruby Roo the Kangaroo, Stephanie

Hi kids and adults

It is great to be here again! This term I have
been busy helping Stephanie and Aoibheann
with the SPLASh group. We had so much fun
with the kids in Melton each week. This time
was special because a male counsellor ran the
group with us for the first time. His name is
Peter and he works at Djerriwarrh Community
Health Centre in Melton. He spoke to the
boys in the group about how to treat girls and
women with respect and how using muscles
to do violent things is The Problem. Jenny
from Melton City Council Family Services
came too. She is a talented artist and helped
the children talk about their artwork.
We spoke about our feelings and shared some
of the experiences weve had when we feel
strong emotions. Then we played a game
called Feelings Charades where we acted out
a feeling and everyone else had to guess what
it was. This helped us notice how different
people show feelings in different ways.

they get all mixed up. It was very calming

to watch the sparkles fall and settle.
In one of the sessions, Stephanie asked us to
create an ideal living environment. One boy
made a beautiful garden with flowers and a
place for himself to live.
He used sticky tape to
make a glass roof for
his garden to let the
sunshine in but keep
the rain and wind out. I
was so impressed with
how much thought
he put into making his
environment a nurturing
and safe place.

PHOTOS: Stephanie

Just last week we

made dolls that represented ourselves or who
we wanted to be. One girl made a doll of
herself with a little bit of her mother and her
aunty in her. Her doll had blue hair just like
her mum. This made me think that children
often need someone special in their life to
help them become who they want to be.
We made sparkle jars to practice feeling
calm and being mindful. Aoibheann asked
us to look into the jar and pay attention to
what we saw. I saw little sparkles inside,
they swirled and spun just like the thoughts
and feelings in our brain and body when

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

If youd like to know more about being

mindful, there are some links on the next
page you could read with your mum.
The next SPLASh group will run in term two
next year, for more information contact us on
9689 9588 or email info@whwest.org.au.

Mindfulness, children and wellbeing

mental
wellbeing
edition

Aoibheann, Childrens Counsellor

Mindfulness is a term popping up in fields like education, medicine, business and mental health. Professor
of Medicine Jon Kabat-Zinn, often credited as one of the contemporary champions of mindfulness,
has defined it as paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. This can mean paying attention to a thought, emotion, bodily sensation or whatever you are
noticing in the present moment. The non-judgementally bit means noticing what is happening and then
choosing how to respond to it.
Some other activities children may
enjoy doing to practice being mindful:

Dance or move to music keep the

pace slow to relax or more upbeat
to promote happiness. Movement
can help children learn to meditate.
Mindful walking or movement can
help them get used to slowing
down and paying attention.

Enjoy being in nature be it in the

backyard, park or beach. It can
be as simple as standing under
a tree and imagining the roots
under you and looking at the
leaves and branches stretching
above. What do you notice?

Can children practice mindfulness?

Yes! There is a growing field of
mindfulness with children: to help
them with their academic work,
with their social and emotional
development and relationships.
WHW use mindfulness tools with
children who may be learning to deal
with difficult emotions. All of the
children we work with have been
affected by family violence so there
are many big emotions involved! One
tool we use a lot with children is the
sparkle jar. Just like Ruby said on the
opposite page, the sparkle jar works
well as a metaphor for all the emotions,
thoughts, and sensations swirling around
when we feel upset, angry, scared or
overexcited. If we pay attention, we
can see the swirling glitter start to slow
down and settle just like how our
minds and bodies can learn to settle
down. Even better, making one at home
is really easy. (See breakout box.)
There is an excellent short film from
the USA called Just Breathe, which
includes children speaking about their
thoughts on mindfulness and their
sparkle jars. You can find the film if
you search online for You Tube, Just
Breathe and Wavecrest Films.

Sound meditation - sit or

walk and notice the sounds
happening all around you, this
is great to do outdoors.
Eat slowly chew and taste each
sensation, take time to enjoy each
bite! Having a crunchy snack (carrot
or celery sticks, apple slices, or icy
poles work well) also exercises the
large jaw muscles and can helps
children become more calm and
organised within themselves.

Blowing bubbles great for

practicing deep breathing

Colouring in or making art

helps us stay in the moment

How to make
your own sparkle jar
1 Take a clean jar with a tight lid
2 Add some glitter glue and loose
glitter. Only a small amount
less than a centimetre!

3 Top up with warm water

to melt the glitter glue

4 Place the lid on the jar tightly.

You can use a hot glue gun
to secure the lid in place.
Your sparkle jar is ready to use,
shake it up and watch what
happens. Regular practice will give
you the most benefit. These are
good for adults to use as well the
childrens counsellors have their own
sparkle jars to assist with self-care.

