PHOTO: Scout Kozakiewicz

whw news

EDITION 1 2015

The Eritrean Women Understanding Money Financial Literacy Program was a fun way to find out about bills,
Centrelink, starting your own business, saving and budgeting read more on page 16

A word from the ceo

elcome to the first

edition of whw
news for 2015,
which focuses on our
priority area of sexual
and reproductive health.
There has been significant work in this area,
including new funds that will allow traction
in our regional partnership, Action for Equity.
Health promotion coordinator, Elly Taylor, details
the project activities that will now be possible,
on page 2. We are also working with our
regional partners on sexual and reproductive
health programs involving diverse communities.
For example on page 3, the Deadly Health
event in Melton with young Aboriginal people
incorporated cultural activities with a sexual
health and respectful relationship focus.
Similarly, on page 15 health promotion worker,
Trish Hayes, reports on actions to improve
the sexual and reproductive health of women
in and exiting prison, recognising that the
majority of Victorias female prison population
is in the western region. Womens Health West
has long focused on supporting population
groups experiencing the greatest barriers to
accessing services, and plan to direct some of
our new funding towards incarcerated women.
Journalist, disability activist, feminist and
comedian, Stella Young, demanded action
for change, especially with and on behalf
of women who live on the margins. Our
favourite comedian, Nelly Thomas, presents
an excerpt from her eulogy for Stella on

Dr Robyn Gregory

page 17, reminding us of the importance

of auditing our accessibility efforts.
Communications manager, Nicola Harte,
outlines the process and terms of reference
for the upcoming royal commission into
family violence on page 5. Womens Health
West will submit proposals based on the
views of our staff, board and partners. I
encourage you to participate in whatever
way you can including by contacting us to
incorporate your experiences in our submission,
or by writing your own submission.
The power of providing a safe space for
community women to express their views
couldnt have been more apparent than
at our recent international womens day
event, reported on page 5. Our Community
Our Rights participants presented films
showing how they applied human rights
advocacy to their lives. They also cofacilitated an interactive workshop with
health and community service organisations,
which you can read about on page 6.
Employment is a key driver of womens
independence and this can be difficult to
maintain or find for women who have
experienced family violence in terms of
confidence, ongoing appointments and court
attendance. Tailored support is particularly
important, so WHW partner in a program
to increase the social, civic and economic
participation of women read more on page 7.
WHW has provided financial literacy programs
since 2008. On page 16, Sally Camilleri,

Continued p.2

womens health west equity and justice for women in the west

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

inside:

Sexual and
reproductive
health in
prisons p.15
Women in prison are far more likely
than the general population to have
experienced sexual abuse, to have
been paid for sex and to be more
vulnerable to sexually transmissible
infections. Read about the new
working group in the west.

Kids! Find out what Ruby

Roo got up to over the
summer holidays p.8
Learn how
to make
your own
volcano that
works!

Local women talk about

how it feels to be Muslim
in Australia p.10
Twelve years ago we published a
conversation about Muslim staff
members experiences
of discrimination
and racism after
September 11. Find
out if anything has
changed.

Continued from p.1

health promotion coordinator, outlines
the latest program with Eritrean
women and describes our longterm analysis of the barriers women
face to economic participation.
Another group of women who have
identified particular difficulties in
finding employment are Muslim
women. Four of our Muslim staff
members share their experiences of
increasing prejudice on pages 10-11.
Brishna ends that report with a
heartening message about her faith
in Australia and its hard not to have
faith when you see the extraordinary
young women who form part of our
Lead On Again program. We hear
from tomorrows leaders on page 14.
On pages 8-9 Ruby Roo, our resident
kangaroo counsellor, lets us know
what has been happening with kids at
WHW and shows us how to make
a volcano! (Not a real one, surely!)
Our respectful relationships education
project, You, Me and Us, also worked
with children and young people.
We launched the manual for that
program in November 2014 at the
Queen Victoria Womens Centre, but
unfortunately project funding has ended;
read more about it on pages 12-13.
The behind the scenes report on new
staff and board members reflects the
growth in the organisation with new
positions in human resources, quality
and risk. We are fortunate to continue
to attract skilled staff and directors
who are passionate about our work.

ISSN # 1834-7096
Editor: Nicola Harte, Communications
Manager
Contributors to this edition: Amanda
Wimetal, Aoibheann, Brishna, Elly Taylor,
Intesar Homed, Karin Holzknecht, Kirsten
Campbell, Melanie Sleap, Meriem Idris,
Shukria Alewi, Nadine, Nelly Thomas,
Nicola Harte, Robyn Gregory, Sally
Camilleri, Stephanie, Tess, Trish Hayes
Photographers: Karin Holzknecht, Sally
Camilleri, Scout Kozakiewicz, Stephanie,
Telstra, Amanda Wimetal
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 1 published: April 2015
Edition 2 deadline: 1 June 2015

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Sexual and reproductive

health funding win!

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

Elly Taylor, Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator

In November 2014, Womens Health West was the successful recipient

of a $200,000 social impact grant from the Helen Macpherson Smith
Trust to fund project activities associated with Action for Equity: A
Sexual and Reproductive Health Promotion Plan for Melbournes West
2013-2017.

he overarching aim of the

three year grant is to increase
knowledge, attitudes and
behaviours that support optimal
sexual and reproductive health
among disadvantaged communities in
Melbournes west through integrated
service models. Action for Equity partners
will work in collaboration to deliver
the following six discrete projects:

Sexual and reproductive

health promotion with women
in and exiting prison

Supporting the roll out and training

of practitioners in long-acting
contraceptives and medication
(non-surgical) abortion

The delivery of Girls Talk Guys Talk in

specialist schools to support increased
sexual and reproductive health literacy
among young people with a disability

The delivery of a sexual and

reproductive health program
with young Aboriginal people
and their communities

The delivery of sexual and

reproductive health promotion theory
and practice training for professionals

A rigorous literature review of

the social determinants of health
inequities, which will be the first
of its kind internationally.

The expected project impacts

and outcomes include:

The participation of 50 women

currently in prison or who have
recently been released from prison
The delivery of Girls Talk Guys
Talk in two specialist schools for
150 young people and increased
capacity of 30 parents and staff

A sexual health event delivered to 300

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
young people that is attended by
60 parents and community elders

We expect that these projects will result

in a 60 per cent increase in knowledge
and skills of 600 young people, women
in prison, parents and teachers regarding
respectful relationships that are gender
equitable, safe sexual practices, and
disease prevention. Other expected
project impacts and outcomes include:

Installation of 14 condom vending

machines that provide 6,000 condoms
to young people, street sex-workers
and men who frequent gay beats,
supported by a social media strategy
that reaches 10,000 people

The delivery of professional

development training relating
to medication abortion to 60
practitioners. We expect that this
will see a 60 per cent increase
in clinical and service system
knowledge of practitioners regarding
contraceptives and fertility control
and result in two medication abortion
providers in each local government
area in Melbournes west

The development of a literature

review of sexual and reproductive
health inequities to support evidencebased professional development
training for 60 practitioners that
will increase their knowledge of
sexual and reproductive health
theory and practice by 60 per cent.

For further information about this

project, please contact Health
Promotion Coordinator, Elly Taylor
at elly@whwest.org.au

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.

