Domestic and family violence services underfunded at a time of need in COVID-19 pandemic

Illawarra Mercury – Sally Stevenson AM The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre is nationally accredited, annually audited, and has been government funded for over 30 years. We are about to sign a new three-year contract, and every quarter we meet or exceed our key performance indicators. We are a small, highly regarded community organisation. Government services […]

Coercive control: why is this form of intimate terrorism still legal?

Illawarra Mercury – Judy Daunt The data is very clear. In 99 per cent of domestic violence-related homicides in NSW, the relationship was characterised by the male abuser’s use of coercive controlling behaviours towards the victim. Also known as “intimate terrorism”, coercive control is both a predictor of murder and an insidious and private form […]

COVID-19, women’s health and domestic and family violence: a perfect storm

Illawarra Mercury – Judy Daunt For more than 30 years the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre has provided highly regarded and trusted health and wellbeing services, free or at low cost to women in the region. Our funding from the NSW government has not increased in this time, yet we operate to ensure maximum reach and […]