For practitioners

www.childhoodtrauma.org.au
Prosody, the Australian
Childhood Foundation blog

www.traumacenter.org
information on mindfulness
and body based interventions
of Dr Bessel van der Kolk

Cathy Malchiodi, Ed (2014)

Creative Arts and Play Therapy
for Attachment Problems

Activities to use with children

The Smiling Mind app is a not-forprofit initiative that teaches meditation

to young people, encouraging
clarity, calm and wellbeing:
www.smilingmind.com.au
Thich Nhat Hanh (2011) Planting
Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness
with Children (Book and CD)

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

PHOTO: Aoibheann

esearch shows that practicing

mindfulness can reduce stress and
depression, help manage chronic
pain, and support relief from trauma.
Anecdotally there is also mounting
evidence that practicing being mindful
can bring relief to busy minds, help
with focus and attention, increase
immunity, lead to a greater sense of
relaxation and increase our overall
wellbeing. Neuroscience research shows
that regular meditation practice can
even change structures in our brains.

mental
wellbeing
edition

Courts, confusion and homelessness: who can help?

Tess, Family Violence Outreach Coordinator

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains details of one womans experience of family violence. If
you are in immediate danger please call police on 000. If you are experiencing family violence please
contact Womens Health West on 9689 9588 or 1800 015 188.
house key to prevent her from leaving
the home. He assaulted Jasmine the
night before appearing in court. On
this occasion she called 000 as he was
intoxicated and threatened to kill her.
Jasmine said she had nowhere to
go after court as she did not know
anyone in Melbourne. She was
frightened and physically shaking.
The only belongings she had with her
were a handbag with the essentials.
Due to miscommunication before and
during the hearing, the police, police
prosecutor and
magistrate did

The court registrar

referred Jasmine* to
WHW after she was
granted a full intervention
order against her husband. Jasmine is
a twenty-year-old woman who had
been in Australia for two years and
Melbourne for only a month. She was
on a bridging visa and had no income.
She met her husband through
an arranged marriage. He was
almost twenty years older than her.
Throughout their marriage he had
subjected her to ongoing physical
violence, threats to kill, verbal,
emotional, psychological, financial
and social abuse, and extreme
controlling and jealous behaviour.
Her husband did not allow Jasmine
to make friends and withheld her

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

not exclude her husband from the

property; they had not realised she
would become homeless. Jasmine
was ordered to vary the intervention
order so that she could stay in her
home. However, Jasmine felt too
traumatised to go back to court, as
this meant enduring further exposure
to her husband, and so WHW
worked with Safe Steps to organise
crisis accommodation for her.
This example of miscommunication
between the courts, police and
women shows how easily women
can become homeless as a result of
family violence. The stress
and set up of the court,
the complexity of the
intervention order process,
as well as the trauma
women have experienced
(usually the night before
or that week, often in
addition to years of
abuse) make it difficult
for women to understand
their options at court.
This is why court support
workers are so important.
We explain the process
in different ways and
provide practical and
emotional support. We
also advocate on
the womans behalf
with appropriate
services to ensure
women are safe
after court
whether that means
returning home or
going into refuge.
*Not her real name

ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

he court system is difficult

to navigate and can be
overwhelming for women seeking
assistance in family violence matters.
Womens Health West provides women
with support at three magistrates
courts in the western region:
Melbourne, Sunshine and Werribee.
Our court support workers provide
women with information about court
processes including intervention orders,
what constitutes a breach and how
to report a breach. We also liaise with
court staff, legal services and police,
and can
assist women
with risk
assessment,
safety
planning
and referral to
other relevant services
such as Safe Steps or
crisis accommodation
including refuges.

Strengthening risk management through collaboration

and integration

Womens Health West has received

funding to establish two RAMP sites
across the western metropolitan region

Yvonne, Family violence worker

The SRM program is underpinned

by multi-agency risk assessment and
management panels (RAMP), which
are modelled on the UK multi-agency
risk assessment conference model.
A core group of individuals from
specialist family violence agencies,
Victoria Police, Department of Health
and Human Services Child Protection,
and Corrections Victoria will meet
monthly to develop targeted action
plans to reduce risk and harm to
women and children who are at
serious and imminent risk from family
violence. The RAMPs will also focus
on reducing a perpetrators potential
to pose a threat to women and