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

Deadly Health Melton Behind

the scenes
Board

Maria Di Gregorio
DIRECTOR CONSUMER
FINANCE AT TELSTRA

I have worked in the public

sector in law enforcement
organisations, audit and business
enterprises. At Telstra Ive been an
auditor, a risk manager, and IT delivery
executive. I was the chief security officer
and am now a finance executive.

Beaded bracelets depicting

the menstrual cycle

Amanda Wimetal, Health Promotion Worker

eadly Health is a new annual

sexual health and relationships
event for Aboriginal young people
and their communities and is one of
the initiatives to result from Action
for Equity: A Sexual and Reproductive
Health Plan for Melbournes West
2013-2017. Deadly Health may appear
to be an oxymoronic title for a health
event, but language is an important
factor in delivering culturally appropriate
messages in a sensitive area like sexual
health, and in this case, deadly in the
Koori community is commonly used to
mean cool. In November 2014, the
first Deadly Health event was run at
Melton Secondary College with thirteen
young people from Melton Secondary
College and Staughton College.
The half day event included sexsegregated workshops facilitated by
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre. The
workshops provided information and
discussion about sexual health and
respectful relationships, and incorporated
cultural activities. The boys workshop,
Deadly Dudes, involved painting
message sticks with positive sexual
health messages, and, in their Sacred
Sistas workshop, the girls made beaded
bracelets depicting the menstrual cycle.
A Welcome to Country ceremony was
conducted by Aboriginal Elder Zeta
Thompson, who took participants
back in time with a pictorial
presentation of the Yorta Yorta and
Wurundjeri people, highlighting the
importance of remembering ones

past to pass on cultural identity

to the future generations.
The final activity was a hip hop
workshop with Dylan and Oti from
the Phoenix Youth Centre who
performed songs about mutual
respect in relationships and helped
participants create their own freestyle
raps. Some participants stayed well
into their lunch break asking Dylan
and Oti about how they got their
start in hip hop. The event was
attended by representatives from
Action for Equity partner, cohealth,
who provided information about
upcoming activities for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander young people.
To wrap up the day, participants
enjoyed a pizza lunch with the Koori
Engagement and Support Officers,
Secondary School Nurse, Dylan and Oti.
The young people reflected that they
liked having a culturally-appropriate
space to talk about sexual health and
relationships and that the information
was useful, particularly about
contraception and prevention of STIs.
WHW would like to thank key
community partners including the
Gathering Place, Melbourne Sexual
Health Centre, Aunty Zeta Thompson,
the Secondary School Nursing program
and the Koori Engagement Unit for
making Deadly Health highly relevant
to the needs of ATSI young people. By
working together, we are strengthening
our integrated response to serving
the ATSI young people in our region.

I spent many of my early years standing

up for my right to be educated
and worked hard. I wanted my
independence. As the first woman in
my family to get a degree, it was quite
a surprise for the family when I decided
to get a second one. I also love to
entertain so by day, I manage a finance
team of almost 50 staff and by night,
I am inventing new dinner dishes.
There are a few things I have
always felt strongly about:

The rights of the individual

to be free to make choices
that are right for them

The need to educate people so

they can be free to choose and so
that people from diverse cultural
backgrounds can participate fully

The need for those with the

strength to stand up for those
that cant defend themselves.

It is this set of attitudes that drew

me to Womens Health West. WHWs
programs assist the most disadvantaged
people in the community and build
the capacity of individuals and
organisations to break the cycle of
family violence. The third element that
attracted me to WHW is the focus on
women. While discrimination against
women is less intense than it was,
there is still a long way to go before
women have it as easy as men.
I hope to spend my time on the
board aiding WHW to continue
to be a strong organisation that is
invaluable to the community.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

PHOTO: Courtesy of Telstra

PHOTO: Amanda Wimetal

TREASURER, WOMENS
HEALTH WEST BOARD OF
DIRECTORS

Behind the scenes

submissions

Nicola Harte,
Communications Manager

PHOTOS: Karin Holzknecht

WHW Staff
Tanya Thorpe

Kristin

SENIOR HUMAN
RESOURCES ADVISOR

COUNSELLING COORDINATOR

I spent several years

working in community
advice and advocacy in
the UK before moving
to Australia on a one-year
working holiday visa. Fifteen
years later, Im still here and a citizen of
Australia! I spent many years working in
international volunteer and humanitarian
aid programs, before moving into
general human resources roles. Although
Im very new to WHW, I can sense the
passion and commitment of the staff
to bring about positive changes in both
individuals lives and more generally
in wider society. I share a passion for
social change, and I hope to assist
WHW by supporting the organisation
to support and manage the staff team.

I am a qualified social worker with

thirteen years experience in the
community sector managing programs
and supporting teams. I have a broad
understanding of the structural causes of
disadvantage and work therapeutically
with families and individuals with
complex needs. My extensive experience
in the family violence sector and
understanding of the impacts of
trauma should benefit my new role as
counselling coordinator. I feel privileged
to be leading such a wonderful
team of highly skilled and creative
therapists. Im also glad to be working
in a feminist organisation! I hope I can
contribute in meaningful ways and look
forward to meeting new challenges.

Womens Health West congratulates

the new premier, Daniel Andrews, for
appointing the first Victorian minister for
the prevention of family violence, Fiona
Richardson. This, coupled with the Royal
Commission into family violence, bodes
well for recognition of the demand
for services by, and impact on, women
and children who experience family
violence. The commission is accepting
written submissions until 29 May, with
the following terms of reference:

Examine and evaluate strategies,

frameworks, policies, programs and
services across government and
local government, media, business
and community organisations

Investigate the means of having

systematic responses to family
violence, particularly in the legal
system and by police, corrections,
child protection, legal and family
violence support services, including
reducing re-offending and changing
violence and controlling behaviours

Investigate how government

agencies and community
organisations can better integrate
and co-ordinate their efforts

Provide recommendations on how

best to evaluate and measure the
success of strategies, frameworks,
policies, programs and services put
in place to stop family violence

Megan
24 HOUR CRISIS COORDINATOR

Melanie Wayman
QUALITY AND RISK OFFICER

My background is in document, project

and change management as well as
governance, risk and compliance.
I manage continuous improvement
frameworks and have been an auditor
in various organisations including
Ambulance Victoria. I have worked
closely with management to build
systems to meet strategic objectives.
I hope to highlight the benefits of
quality here at WHW, to show that it
is everyones business and an aspect of
daily work. In doing so, we can achieve a
streamlined approach to quality and risk
for the organisation, making staff roles
easier and safer without compromising
on the provision of quality services.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

My very first job was packing food

parcels in a welfare centre in Ballarat.
Over the past 29 years I have worked
in emergency accommodation,
childcare, drug and alcohol services
and family violence services. Two years
ago I completed my Masters in Family
Therapy, which was both a challenge
and rewarding as I was still working
full time. I was interested in working
at WHW because of the range of
influence thats unique to this service.
Its great to be in a place that works
not only with clients in direct service
but also advocates to government,
provides early intervention programs
and leads the regional prevention plan.
I am excited to continue to learn and
develop my skills while working here.

Royal Commission
into familyviolence
Please contact us on info@
whwest.org.au if you would like to
contribute to our submission.

