Illawarra advocates on plan to end violence against women

Illawarra Mercury – Natalie Croxon Illawarra advocates on plan to end violence against women, children Advocates have hailed a new plan to end violence against women for its focus on recovery and healing for victim-survivors, but there are concerns its goal is unrealistic and it lacks concrete detail. The 10-year National Plan to End Violence […]

‘Inadequate’: Coercive control bill falls short, Illawarra experts say

Illawarra Mercury – Grace Crivellaro The coercive control bill that has been introduced into parliament “falls short” in protecting victim-survivors of domestic violence, according to Illawarra experts. The bill, if passed, will criminalise coercive control towards a current or former intimate partner, and carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced on […]

New legislation will allow victims of domestic violence to access 10 days paid leave

Illawarra Mercury – Louise Negline with AAP The Albanese government will introduce legislation to parliament on Thursday that will put in place 10 days of paid leave for people affected by domestic violence. It is expected more than 11 million workers, including casual workers, will have access to the leave. Illawarra Women’s Health Centre general […]

New legislation will allow victims of domestic violence to access 10 days paid leave

Illawarra Mercury – By Louise Negline with Aap The Albanese government will introduce legislation to parliament on Thursday that will put in place 10 days of paid leave for people affected by domestic violence. It is expected more than 11 million workers, including casual workers, will have access to the leave. Illawarra Women’s Health Centre general […]

Abortion ‘practically out of reach’ for many South Coast women

Illawarra Mercury – Zoe Cartwright Each week, about 10 women call the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre seeking the same medical procedure. Often, the centre is unable to refer them to the care they need – it costs too much, and only a small number of GPs in the Illawarra provide the service. The result has […]

Does unpaid work count in NSW budget?

Illawarra Mercury – Sally Stevenson AM The 2022-23 NSW Budget will be handed down on June 21. Will it be a good budget for women? What does a good budget for women mean? Broadly, national and state budgets are developed (and governments are judged on) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Gross Domestic State Product (GDSP) […]

Young women want a voice in consent education

Illawarra Mercury – Georgie Igoe Australia, we need to listen; to the yes and the no of what young women want. The opening line of a video posted on the eve of International Women’s Day 2022 reverberates powerfully, “Australia, we need to talk…” This is the voice of Grace Tame who is an unwavering force in her commitment to […]

Why mothers in crisis need compassionate support

Illawarra Mercury – Rachael Humphris You don’t need to have children for your stomach to drop at the thought of a baby being taken away from their mother. If a state child protection agency deems a child to be at ‘risk of significant harm’, they can remove them from the care of their mum, even if the […]

Why it’s time we listened to young people

Illawarra Mercury – Georgie Igoe The staggering exposure of sexual violence in the media, parliament and across our community is leaving many of us examining our own wounds of violence and wondering what we can do about this harm on such an endemic level. The young women that I work with in group and individual […]