children by increasing perpetrator

accountability. Depending on each
womans situation, representatives
from other support organisations
may also be invited to attend a
RAMP meeting. Bringing these
support services together allows a
greater level of information sharing,
improves understanding across
multiple agencies, and improves
accountability on multiple levels.
Womens Health West has received
funding to establish and implement
two RAMP sites across the western
metropolitan region. One site will
cover the Brimbank and Melton local
government areas, and the other
will span Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong,
Melbourne, Moonee Valley and
Wyndham. The establishment of these
two RAMPs will not only strengthen
the collaborative and integrated
partnerships we already have in the
west, it will also add value to the
comprehensive suite of family violence
programs offered by Womens Health
West. For example, the introduction
of the SRM program will complement
Womens Health Wests extreme
risk client strategy. Operating

since 2008, the strategy is a rapid

coordinated multi-agency response,
designed to assess and manage the
immediate safety needs of women
who are at risk of death or serious
injury as a result of family violence.
While there are some minor points
of difference in the way the RAMP
and the strategy operate, the main
difference is that, in the strategy, the
woman is involved in the conference
along with the other services.
The rollout of two RAMPs in the
west will involve the addition of
two RAMP coordinators and three
family violence case managers to the
family violence team at Womens
Health West. Womens Health West
will continue to work closely with
partners in the region to ensure that
the family violence programs offered
are of a high quality, based on bestpractice principles, collaborative and
integrated, and tailored to meet the
needs of each individual woman.
ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

omens Health West welcomes

the Victorian governments
rollout of the Strengthening
Risk Management (SRM) program
across Victoria. Initially piloted in two
regions, this commitment illustrates
both the success of the program
in reducing the risk to women and
children and governments continued
commitment to reducing violence
against women through an integrated
service response across government
and non-government agencies.

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

Spotlight on family violence:

Victorias Royal Commission

Nicola Harte, Communications Manager

Family violence response and family violence prevention, as separate but interlinked systems of effort,
promise to deliver a society in which all Victorian women and their children can live free from violence.
To achieve this we require sustained effort, focus, investment and strategic intent, from government and
community. The recommendations put forward in this submission have been developed with this in mind.
We see them as steps that will have the greatest impact in the short and medium term, to achieve the
longer-term goal of a society in which violence against women is no longer tolerated or conceivable.
Womens Health West submission to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, May 2015

omens Health West recently

developed a submission for the Royal
Commission into Family Violence
by drawing on our core work and the
expertise of our staff, board and partners.
We summarised the developments to
date of Victorian family violence response
and prevention, we defined what wed
like to see in the future, and detailed
how we think Victoria can get there.
This laid the foundation for a discussion
about our systemic response to family
violence, with a specific focus on housing
and refuges, the impact on children,
the specialisation of courts and police,
mens behaviour change programs and
the crucial role women-centred services
play in a multi-agency system. We talked
about the importance of integration
and coordination and the complexities
involved in sharing information across
multiple data systems and agencies.

horizon when first introduced in 2005.

We called for the continuation of this
process through stand-alone, bipartisan
policies for response and prevention
covering at least another twenty years.
We can measure progress, in part, by
increases in service demand, but this
very success requires funding to match
until the demand begins to reduce. We
called for strong government leadership
on gender equity to render violence
against women inconceivable. Until this
happens Victorian women need more
safe and affordable housing, refuges,
investment in police, courts and family
violence services. Government must
remunerate the family violence sector
appropriately and services require
capital funds to secure affordable
and accessible premises. Finally we
called for resources to evaluate all
response and prevention initiatives.

Victorias family violence system is midway through a reform agenda

and integration process
that had a 20year

WHW work in partnership with others

to achieve our goals and this is
clear in the process of developing
contributions to this royal commission.
WHW contributed
to a number of

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

10

submissions with partner agencies,

and specifically endorsed four
submissions that we collaborated in
developing, which are outlined below.
WHW leads the Preventing Violence
Together regional partnership of
eighteen members who work together
to prevent violence against women in
the west. The PVT submission called for
the introduction of a state-wide peak
body and action plan for funded, longterm, bipartisan, whole-of-government
commitment to the prevention of
violence against women. The peak body
requires gender equity and prevention
of violence against women as core
business, with long-standing experience
and expertise in gender equity and
primary prevention essential, given
the skills required to undertake and
lead primary prevention work varies