WHW is developing a submission

given our core work. We are working
with our staff, board and partners to
identify key messages, propose solutions
and demonstrate the importance
of integration across our region.
The commission is due to deliver
its report and recommendations
by the end of February 2016.
While WHW absolutely welcome the
Royal Commission, we are experiencing
a spike in demand for services with the
accompanying publicity. For example,
last year we received an average of
512 police referrals per month. In
January 2015 this figure was 835 and
in February 766. We look forward
to an announcement from Minister
Richardson about additional funds that
will be available to meet that demand.

PHOTOS: Sally Camilleri

Powerful stories shared on

International Womens Day
Nicola Harte, Communications Manager

On 4 March 2015, ninety women and a few men gathered in a new

venue on Nicholson Street in Footscray VU at MetroWest to
celebrate International Womens Day.

fter a welcome from WHW CEO Dr

Robyn Gregory, Commissioner Dr
Teresa De Fazio described her work at
the Victorian Multicultural Commission, as
well as the principles of multiculturalism
and how they relate to human rights. For
example, that every Victorian is entitled
to mutual respect regardless of diverse
backgrounds, and to access opportunities
to contribute to the social, cultural,
economic and political life of the state.
This intersection of human rights and
multiculturalism perfectly dovetailed
with Kirsten Campbells introduction
of Our Community Our Rights; WHWs
human rights program that engages
migrant and refugee women in advocacy
training and project work, and promotes
participation in Australian society.
We then launched a series of short
films in which project participants from
South Sudan, and ethnic communities
in Burma and India reflect on their
experiences of advocating for human
rights in their community as a result
of their participation in the program.
Following the films, members from each
group joined project worker Kirsten
on the stage with Commissioner De
Fazio for a lively question and answer
session that included queries about
how audience members might run
the program in their own community,
how men were involved in family
violence awareness training and even
an invitation for participants to come
and speak to Victoria University social
work students about their experiences!

Once the panel dispersed we were

treated to the fabulous (and crowdinvolving) Indian singing of Priya
Parab Singh, intricate classical
dancing by women from the Shan
ethnic community in Burma, and a
fascinating and beautiful narrative
Indian dance by Malini and Archana.
We were fortunate that Fairy Caitlin
was available to entertain the children
who attended. We heard excited
reports about sitting on a giant
rainbow while she painted their
faces and made balloon animals.
There were lots of positive comments
about the performances in the feedback
from participants about the event;
particularly about the inspirational
and diverse women represented
in the films and on the panel.
When asked what she liked about
the celebration, one woman said,
Hearing about the Our Community
Our Rights, particularly from the
participants on the panel their personal
stories were extremely powerful.
Another woman said she liked,
that women are doing things for
themselves, how women can be
empowered and in turn empower others
- teaching is the best way to learn.
To watch the films online or to read
the fact sheets developed through
the program please go to www.
whwest.org.au/rights/

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

PHOTOS: Sally Camilleri

Reflecting on human rights within

community development work
Sally Camilleri, Health Promotion Coordinator

Respect for human rights and the provision of culturally sensitive

services are important aspirations for the community sector. One
purposeful and systematic way to embed these values in project or
service design is to ask ourselves some questions in the development
stage: What does human rights mean in community development
practice? How do we design culturally responsive projects? How can
we embrace the complexity of these concepts in the work we do?

n February 2015, Womens Health

West facilitated an interactive
workshop with forty representatives
from health and disability services,
councils and community organisations
exploring practical ways to approach
project planning while considering these
questions. The event brought together
staff and community leaders working
across the service spectrum from primary
prevention to response, to consider ways
to embed a human rights framework
and principles of cultural responsiveness
in community development work.
The workshop content was based on
WHWs experiences of implementing
Our Community Our Rights over the
past three years. Project workers Kirsten
and Shifrah presented the principles
for planning human rights programs
in relation to community participation,
accountability, non-discrimination,
empowerment and links to human
rights. Participants then engaged in
activities to reflect on how they might
apply these principles in their workplace.
Suzan, Hay Nay and Jane each
participated in Our Community Our
Rights and agreed to represent their
groups and share their experiences
of what can be achieved. Suzan told
the group about discrimination she
had experienced at work and how
she had gained the confidence she
needed to stand up for herself.
So what changed is that this pushing
around at work had been going on
for years but I had never been able
to speak up for myself. But after I got
the confidence to do this I was able
to get an apology from my supervisor,
which has pleased me a lot.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Hay Nay shared her groups experience

of identifying cultural barriers Burmese
minority groups face when turning
away door-to-door sales people.
The project Hay Nay worked on
aimed to build knowledge within her
community about relevant legislation
and increase their confidence to turn
pushy sales people away rather than
sign up for multiple contracts.
I believe that knowing your rights
is really precious for your physical,
emotional wellbeing and safety. On
top of that its the strength of our
community. It gives me confidence to
stand up for myself and others too.

When it was Janes turn she spoke

eloquently about how important
it is to enable people to advocate
on their own behalf, and warned
that advocating on behalf of others
can diminish their power.
I have seen women grow and
blossom throughout the project. This
is a credit to how it was delivered.
Shifrah was a quiet enabler; she
supported us and literally carried us
through the project but remained
invisible The way the project was
delivered by WHW and the way
it empowered me is a lesson on
human rights and advocacy that I
will carry into my work and life.

individuals can advocate for

themselves in specific situations

Six fact sheets for service providers

examining transferrable principles for
project design when working with
refugee and migrant communities

We were also pleased to launch three

short films developed throughout
the project and we hope they will
inspire others to promote human
rights advocacy. These can be
viewed along with the fact sheets
at www.whwest.org.au/rights

Three fact sheets for community

members examining ways

Thank you to Maribyrnong City Council

for their support of this workshop.

WHW distilled what we learned

into two sets of fact sheets:

Finding employment after family violence: case study

Valerie*s intimate partner, Steve,* abused her physically, emotionally,
psychologically and financially for ten years. She was forced to flee her
family home and enter a refuge with her son on many occasions.

Womens Health West supported Valerie

to locate affordable private rental
accommodation and she began to be
able to think about the future. She and
her worker developed a plan focussed
on breaking her search for employment
down into specific and achievable
goals. The goals take Valeries unique
circumstances into account including her
need for flexible childcare arrangements
and the ability to take time off to attend
court for family violence matters.
WHW understand that the experience
of family violence has far reaching
implications for women and their
children and that many women find
it difficult to locate, maintain and
sustain employment during/following
family violence. Indeed, in an effort
to maintain power many perpetrators
isolate women from family, friends
and professional networks; this
helps them exert total control.
The level and duration of violence
experienced by women and children
that we assist undermines their security
and safety, destroying the foundations
of their identity as well as affecting
their sense of belonging, control, selfworth, self-confidence and self-esteem.
The dislocation, caused by family
violence, not only increases womens
experiences of trauma, but can also
limit their participation in the workforce,
affecting their ability to generate
the independent financial resources
necessary to gain and sustain housing.