WHW is a member of the Womens

Health Association of Victoria (WHAV)
whose submission called for a standalone, long-term and evidenceinformed policy to guide primary
prevention of violence against women.
As leaders in prevention, womens
health services should have a clear
role in the governance of this new
policy, including ongoing funding
for workers to lead action plans in
every region across the state and to
coordinate that action state-wide.
As a WHAV member WHW also
collaborated in the development of a
joint statement from peak womens
health, sexual assault, family violence
and human rights bodies across the
state. This statement also called
for a funded long-term, bipartisan,

whole-of-government, whole-ofcommunity plan to prevent violence

against women. The aim would be to
engage people at different stages of
life and in different groups to reverse
gender inequity throughout education,
sports, workplaces and the media.
WHW is also a member of the Western
Integrated Family Violence Partnership
comprised of cohealth, MacKillop
Family Services, Elizabeth Morgan
House Aboriginal Womens Service
and McAuley Community Services for
Women. As family violence response
services, the focus of our submission
was on regional and statewide structures
that support integration and improve
family violence response. We called
for funded long-term, evidencebased action on gender inequity.
WHW joined 128 organisations from
the family violence, homelessness
and housing sectors to call for an
urgent investment in affordable
housing including measures to sustain
tenancies, the establishment of a
rapid rehousing program for women
and children in urgent need,
affordable housing pathways
for perpetrators, and

11

a long-term affordable housing

strategy for low-income Victorians.
You can see clear trends in each of
these submissions with most calling for
longstanding, durable overarching plans
and funding that sits outside election
periods or parties. Each submission
noted, as its overarching principle, that
violence against women is caused by
gender inequity and that this must
guide any work in Victoria to prevent
and respond to family violence; as
long as women remain unequal to
men, violence against women will
continue unabated. We are calling for
nothing short of gender transformative
practice, demanding vision, leadership,
commitment, resourcing, partnerships
and multi-faceted strategies for years
and even decades. We trust that the
commission will hear these messages
and look forward to the final report and
recommendations in February 2016.
Please check out the detail of each
submission online at
www.whwest.org.au/news/
policy/submissions/

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

significantly from that required for

responding to family violence. The
PVT submission also highlighted the
importance of collecting and sharing
data about gender equity to guide
Victorias progress on prevention actions
and urged the government to ensure
that the plan considers the different
needs of various population groups
including Aboriginal communities.

PHOTO: Nicola Harte

Deputy Commissioner Tony Nicholson and

Michelle Burrell of the Royal Commission into
Family Violence came to Womens Health
West to discuss the triage process weve had to
implement in response to huge demand.

PHOTO: Naoko Hansen

mental
wellbeing
edition

Power On
in sunny Brisbane
Sally Camilleri, Health Promotion Coordinator
Patrina Crowden, Power On Peer Facilitator

Power On is a twelve-week program for women who experience mental illness. The program is comprised of
modules that women have identified as key to enhancing their health and wellbeing. One of the strengths
of Power On is the peer education approach that recognises women as experts in their own health.
Participants continue to attribute significant changes in their lives to the program.
Womens Health West has worked in partnership with Footprints in Brisbane since 2011 to extend the
success of this program into Queensland. Weve helped by providing extensive training for facilitators,
including peer facilitators, and by sharing our program manual and other resources. Power On is still going
strong in sunny Brisbane and we are proud to share their story.

ootprints in Brisbane has been

delivering the Power On program
to women living in metropolitan
Brisbane at least twice a year since 2011.
During this time we have seen some
amazing transformations and never tire
of hearing the women who participated
gush about how beneficial Power On
was for them. We are currently running
a program with eight women and just
completed the sixth week, which is
about relationships and connecting with
others. Although were only halfway
through, things are starting to shift
in some way for each of the women.
Some have gone to great lengths to
attend; for example, negotiating public
transport in the pouring rain. Other group
members have joined a gym, started a
training course, moved into a new home,
made new friends and embraced all
the new information available to them.
As facilitators, Carissa and I have been
delighted to share in these experiences.

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

I have been a Power On peer facilitator

for three years. I began my Power On
journey as a participant in the first
program in Brisbane and am well
equipped to chat with participants

The group took a very

important step because
they identified being
socially disconnected
as a significant problem
that impacts on their
mental wellbeing.
about the struggles I experienced when
I joined a new group full of unfamiliar
but friendly faces. I am able to articulate
the benefits of participating in Power
On for me and explain what I found
most helpful. During the relationships
and connecting with others session last

12

week, the group took a very important

step because they identified being
socially disconnected as a significant
problem that impacts on their mental
wellbeing. Together, women explored
the barriers to having a social life and
came up with ideas about what they
might do to overcome these barriers.
This was a real highlight for me
because the discussion seemed to be
so useful for all the women in group.
This photo of women in our current
group shows the results of a
brainstorming activity to highlight
the personal benefits from Power
On at the halfway mark. Some of
these early benefits included feeling
more self-motivated and able to try
different things, connecting with other
women, feeling supported and brave.
All in all, I think this group of eight
women are off to a great start!
Patrina, Power On Peer Facilitator

mental
wellbeing
edition

Sunrise women

Sally Camilleri, Health Promotion Coordinator

Ruth, Barbara and Katrina, Sunrise participants

Regular readers of whw news would be familiar with our Sunrise womens program that was established
over twenty years ago. This strengths-based program consists of fortnightly groups held in Laverton,
Sunshine and Melton South for women to come together, connect and overcome the physical and social
barriers associated with having a disability. The women who attend the group drive the content because we
use a participatory approach.
At the time of joining Sunrise, many members tell us about their depressive mood and low motivation,
social anxiety as a consequence of negative experiences, isolation and relationship breakdown, and low selfesteem. A little while ago we asked women to tell us what attending Sunrise has meant for them, this is
what they had to say

unrise has been a

godsend for me.
When I first joined six
years ago I was in a
very dark place with
depression and pain. I found out about
Sunrise on the internet and was so happy
that it was a womens only group because
I was going through such a tough time
with my ex-husband. This was just what
I needed; a place where I can feel safe,
a place where I wont be judged and a
place where I could share my struggles
with chronic pain, depression and anxiety.
The group was also a space I could speak
about domestic violence and share some
stuff I really could not deal with anymore.
The group facilitators I have met over
the six years have always been polite
and very understanding. The members
are all so different but somehow we
share connections. I like how we choose
the activities and health information
sessions as a group every six months.
I truly believe my mental and physical
health has been so much better since
joining the group. Sunrise has inspired
me to share with others and search
for other things that will improve
my life. I have also learned to stand

up for myself and others; I recently

participated in a consultation for the
Royal Commission into Family Violence.
Im so proud of myself for going and
speaking out to help other women
who might be in the situation I was.
I am ever so grateful for Sunrise
group and staff members.
Ruth

was recently retired,

had just relocated
from Geelong and was
living at a retirement
village, feeling like a
square peg in a round hole. A Melton
council worker assessed me for care
and support and suggested a referral to
the Sunrise womens group might help
connect me with like-minded people
and make new friends. I met the group
facilitator when she came to my home.
Her warm manner encouraged me to
try the Sunrise group. It wasnt long
before I was looking forward to our
fortnightly meetings. Our small group
has slowly grown and I am enjoying the
company of women and activities in a
most supportive environment. My activity
level and broadened interests have been

13

a real boost and I hope I can enjoy many

more opportunities to make new friends.
Barbara

unrise is a place
where you can have
new experiences. Its
a warm, welcoming
group to meet with
every two weeks. I find getting out of the
house, having a place to come and to do
something social, sharing stories, trials
and good news it all lifts our moods.
Since coming to Sunrise I have developed
friendships with women that I can contact
outside the group. We can ring each
other whenever we want to chat or to do
something together. Sometimes we go
shopping, have a cook up together, fix the
worlds problems or just have a gas bag.
Katrina

Group members have finalised

activities for the second half of this
year, please check
www.whwest.org.au/sunrise/
for the latest calendar of events.

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

PHOTO: Sally Camilleri

tell us about the benefits of their group

Introducing culturally appropriate cervical screenings

through rural Victoria
Intesar Homed, FARREP Community Worker

Preventative health such as Pap tests and breast screening is largely unfamiliar in many African countries and
procedures are often not available through the healthcare system. WHW has found, through our community
development work, that many nurses in the west providing cervical screening have limited knowledge about
the clinical social and cultural aspect of FGM/C (see terminology below) regarding Pap tests. In response to
this evidence WHW has partnered with PapScreen Victoria to develop a project highlighting the importance
of providing culturally appropriate cervical screenings for women and girls who have undergone FGM/C.

We conducted a needs assessment

survey with 38 nurse cervical screening
providers in the north-west metropolitan
region who reported that they often
see women affected by FGM/C. The
majority of nurses also reported limited
knowledge about the social, cultural
and clinical needs of this client group.
We then conducted an additional
survey with Family and Reproductive
Rights Education Program (FARREP)
staff across the state who reported
a need for accurate, reliable training
and resources informed by the social
model of health to enhance their
practice and increase the consistency of
community education across Victoria.
The group collaborated to develop
training and resources specifically for
nurses in rural Victoria who provide
cervical screening to women and girls
affected by FGM/C. We also developed
training for FARREP staff and their
managers to improve their knowledge,
skills and confidence in this area.