WHW works to increase the social, civic

and economic participation of women,
particularly those from disadvantaged
backgrounds. We have almost thirty
years experience partnering with other
agencies to improve outcomes for
vulnerable women and their children. It
makes sense then that we are working
with Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley
Local Learning and Employment
Network and Maribyrnong City Council
on Maribyrnong Works. This two year
project, funded by the Department of
Health and Human Services, is designed
to maximise employment opportunities
for residents of Maribyrnong by
developing local level strategies to link
long term unemployed individuals to
education, training and employment.
So far through this project WHW
and the consortium have provided
Valerie and five other women in similar
situations with case management
support to dismantle the barriers to
and engage in ongoing meaningful
employment. WHW works alongside
women to develop resumes, address
selection criteria and apply for jobs.
We also facilitate access to vocational
training and provide ongoing support
to women and their employers.

ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

ike many women who have

experienced family violence, Valeries
self-esteem and confidence was
extremely low after years of being
told that she was good for nothing.
Steve had been controlling her money
for years, demanding she provide him
with receipts for any money she spent.
While in refuge Valerie worked with a
family violence worker and identified
finding part-time employment as one
of the main goals of her case plan.

Following a push by unions in

October 2014 to include 10
days paid domestic violence
leave for permanent staff and
10 days unpaid leave to be
included in awards, over 1.6
million Australian employees
currently have access to paid
domestic violence leave. In a
heartening move, a number of
large telecommunications
companies and major
banks have since
introduced the new
leave provisions to give
their employees the
flexibility to attend
the necessary court,
medical, legal
and counselling
appointments.

One of the key objectives of the

project is to work with local businesses
that are open to integrating family
violence policies into their workplace
agreements. These policies not only
create an environment that supports
structural, cultural and attitudinal
change among the workforce, they
also recognise that one of the key
barriers to sustainable employment for
women experiencing family violence
is additional time off required to
attend court, counselling sessions to
deal with their childrens trauma.
For more information on
Maribyrnong Works, please
contact info@whwest.org.au
*Not their real names.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

The Ruby files

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

n the summer holidays we tried something

new and I was sweating in my fur because
it was so exciting! We held three new
groups for kids who are 8 to 12 years
old. Each group looked at things that kids
who have experienced family violence
sometimes need some help with.
One group concentrated on asking, What
do I do with my big feelings? Another
group figured out the answers to What
helps me feel okay? And the third group
explored our personal space bubbles.
Some kids came to just one of the groups,
but most came to try all three and we had
a blast! We exploded a volcano (to show
what can happen sometimes if you bottle
your feelings up), made cubbies and talked
about personal space. We still managed to
keep our bounce while we talked and made
art about some tough times. All the kids
were very brave and helped each other a lot,
particularly with coming into group the first
time, because some were nervous. Do you
get nervous when you try new things too?

SPLASh!
I cant wait to head to Melton in term two
for another SPLASh group! Its a Safe Place
for Laughter, Arts and Sharing and this time
our friends from Djerriwarrh Health Services
and Melton City Council will be helping (I
hope they like kangaroos?) The group
is for children who are between 8 and 12
years old and have been exposed to family
violence. It runs for eight weeks of fun, art
making and games! Please ask your mum or
a grown up to call my pals in the childrens
counselling team if you think this is for you.

How to make papier-mch

You will need:
A bowl
Flour
Water
A balloon
Newspaper ripped into strips

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Put 1 part flour and 1 part water into the bowl and
mix until you have a gluey paste. Blow up the balloon.
Dunk strips of newspaper in the glue mixture and lay the
wet strips over the balloon. Repeat until the balloon is
covered. Add mushed up newspaper strips to the base to
mould it into a volcano. It will need a day or so to dry.

Make your own volcano!

Speaking of blowing off steam,

if you want to make your own
volcano at home all you need is:

In other news, we have an exciting and cute

new addition to Womens Health West a
little puppy who sometimes comes to visit
us! We all love playing with her. Patting
her fur helps us feel relaxed and the things
she does make us laugh! Having the puppy
around reminds me of how important it is to
have people to spend time with and hobbies
to do to help you feel okay if youve had a
tough day or youre worried, angry or sad.
What helps you feel okay? Do you have a
pet? Maybe you can make your own list of
things that help you feel better or choose
some things to try from the list below:

Newspaper or a plastic tub

Clay or papier-mch
4 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda
Red and yellow food dye
1 cup of vinegar
First you spread some newspaper out or
start work in a big plastic tub because this
is going to make a huge mess! Then make
the volcano body with the clay or papiermch. Put bicarbonate soda in the hole
and add some red and yellow food dye.
Next, pour the vinegar in, stand back and

Jump on the trampoline

Draw or write in a journal/colour in
Listen to music
Have a dance
Take a bath or shower
Walk the dog! Pat the cat! Cuddle the rabbit!
Talk to someone you trust
Bounce a ball
Hoola with a hoop

PHOTOS: Stephanie

Some kids who have experienced family

violence might find it hard to spend time
doing things away from mum or their
carer. It does take practice to feel okay
by yourself, particularly if youve seen or
heard scary stuff in the past. I like to hang
out with Gruffalo. He cheers me up. Thats
why its good to try out some of the things
above to blow off some steam or relax.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Muslim women and safety

A conversation

Meriem Idris, Shukria Alewi, Intesar Homed, Brishna

Twelve years ago Womens Health West published a conversation between two Muslim staff members
talking about their experiences of discrimination and racism after September 11. Given the current media
and federal governmental responses to the actions of radical Islamist group Islamic State tend to conflate
being Muslim with being a terrorist, and in the wake of the Lindt Caf siege, we thought it was time to have
that conversation again and share with you how it feels to be a Muslim woman living in the western region
of Melbourne at this moment. To read the original conversation go to, www.whwest.org.au/safety2003/

Meriem:

We talked about it in
2003 and for me its the
same. A woman I spoke to recently
remarked on the nice new Footscray
train station and new apartments saying,
Wow! Its beautiful, Footscrays
changed. Then she had an incident with
someone and said, the buildings and
infrastructure have changed but the
people have not changed. So
unfortunately the same things are
happening today.
I think the reason is that these leaders
have a political agenda. They want more
laws and restrictions so they get in front
of cameras and microphones asking,
why are they wearing hijab? So they
scare the wider community about the
Muslims in this country to get support
for their bill. I know women who have
been harassed verbally, abused, even
beaten and no action is taken. The
politicians are not thinking, or they
might know this is happening but they
dont care because we are a minority
and were not loud or powerful enough.
And no one has been arrested for these
attacks. Unless there are consequences
this is going to be an ongoing issue.

Shukria:

For me its exactly the

same as during
September 11. Its a shame because we
have put so much work and effort to be
one and work together. We created
museums and open days at the mosque
to educate non-Muslims about who we
are and about our peaceful and beautiful
religion, but after the Sydney siege were
back to square one. I feel so tired of the
government telling me I have to

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

integrate, to mix with the Australians

Well, who am I? I am Australian. My
nationality is Australian. Just because we
wear another piece of clothing and have
different skin colour doesnt make us any
different. I feel like I have to prove myself
again.

Intesar:

I agree, I think its the

way the media and
politicians portray us. Our religion gives
us good guidelines. It never tells us to go
out and kill people. Our religion is a
peaceful religion. It shows how to be a
good person in life. So for me, I dont
believe these people are Muslim but
theyre doing it in the name of Islam and
its affecting us.