Statistics show that Wangaratta,

Traralgon and Ararat are home to
a high proportion of communities
affected by FGM/C, so our focus this
year is to provide one professional
development activity in each area with
nurses providing cervical screenings.

Legal status FGM/C is not legal

in Victoria; we will explain the
relevant Victorian legislation

Reasons communities practice FGM/C

Many families and communities
consider FGM/C an essential
tradition and while reasons for the
practice vary between communities,
it is a culturally complex area

Things to consider when working

with women and girls affected by
FGM/C It is always important to
use a culturally sensitive approach to
work with women and families from
communities affected by FGM/C

Impact of immigration African

women arriving in Australia
are not only affected by the
ramifications of FGM/C, they
are also affected by a range of
concerns associated with migration
that add layers of complexity to
their lives and their health

Each session will cover:

Terminology Female Genital

Mutilation (FGM) is the term preferred
by the World Health Organisation,
the United Nations and is the term
used throughout Australian and
Victorian legislation that prohibits the
practice. Affected women, however,
do not see themselves as mutilated,
so health professionals working in the
community need to use the phrase
traditional cutting or circumcision

Definition and types The practice

involves four types according to the
WHO classification and some of these
types affect health professionals
capacity to conduct a Pap test

Countries where FGM/C is

practiced Prevalence rates in
Africa vary between countries. We
will helps nurses understand which
communities practice traditional
cutting to improve their ability to
assist migrant and refugee families

Health impact of FGM/C We will

outline the array of short and long
term health implications of FGM/C

Training
session
in rural
Victoria

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

We developed two sets of fact sheets

through the course of the project;
one for community women and one
for service providers. We translated
each fact sheet into Amharic,
Arabic, Somali and Tigrigna. These
are available for you to download
from: http://www.papscreen.
org.au/forhealthprofessional/
barrierstoscreening/femalegenital-mutilation

PHOTO: Harriet Wynne,

Cancer Council Victoria

e established a steering group

to guide project development,
implementation and evaluation.
The group is comprised of members
with specialist knowledge and the
ability to represent the interests of their
organisations and the communities
they work with, and includes the
Royal Womens Hospital, Multicultural
Womens Health Centre, Womens
Health in the North and cohealth.

14

Working to promote sexual health

Action for Equity:

theory, skills and practice

A Sexual and Rep

roductive Health
Plan
for Melbournes
West
2013-2017

Trish Hayes, Health Promotion Worker

Womens Health West, on behalf of the Action for Equity partnership,

secured a $5000 grant from the Inner North West Primary Care
Partnership in late 2013. The grant is being used to design and deliver
a sexual and reproductive health promotion workforce development
and training package to support the implementation of Action for
Equity, the sexual and reproductive health plan for Melbournes west.

omens Health West held the first

round of training in March 2014,
faciliated by public health consultant
Kerryn ORourke and Womens Health
West health promotion staff. The training
ran over two days with around twenty
participants, including health promotion,
Aboriginal community development
and youth workers; secondary school,
community and womens health nurses;
staff from the department of education
and training, and staff from community,
womens health and statewide specialist
sexual and reproductive health services.

The social gradient in health, which

refers to the fact that inequalities in
population health status are related
to inequalities in social status
Health equity, which can be defined
as the absence of unfair disparities in
health between population groups

origin and application of

The
the VicHealth Framework for
Health Equity: Fair Foundations

Developed by Women
s
for the Western Region Health West
Sexual and Reprod
uctive Health

Promotion Partner

ship

Socioeconomicand
political action to redress the
social determinants of sexual and
reproductive health inequity
WHW will deliver this training again in
2016. If you would like to attend or if
youd like further information please
contact Elly Taylor on (03)96899588
or at elly@whwest.org.au

The training package will be used to

build the evidence and knowledgebase for primary prevention
in Melbournes west by:

Developed by Womens Health West

understanding
of
for1 theIncreasing
Western
Region Sexual
and Reproductive Health Promotion Partnership
sexual and reproductive health
promotion theory with a strong
focus on the social determinants
of health and health equity

2 Increasing practical knowledge

and skills on effective approaches
to promoting sexual and
reproductive health

3 Enhancing skills and technical

capacity to plan, implement
and evaluate objectives and
strategies in Action for Equity
A post-training evalution questionnaire
indicated very high satisfaction with the
training, with participants identifying
a greater understanding of:
and reproductive health
Sexual
promotion definitions

15

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

PHOTO: Trish Hayes

How to make medical termination of pregnancy

more accessible Trish Hayes, Health Promotion Worker

Abortion is part of the reproductive health experience of one in three Australian women and the
overwhelming majority of Australians support womens legal right to freely choose abortion. Womens
Health West leads Action for Equity, the sexual and reproductive health plan in Melbournes west. One
objective of the Action for Equity plan is to increase access to affordable contraceptives and fertility control
throughout the west.

edical termination of pregnancy is

preferred by nearly 50 per cent of
women worldwide who experience
an unwanted pregnancy. The procedure
involves swallowing a pill and is as
simple and safe as a surgical termination.
However, despite the legal status of
abortion in Victoria, there remains limited
access to this type of termination and
the number of general practitioners
who prescribe medical termination from
their practices is not publicly available.
One challenge is the cost; medical
termination in a private clinic begins at
approximately $500. Given that this cost
can be prohibitive for disadvantaged or
marginalised women, we urgently need
to explore opportunities for increasing
access to affordable, high quality
abortion services that are responsive
to womens needs. Women on low
incomes, migrant and refugee women,
women with a disability, women who
misuse alcohol and other drugs, young
women and women who are not eligible
for Medicare payments can all experience
this disadvantage. These areas of equity
and access are a major concern.
In an effort to increase the availability
of affordable options for women in

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

the west, Womens Health West, in

partnership with the Womens Hospital,
Inner North West Melbourne Medicare
Local and cohealth (all Action for Equity
partners) facilitated an information
night for western region GPs in April.
Fourteen health professionals attended,
including GPs, pharmacists and
community health nurses. Womens
Health West health promotion staff
provided a brief overview of the service
system as it relates to surgical and
medical termination of pregnancy in
Victoria, with a focus on Melbournes
west. This overview provided an
important context to examining the
need to provide the service in our
region, given the limited options that
are currently available to women.
The Womens Hospital has been
providing public medical termination of
pregnancy services via their Choices clinic
for the past five years, so the highlight
of the evening was a presentation by
Dr Paddy Moore, the head of the clinic.
Dr Moore gave an overview of GP
training requirements and an update
on procedures, support and referral
pathways. He referred interested GPs
to the Marie Stopes Health website

16

for details on completing the prerequisite training (for more information,

go to www.ms2step.com.au).
A local GP then presented on her
experience of providing the service.
She explained the way she set up
successful low-cost partnerships with
local ultrasound providers, pathology
and pharmacy services to make the
procedure affordable for local patients.
We wrapped up the evening with a
lively question and answer session
and participants completed a needs
assessment to gauge their further
training requirements. We will use the
results of the needs assessment survey
to inform the next steps for this work.

Are you a GP in the

western region? The
assessment survey takes
five minutes to complete
and is available at
www.surveymonkey.
com/r/F99Z7QS

donations
Debra Wannan, Finance Officer
Sophie, Crisis Accommodation Coordinator

omens Health West extend our warmest thanks for

the following contributions from February to June
2015. These much-appreciated donations and grants
help us to enhance our programs and services. Every
donation goes straight to assisting women and children.

Donor

Type of Donation

The Honourable
Bill Shorten, MP

2002 Penfolds Grange

valued at $670 to auction
at a fundraiser

Catherine, Intimo
Lingerie

Lingerie and CDs

Kathy Kaplan and Bea,

Impact for women

Mothers day parcels

Mary

Leather jacket

Vanda, Medicare Local

Lunch boxes

Kylie, Assist A Sista

Items for mothers day gift bags

Lee, Sea Breeze Quilters

Care packs, patchwork

quilts and toiletries

Ange

Disposable nappies

Michelle

Disposable nappies

Donor

Purpose

Magistrates Court of
Victoria, Criminal Justice
Diversion program

5 x court
ordered funds

$1,150

Little Rabbit Caf

Donation from
International
Womens Day
fundraising

$20

Stella Kinsella and

Mandy Nolan

Comedy fundraiser

Marisa Te

Donation

Christie Widiarto

Donation

$30

The Country Womens

Association

Donation

$250

Wade Noonan MP

Donation

$50

Finesse Cakes by Ingrid

Donation from
auction of
guitar cake

Assist A Sista facilitate donations of clothing, furniture, nonperishable food items, toys and other items thank you for the
gorgeous Mothers Day packs for the women in our refuge.

Look at all these quilts! Thanks

so much Sea Breeze Quilters, its
so comforting for women leaving
refuge to be able to take your
beautiful handiwork with them.

Were very
grateful to
the lovely
Ingrid at
Finesse Cakes
in Yarraville
for creating
this amazing
chocolate
mud cake in
the form of a
life-sized bass
guitar. She
auctioned
the cake online and sent the
proceeds to WHW thanks
Ingrid!