Shukria:

The religion of Islam

is practiced by people
from all over the world and is made up
of people from all walks of life therefore
we cannot use one mans action to
represent millions of people. Just after
the siege I was in the supermarket and a
man and his daughter called me a
bloody terrorist and said I should go back
to where I came from and am not
needed here. I was really scared. I didnt
know what to do. There were staff and
other people just standing there,
listening to this and doing nothing about
it. Then I was scared to come to work via
public transport because I was not sure
what I will face and the fear of being
watched and examined by the public
who think I might do something. Its
especially bad for us women, and its all
to do with this [touches hijab] but this is
who we are, this is what defines us.

10

Without this its basically like Im not

wearing any clothes. But the hijab is
what defines us as being Muslim and
followers of Islam not followers of
terrorism.

Intesar:

The other thing is

that I have to explain
it to my children. On the morning of the
siege my older daughter asked about it. I
told her its nothing to do with Islam, its
just an idiot man doing this for his own
interests. I asked her how she was going
to talk to her friends about it and she
said, Im just going to tell them, this is
nothing to do with Islam. So you know,
its hard for the kids as well. She has to
be over-responsible for a ten year old.
They know shes Muslim because she
tells them that she fasts; shes done
show and tell about Islam for Eid and
Ramadan. Theyre very proud of their
culture and all of a sudden the media is
saying your religion is not the right
religion. You are terrorists.

Shukria:

Even now, the park is

just behind my house
but I cant take my daughter there
because Im really scared that I might be
identified by the wearing of the hijab
(scarf) and get attacked physically or
verbally. So I decided that I dont take my
daughter out at all and wait until my
brother or my husband come so they can
take her out.

Meriem:

Regardless of whats
happening overseas, we
are not part of it, so why are we
blamed? In the paper you only hear if its
someone whos Muslim or Middle-

In response to the possibility

of increased harassment
or abuse faced by Muslim
women, Womens Health
West placed this sign in our
window to let women know
that WHW is a safe space
Eastern or African background. If they
dont mention their background I
immediately know they are talking about
a white person. Part of the solution is to
change media reporting. Every time they
report about a Muslim when the story
has nothing to do with religion we
should send a media release telling them
to correct it. I rang a presenter once
when he reported an incident that had
nothing to do with being a Muslim but
kept saying these Muslims. So I told
him about my nephew who is the same
age. Im teaching him to be a good
citizen and by talking about Muslim kids
in this way, you are destroying what we
are building. I think Muslims and
non-Muslims who support
multiculturalism should work together to
build a country thats good.

Brishna:

Exactly, we have this

situation where, say,
Tom commits a crime; Tom is held
accountable. Yet when Ahmed commits
a crime, Islam is somehow held to
account for his crimes. We really need to
learn that the individual should be held
accountable and not a whole faith, and
this is sadly not reflected in media
reporting.
Ive been a Muslim my whole life. Ive
fasted, prayed and practiced without
wearing the scarf and I have never been
treated differently. A few months ago
I went on a pilgrimage and after that I
decided to wear the scarf. Since then
I have been treated differently. Some
people assume my English skills are low
and speak slowly, while driving a man
refused to give way then called out a
degrading term in reference to my hijab,
I get more dismissive attitudes when
meeting people, some people stare.
But despite all of that, I refuse to
generalise that all people have the same
attitudes. There are good individuals
and there are those who commit bad

acts. I have non-Muslim friends whom

I consider family, I work alongside
people of other faiths and cultures who
appreciate and respect my beliefs and
this is the Australia I have faith in.

Intesar:

I had trouble with my

hijab when I was
looking for a job. Things would be great
over the phone; theyd seen my resume,
my results and theyd say, come for an
interview. I did ten interviews. But as
soon as I entered the room some of
them I could see it in their face theyd
be like, Is that you? The one with the
scarf? And then, on the eleventh
interview my husband said, Please
Intesar, take off your hijab for this one. I
just want to see Im curious, is it your
hijab? So I did and I got the job! I
started work on the following Monday;
wearing my hijab. It was a great job.
Thats why I say wait and see, employ
them. Dont just make up your mind as
soon as you see the hijab.

Meriem:

I was very impressed at

how the NSW Premier
handled the siege. Every time he was on
the TV he said, New South Wales, were
standing together we are doing it
together. He kept saying, we, we, we.
He didnt exclude, he didnt even use the
word Muslim. Thats why you didnt see
huge repercussions. We need leaders like
him.

11

In response to the possibility of increased

harassment or abuse faced by Muslim
women here in Footscray after the
Sydney siege, Womens Health West
placed a sign in our window to let
women know that WHW is a safe
space. We organised a roster of staff
volunteers to sit with women, listen to
what happened, provide information
about their rights, offer a cup of tea
and phone someone to pick them
up. The main principle behind our
response is to try to maximise the
womans control over decision-making
in a situation where she might feel like
she has lost all control. We encourage
other agencies to do the same.

If you experience harassment

Call the police on 000 and report the
incident. If the incident has just occurred
call 000, or contact the police station
closest to where the incident occurred
(see internet for relevant phone number)
Victorian Equal Opportunity and
Human Rights Commission can
investigate and resolve complaints
of discrimination, harassment
and bullying based on a persons
race. For more information call
1300 292 153 or check out
humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

How to prevent violence against women

manual launch

Melanie Sleap, Health Promotion Worker

Womens Health West launched the manual for our respectful relationships education project, You, Me
and Us, in November 2014 at the Queen Victoria Womens Centre. The project was funded by the Federal
Department of Social Services under a Gender Equality for Women grant. It uses a peer education model to
deliver respectful relationship education to young people aged 10 to 13 and 18 to 24 years old in primary
schools, sports clubs, youth organisations, TAFE and universities. The program also provides professional
development to adults in those settings to ensure sustainability of program messages and outcomes.
Over the past three years, You, Me and Us delivered sessions to over 3,500 participants in all seven local
government areas of Melbournes west.

omens Health West CEO, Dr

Robyn Gregory, opened the event
with a reminder of the impact
of violence against women on the
western region of Melbourne. She
outlined the important role of respectful
relationships education programs in
redressing the key determinants of
violence against women namely
unequal power relations between men
and women and rigid gender stereotypes
and increasing the capacity of young
people to enact and enjoy gender
equitable respectful relationships.
Keynote speaker Dr Sue Dyson, Associate
Professor for the Australian Research
Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La
Trobe University, spoke to the importance
of thorough evaluation and highlighted
the strength of the collaborative
approach that she undertook with

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Womens Health West when designing

the evaluation toolkit. The kit is
available to all community organisations
engaging in programs intended to
prevent violence against women.
The final evaluation of You, Me and Us
identified that respectful relationships
education delivered to primary schoolaged children is effective and necessary
to prevent violence against women.
The evaluation also showed that
the peer education component of
the project significantly contributed
to the success of the program.
At the launch, 3 of the 47 young
women trained as peer educators spoke
eloquently about their experiences
with the program and the impact
it had on their personal lives:

12

Morgan Cataldo said, There was

nothing about this program that I
DIDNT enjoy. Learning about sexism and
gender inequality was both liberating
and infuriating This opportunity has
further set alight in me a passion for
womens rights, which I am using to
make my way into the field to advocate,
fight and work for the realisation of
gender equality in my lifetime.
Achol Arow and Amy Vy also spoke
about their transformation from
co-facilitators to becoming youth
ambassadors for gender equitable
respectful relationships. Amy revealed,
I am now very passionate about
helping others, especially young
women, to gain knowledge on
how to create and maintain healthy
relationships. The programhas
inspired me to become more involved

PHOTOS: Karin Holzknecht

Sample of results from respectful

relationship education sessions
with 10 to 13 year olds

Sample of results from adult

leaders who participated in You,
Me and Us

The evaluations with young people aged

10 to 13 found notable increases in their
awareness and knowledge about what
constitutes a respectful and disrespectful
relationship and in their ability to reject
and challenge gender stereotypes and
gender inequity. Results included a:

Among adult leaders there were

increases in knowledge about the
prevalence of, and factors that
cause, violence against women,
and about gender inequity in
Australia. Results included a:

19 per cent and 10 per cent increase

among girls and boys respectively
who identified that telling a friend
how you feel following a fight
is very respectful behaviour

16 per cent and 6 per cent increase

among girls and boys respectively
who strongly disagreed with the
gender stereotype that pink is
for girls and blue is for boys

17 per cent and 13 per cent increase

among girls and boys respectively
who strongly disagreed with the
gender stereotype that boys are better
at sports like football than girls

in the community and help others from

migrant and refugee backgrounds.
The project manual details the respectful
relationships education strategies, tools
and resources, including the evaluation
materials that have been most effective
in promoting equal and respectful
relationships between young women
and men. To obtain the best outcomes,
organisations or professionals using the
manual must understand the feminist
frameworks underpinning the project, or
work collaboratively with a community
service that is familiar with a gender
equity approach, and be committed
to implementing a peer education
respectful relationships project to help
prevent violence against women.
All You, Me and Us material required
to run the project, including the full
evaluation report and literature review
by Dr Bianca Fileborn regarding Best
practice in respectful relationships
education projects for young people
can be found at: www.whwest.
org.au/health-promotion/
sexual-health/you-me-us/
You, Me and Us is an effective tool to
prevent violence against women, assist
in contributing to the evidence base
for respectful relationships education
and ultimately help to create safe,
fair and equitable communities.

Sample of results from respectful

relationship education sessions
with 18 to 24 year olds

20 per cent increase among adult

leaders who knew that a survey
had found one in seven young men
agreed that its okay for a boy to
make a girl have sex with him if she
had flirted with him or led him on

31 per cent increase among adult

leaders who correctly identified
that violence against women is
extremely common in Australia

35 per cent increase among adult

leaders who strongly disagreed with
the myth that women are more
likely to be sexually assaulted by a
stranger than someone they know

Sample of results from peer

educators who participated in You,
Me and Us

The evaluations with young people

aged 18 to 24 found that there was
already high knowledge and awareness
of respectful relationships among this
group. There were increases in awareness
and knowledge about the prevalence of
violence against women, understanding
violence-supportive attitudes, and
bystander action. Results included a:

Following the peer education training,

young women reported increased
knowledge about the prevalence
and types of violence against
women, increased ability to dispel
myths associated with gender-based
violence, and increased awareness
of positive bystander action and
what they can do to end violence
against women. Results included a:

31 per cent and 20 per cent increase

among young women and young men
respectively who correctly identified
that violence against women is
extremely common in Australia

21 per cent increase among young

women who strongly disagreed
with the sexist myth that if a woman
is raped while drunk or affected by
drugs she is at least partly responsible

21 per cent increase among young

men who reported that they
would take positive bystander
action if a male friend was posting
sexist and suggestive comments
about a female friend online

27 per cent increase among young

women who strongly disagreed
with the myth that if a woman
dresses in a suggestive way she is
asking for whatever happens

17 per cent increase among young

women who reported that they
would take positive bystander
action if a female friend was
really drunk and being chatted
up by a man she just met

15 per cent increase among young

women who correctly identified
that harassment via emails, text
messages and other social media is
a form of violence against women

Read the full evaluation report at www.whwest.org.au/healthpromotion/sexual-health/you-me-us/project-evaluation-report

13

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Change and Confidence: Lead On Again 2015

Kirsten Campbell, Health Promotion Worker

Lead On Again has changed me and got me believing in myself more

his year was the tenth successful

year of the Lead On Again program.
The program, run by Womens
Health West and the Western Young
Peoples Independent Network (WYPIN),
brought 14 young women from Thailand,
Sierra Leone, China, Sudan, Chile, Burma
and Ethiopia together for a week of
leadership training in January, followed
by an event in February planned by the
young women themselves. Phoenix Youth
Centre in Footscray was the venue.
This year featured lots of experiential
learning via simulation and leadership
games that encouraged young women
to identify their leadership styles and
roles, as well as work out their own
passions, values and vision. As the
participants became confident in their
own leadership style, they were able to
work effectively as a team, and enjoyed
planning two events together: a guest
panel event and a dinner. The dinner
brought significant family members,
friends and others together to share
in some of the skills and experience
the young women gained from Lead
On Again. This included a Welcome
to Country by one of the participants,
icebreaker games, and a question
and answer time facilitated by Maima
(another
participant).
Lead On Again
participants
have gone on
to be involved
in WYPIN,

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

Leadership Victoria and events

at Maribyrnong Youth Services,
among other things.
Perhaps the best measure of the
effectiveness of Lead On Again is
the feedback from participants:
During the week, I met 13 new friends,
heard their stories and learnt about
their culture and background. At first
I was nervous and felt awkward to talk
with other girls. I was uncomfortable
to sit in a circle; I felt exposed that we
could see each other when we talked.
However, the ice breakers we participated
in each day help us get to know each
other really quickly. After two days,
we felt comfortable talking to each
other, to anyone from the group, about
anything. When we had to participate in
activities we automatically placed chairs
into a circle. It was really different to
the way we all acted in the beginning.
At the end of this program, people
from different community organisations
presented us with events to be involved
in ongoing community work and
volunteering. They provided us with the
opportunities to practice the leadership
skills we have learnt in the week.
I would encourage any young
women to participate in this program, I
have learnt a lot from
the other girls and the
experiences they have
shared with me. I feel
much more confident
and positive from all the
workshops and activities
from Lead On Again.

Jie Jing

14

Thank you
both for
accepting
me and
teaching me
more about sexual health, mental
health, teamwork, and how to lead and
much morebecause I participated
in Lead On Again I learned a lot and
have met wonderful new friends.
Because of Lead On Again and
all I had done and learnt, I am doing a
placement at Yarra Youth Centre and
Ive decided to run a parent information
night giving the parents an opportunity
to find out what their kids do in the
Youth Centre and having the young
teenagers show off what they do there
(fashion, dance, music, drama, etc.)
as well as getting the youth workers to
introduce themselves and explain to the
parents what their teenagers gain out
of participating in these activities.
Another thing that has happened
is that I have been elected to be a Tutor
Leader I was so shocked! I had not
imagined myself being a leader.
Lead On Again has changed me and
got me believing in myself more, its also
got me interested in planning events and
being a better leader and much more...
I cant explain how thankful I am for
everything that has happened in Lead
On Again through that
whole week... Thank
you both very much!!!