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Amount

$860
$86

$200

$2,646

TOTAL

Donations are tax deductible. To donate online

www.whwest.org.au/about-us/donations

Membership is free. To apply, fill in this form and mail to

Womens Health West: 317319 Barkly Street, Footscray VIC 3011

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

CONTACT DETAILS

Individual Voting Member

ADDRESS

(woman who lives, works or studies in the western metro region)

NAME
SUBURB POSTCODE

Organisational Member

(organisation in, or whose client-base includes, the region)

PHONE (W)

PHONE (H)

O R G A N I S AT I O N

(Individual members only)

EMAIL ADDRESS
C O N TA C T P E R S O N

S I G N AT U R E D AT E

(This person is also eligible to attend and vote at our Annual General Meeting)
POSITION

Associate Non-voting Member

(individual or organisation outside the region)

17

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

FEATURED PUBLICATION

Action for Equity progress report

Karin Holzknecht, Communications Worker

Have you heard about the partnership in Melbournes west working to

promote sexual and reproductive health? These partners are working
to have sexual and reproductive health included in local government
planning; to increase access to affordable contraceptives; to give
young people of all backgrounds the knowledge, skills and resources
theyll need for healthy relationships and sexual choices; to respond to
sexual health problems for people in and coming out of prison; to raise
awareness about safe sex via social media; and to build the capacity
of organisations to uphold sexual rights and promote gender diversity.
And thats not all!

or an overview of all the sexual

and reproductive health promotion
work carried out by the partnership
between October 2013 and October
2014, check out the Action for
Equity progress report. This report is
structured to align with Action for
Equity, the four-year plan for promoting
sexual and reproductive health in
Melbournes west this details the
partnerships progress and achievements
against the planned objectives.
The partners who have committed to
working together over the next four
years under Action for Equity include:

Brimbank City Council

Centre for Culture,
Ethnicity and Health

Centre for Multicultural Youth

HealthWest Partnership

Cohealth
Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development

Hepatitis Victoria
Hobsons Bay City Council
Inner North West Melbourne
Medicare Local

Macedon Ranges and North Western

Melbourne Medicare Local

Melton City Council

Victorian Aboriginal Community

Controlled Health Organisation

Womens Health West

Maribyrnong City Council

Moonee Valley City Council
South Western Melbourne
Medicare Local

Wyndham City Council

To get a copy of the Action for Equity

progress report, please visit our website:
http://whwest.org.au/resources/.

ISIS Primary Care

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Family Violence Crisis Outreach

Service brochure

DELIVERY DETAILS

What if the intervention

order is breached? How to
collect evidence brochure

Name:
Organisation:

How to collect evidence DVD

Postal Address:

Safe at Home poster

Postcode:
Phone: Fax:

Violence against women is

unacceptable in any culture poster

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A range of brochures and fact sheets are available from our web site
www.whwest.org.au/resources

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

18

EVENTS Notices

The annual general meeting is coming up on 18 November. Dont miss

out sign up for free as a member to receive invites to all our events!
Check out the page on our website for AGM updates (or follow us on
social media): http://whwest.org.au/about-us/agm2015/

The Victorian Government has

commissioned Australias National
Research Organisation for Womens
Safety (ANROWS) to provide advice
on what measures, statistics and data
to include in developing a family
violence index for Victoria. The Hon.
Fiona Richardson MP, Minister for
the Prevention of Family Violence,
said It is clear we are beyond crisis
point, yet have no way to measure
how we are performing over time
on stopping violence. The Victorian
Family Violence Index will tell us what
is working and what is not and help
direct policy and funding to adequately
address this national emergency.
For more information see: http://www.
anrows.org.au/resources/media/
for-the-media/anrows-welcomesopportunity-develop-world-firstfamily-violence-index

Weekly round-up of feminist

pop culture news
Weve been enjoying the weekly Gender
Agenda popping up in our inbox from
Maribyrnong City Council if youd
love to be up to date with feminist pop
culture news, sign up here:
http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/
genderequity

Upcoming dates

19

9 Aug

International Day of the

Worlds Indigenous Peoples

16 Aug

International Youth Day

17 Sept

Australian Citizenship Day

21 Sept

International Day of Peace

4-10 Oct

Mental Health Week

11 Oct

International Day
of the Girl Child

13 Oct

Islamic New Year

18 Nov

Womens Health Wests

Annual General Meeting

whwnews EDITION 2 2015

whw in the news

Womens Health West

317-319 Barkly Street
Footscray 3011
phone
fax
email
website

womens health west equity and justice for women in the west

9689 9588

9689 3861

info@whwest.org.au

www.whwest.org.au