Nyakeer

PHOTOS: Scout Kozakiewicz

Lead On Again 2015 Participant

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

The sexual and reproductive health of women

in and exiting prison and youth justice facilities
Trish Hayes, Health Promotion Worker

In January 2015 Womens Health West convened the first working group related to the sexual and
reproductive health of women in and exiting prison and youth justice facilities. The working group forms
part of Action for Equity: A Sexual and Reproductive Health Plan for Melbournes West 2013-2017 and sits
under the objective of increasing community education and capacity building activities to holistically redress
the social factors that cause poor health outcomes for people in and coming out of prison. Work in this area
is crucial to the success of the plan given that the western region in Melbourne is home to 82 per cent of
Victorias female prison population. Victorias largest womens prison is located in the City of Melton; Dame
Phyllis Frost Centre has a population of at least 260 incarcerated women.

Womens Health West was invited

by Melbourne City Missions Mates
for Inmates program and Flat Out
to facilitate sexual and reproductive
health workshops at the Dame Phyllis
Frost Centre in 2014. In addition,
and outside the prison environment,
Flat Out organised for us to provide
specialised sexual and reproductive
health promotion training with women
who have been impacted by the criminal
justice system, and with associated
health professionals. The workshops

covered areas as diverse as cervical

screening, pregnancy and maternity
systems, intimate partner violence
and family violence service systems,
navigating the health and mental health
service systems in Victoria, and advocacy
and complaint systems. Women in
prison also asked about their rights
to good quality and timely access to
mental health support, dental care and
hepatitis C treatment programs, and
meaningful work-training programs
within the prison; all common areas of
concern for women in the prison system.
We have set up a working group
comprised of organisations including
Hepatitis Victoria, Harm Reduction
Victoria, Melbourne City Mission, Flat
Out, and cohealths Health Works,
with input from Melbourne Youth
Justice Centre, Australian Vietnamese
Womens Welfare Association, and
the Victorian Association for the
Care and Resettlement of Offenders.
The group will meet quarterly.
Our main purpose is to focus on under
resourced groups who are denied
access to programs and services, such

15

as women in and exiting prison and

youth justice facilities. We will also
provide holistic health and wellbeing
workshops for women and young
people in prison and those who have
left prison, to better support their
sexual and reproductive health and
wellbeing and to prepare them for
life after their release. The group will
seek funding for more comprehensive
prison programs in the future.
With so many specialist agencies
involved we are looking forward to
sharing resources, knowledge and
expertise in the overlapping areas of
working with prison populations and the
promotion of sexual and reproductive
health, as well as undertaking joint
policy and funding submissions.
Womens Health West was recently
awarded funding by the Helen
Macpherson Smith Trust to run
programs such as those outlined
above. The funds will enable these
programs to reach at least fifty
participants over the next few years.

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

PHOTO: Miranda DellAnno

eople coming in and out of prison

are highly vulnerable to poor health
outcomes. Research by the Centre for
the Human Rights of Imprisoned People
shows that women in prison are far more
likely than the general population to have
experienced sexual abuse, to have been
paid for sex and to be more vulnerable
to sexually transmissible infections. It is
also evident that Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people are significantly
overrepresented in incarceration settings
and that there is evidence of systemic
discrimination against culturally and
linguistically diverse women in prisons.

Women Understanding
Building Confidence Eritrean
Money Financial Literacy Program

Eritrean woman, Financial Literacy Program Participant

welve Eritrean women gathered over

four Fridays in February and March
in Sunshine to participate in the
Eritrean Women Understanding Money
Financial Literacy Program. We explored
topics the women identified as important
to them, like understanding bills and
utilities, contracts, Centrelink, starting
your own business, tenancy rights, buying
a house, saving and budgeting. Womens
Health West and Spectrum Migrant
Resource Centre ran the program.
One of the interesting activities we
did at the beginning and end of the
program invited women to choose
a word that described how they felt
about managing money. In the first
week women said things like:
Not confident Even if I want
to do something, I dont have
the confidence to do it.
Thoughtful I arrived 8 months
ago. I want to learn how to
manage my money in Australia.
Easy going Its easy to bring
in money, but more important
is to spend the money.

And at the end of the program

the same women said:
I chose confident because of this
course, I have confidence now.

Hopeful Now I have hope

and I feel I am confident.
Responsibility I feel responsibility
because of this course.

These words and comments reflected

significant changes experienced by
the women throughout the course of
the program. Nine participants have
also signed on to the Do Not Call
Register, which greatly reduces the
number of unwanted telemarketing
calls you receive. Registration is free
and valid for eight years. Others have
accessed Spectrum and other services
for further assistance with topics related
to the financial literacy program.
Womens Health West plan to partner
with Spectrum Migrant Resource
Centre again to run the program with
Ethiopian women later this year.

Research on barriers to economic

participation
Womens Health West has built on the
feedback from this group of women
and refugee and migrant women we
have worked with since 2008. We
understand that the women face a
significant, complex and diverse range of
barriers to economic participation. We
are delighted to announce additional
funding from the Scanlon Foundation
to explore the nature of these barriers

and the relationship between them,

including non-recognition of overseas
qualifications and limited access to
affordable childcare. WHW will examine
these barriers in detail to understand the
deep structural level on which economic
marginalisation occurs. We will also seek
to understand the factors that enable
women to participate and identify
examples of good practice and support
that can alleviate barriers to economic
participation and financial inclusion.
We will achieve this through an analysis
of previous work with women in our
financial literacy program, a literature
review of existing research and evidence,
and community consultations with
women from a range of refugee and
migrant communities designed to
understand their experiences and
perspectives. We will then analyse
the policy and legislative context of
those barriers, identify opportunities
to work with refugee and migrant
women to advocate for change, and
promote the good practice that supports
womens economic participation.
Please contact Sally Camilleri, sally@
whwest.org.au to find out more
about either of these initiatives.
For more information on the Do Not
Call register go to https://www.
donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm

WOW! What a fundraiser

Women of the West aims to create events for women of Melbournes inner west
and surrounds to get together, have fun and give back to the community.
This international womens day they put on a fabulous fiesta for over 100
women and raised $650 for Womens Health West! Thank you Sarah and
Michelle and a huge thanks to all the westie women who brought maracas and
limboed late into the night you rock! Keep an eye on the WOW facebook page
for info about upcoming events, www.facebook.com/womenofthewest

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

16

PHOTO: Scout Kozakiewicz

Because of this course, I have confidence now.

Tribute: Stella Young

Nelly Thomas, Comedian and friend of Stella

The following excerpt from Stella Youngs eulogy was written and
delivered by her dear friend Nelly Thomas. We extend our sincere
thanks to Nelly and Stellas family for allowing us to reprint it here.

To the activist communities disability,

education, preventing violence against
women, youth weve lost a foghorn. A
true agent of real change.

I know what Im supposed to say. That

Im okay and we were lucky to have had
her and everyone is special and were all
irreplaceable. But thats crap.

Who else but Stella could cut through

the BS with a single sentence?

The truth is, I dont feel lucky. I feel

robbed. And its impolite to say, but
many humans are pretty unremarkable.
There are literally billions of us on the
planet and most of us are a dime a
dozen. But you, my darling Stella, were
one of a kind.

On organised religion: I lost faith in god

the day I found out there was a stairway
to heaven.
On euthanasia: Im not interested in
talking about dignity in death until we all
have dignity in life.
On the apolitical and currently in
vogue so-called positive psychology
movement: No amount of smiling at a
flight of stairs will turn it into a ramp.

Firstly to Stellas family. I can only say

sorry. Your loss is the most devastating.
No one can create a human like Stella
without being an exceptional family.
Exceptional parents, exceptional sisters.
Thank you for sharing her with us.

Who else but Stella could sit with those

sometimes on national television
who believe that people with disabilities
should be grateful because, Things
are pretty good in Australia and who,
at the extreme end, think people with
disabilities should not exist? What puny
minds! What highly educated, well
read, well-argued, well-researched and
puny minds. Ironically for such a brilliant
wordsmith, words were not enough for
Stella Young.

To her friends. What a beautiful, true

friend Stella was.
To her beloved crip community. She
loved you. Oh, how she loved and
adored you and spoke about your
community like it was a warm blanket
that embraced her at every turn. She was
yours and you were hers.

MEMBERSHIP FORM

ILLUSTRATION: Sarah Dunk

To her ABC, Channel 31, Melbourne

Museum, Comedy Festival, comedian,
writer and other work friends. We have
lost a creative giant.

o, comedians giving eulogies.

If theres one thing Stella and I
agreed on, its that the job of the
comedian, like the court jester before
us, is to speak the truth. If people
laugh, youre lucky. Here goes.

This fabulous image of Stella in her hoverchair was paid for by donations from those
who feel her loss keenly, including WHW.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/
stella-youngs-letter-to-herself-at-80-yearsold-20141122-11llol.html

She demanded action. When you finish

reading this, do an access audit on your
workplace, a diversity audit, a gender
audit. How about you start with asking,
Can everyone get in the building? and
go from there.
Finally, be proud. Really. Stellas favourite
line was You get proud by practicing.
It was tattooed on her arm. If you loved
Stella, youll practice pride every single
day:
PRIDE. TAKES. PRACTICE.
Especially if youre on the margins.
Practice it daily.
Read the full transcript here, www.
thecurio.org/stella-young-eulogynelly-thomas/

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

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

ADDRESS

NAME
SUBURB POSTCODE

 rganisational Member
O
(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

 ssociate Non-voting Member

A
(individual or organisation outside the region)

17

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

FEATURED PUBLICATION

Three Free Resources

Karin Holzknecht, Communications Worker

Raising awareness is half the battle when it comes family violence:

women need to know what it is, who can help and ways to stay safe.

leave so you can stay safely in your

home. Its a message worth spreading,
so order them free for your wall today.

hese three free resources respond to

key questions asked by women who
are experiencing or have experienced
violence: is what happened to me family
violence? Who can help me? How can
I stay safe? And what can I do if the
intervention order is breached?

3. What if the intervention order is

breached? DVD
You may already know about our
brochures on safe ways to gather
evidence of an intervention order
breach (available in English, Arabic and
Vietnamese). But did you know that we
also have free DVDs of a short film with
simple, practical advice for collecting
evidence? The film is also on YouTube,
but the DVDs are particularly helpful
if you want to show it to someone in
a location with no internet access.

1. Family Violence Crisis

Outreach Service brochure
This brochure explains what
family violence is, and how
it can affect women and
their children. It also outlines
the crisis and short-term
support Womens Health
West can provide to help
women and their children
become safe from violence.

To get your own FREE copies, you can

fill out this publication order form, call
us on 03 9689 9588, or order online
at whwest.org.au/resources.

2. Safe at Home poster

A poster that tells it like it
is in one short sentence.
Family violence is a crime,
and the law says the person
committing the crime should

ORDER FORM
Womens Health West Publications

Order by mail

This form may be used as a Tax Invoice for GST purposes

Order Form Tax Invoice
ABN 24 036 234 159

Communications Worker
Womens Health West
317 319 Barkly Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011

Order by fax

03 9689 3861

Order by email

info@whwest.org.au

Order by phone

03 9689 9588

Payment

Please send payment with your order or we can

invoice you. Cheques payable to: Womens
Health West

Free resources
FREE
Description

Qty (max. 50)

Family Violence Crisis Outreach

Service brochure

DELIVERY DETAILS
Name:

Safe at Home poster

Organisation:

What if the intervention

order is breached? DVD

Postal Address:
Postcode:
Phone: Fax:
Email:

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

whwnews EDITION 1 2015

18

EVENTS Notices
New report on LGBT
health and wellbeing
launched

New app connects women experiencing violence to

specialist support
On International Womens Day,
1800RESPECT launched the Daisy phone
app. Daisy helps women experiencing
violence to access services fitting their
unique situation from specialist
services, to legal support and advice,
through to crisis accommodation all
from the one place.

Family members and friends can use

Daisy to gather information and support
a loved ones decision making.
Daisy is free to download from Google
Play for android phones and from the
App Store for iPhones. Find out more at:
www.1800respect.org.au/daisy/

Daisy includes security features such as

a get help button that allows users to
quickly call 000 and a quick exit button
to leave screens containing service
information. Daisy also has tips for online
and phone safety.

Inspiring, empowering books for girls

Do you scan endless pages in bookshops
looking for female characters that are
heroes, leaders, and adventurers? Do you
despair of finding toys, movies and music
that treat boys and girls as equals?
Theres a website for that. A Mighty
Girl (www.amightygirl.com) is a
collection of book, toy, movie and music
recommendations. American co-creators
Carolyn Danckaert and Aaron Smith
believe, as we do, that all children should
have the opportunity to read books, play
with toys, listen to music, and watch

movies that offer positive messages

about girls and honour their diverse
capabilities.
Its a work in progress, so if theres
something you think should be included
on the site, send in your suggestions. Find
out more at: www.amightygirl.com

The first Private Lives was released in

2006 and at the time was one of the
largest reports on LGBT health and
wellbeing anywhere in the world. Both
the first and second reports provided a
snapshot of LGBT Australians everyday
lives This companion report, in
contrast, focuses on the mental health
and wellbeing of LGBT Australians. It
relies on the mental health data from
Private Lives 2 and looks, in detail,
at variations in psychological distress
and resilience between LGBT and
mainstream communities and variations
within LGBT communities according
to gender identity, sexual identity,
age and socio-economic status.
If you are interested in reading a
copy, visit www.latrobe.edu.au/
arcshs or www.glhv.org.au or
call the Australian Research Centre
in Sex, Health and Society on 03
9479 8718 for more information.

Upcoming dates

Womens Health West is on Youtube

Did you know that Womens Health
West has a YouTube channel? The
channel has insightful and heartwarming
videos from short films featuring Our
Community, Our Rights participants,
talking about what theyve achieved in
standing up for their rights, to clips of

On 2 April 2015, the Australian Research

Centre in Sex, Health and Society
launched a new report titled A Closer
Look at Private Lives 2 - Addressing
the mental health and wellbeing of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) Australians. Heres an excerpt
from the executive summary:

each speaker in the 2014 AGM debate.

The most recent addition is a straighttalking video about what causes violence
against women and how we can work
to stop it. You can find our channel
by visiting www.youtube.com and
searching for Womens Health West.

19

21 May

World Day for

Cultural Diversity

26 May

National Sorry Day

27 May
3 June

National
Reconciliation Week

3 June

Mabo Day

14 20 June

National Refugee
Week

17 June

Ramadan begins
at sundown

20 June

World Refugee Day

5 12 July

NAIDOC Week

whwnews EDITION 1 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