“There is increasing recognition across Australian industries, workplace policy makers and researchers that domestic and family violence (DFV) is a workplace issue. DFV not only impacts victim-survivors’ engagement in the workforce but their work performance, job satisfaction, productivity and career progression. The economic costs of DFV to Australian workplaces are well documented; however, there is limited research capturing the workplaces’ experiences of DFV victim-survivors… This article offers victim-survivor led understandings of what is needed to ensure the new paid DFV leave provisions are introduced and embedded effectively across Australian workplaces. It centres the experiences of victim-survivors by drawing on the findings of a national survey and in-depth interviews conducted with over 300 Australian DFV victim-survivors. The findings are relevant to current policy and practice debates across Australia.”

Read full research article here

ABC News reported that demand for caravan park accommodation is increasing due to the housing crisis.  At the Seaford Cabin Park, at the gateway to Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, manager Andrew Wilson takes another phone call.  “I’m getting at least 10 phone calls a day from people just looking for some sort of long-term accommodation,” he said.

Demand for his one-bedroom cabins has never been greater.  “We just don’t have anything available at the moment.”

Click here to read full article

The Federal Minister for Housing, the Hon Julie Collins MP and the State Housing Minister, the Hon Colin Brooks MP,  jointly announced the construction of three social and affordable apartment housing projects on track to soon deliver more than 200 homes in metropolitan Melbourne.

The homes will be built in Brighton East, St Kilda and Balaclava as a result of a funding partnership between the Andrews Labor Government and the Albanese Labor Government.  The State Labor Government is contributing $75.03 million for projects across the three sites, while the Federal Labor Government will provide $18 million in grants and loans for works through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility.

These housing developments will deliver much needed social and affordable housing for people on the Victoria Housing Register, including those living with a disability and for women over 55 years old at risk of homelessness.

Legislation is currently before the Federal Parliament to create the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will make more projects for social and affordable homes like this possible.

In St Kilda, a rooming house was redeveloped into 36 self‑contained apartments, for women over 55‑years old. The refurbishment includes a flexible communal area, with a HousingFirst office, providing a platform to encourage and create a supportive community.

Workplaces as responders
Workplaces are well placed to provide timely and significant support to victims-survivors of domestic, family and sexualised violence (DFSV). We encourage organisations to develop their understanding and readiness to respond in ways that uphold dignity and build on safety.

Purpose of this guide
This guide invites you to build on being a workplace that has insight-informed design and responses to people experiencing domestic, family and sexualised violence.

Using Insight Exchange
Insight Exchange has many resources made available for free (donated) to support responding industries and organisations. A selection of resources are introduced throughout this guide. No fee can be applied to use or access the material and they cannot be sold, and appropriate acknowledgement and copyright applies.

Click here to view full guide

Ending family and gender-based violence is long-term work that must occur at all levels and all settings across the community. This continuum of interconnected and concurrent activities is often grouped into three broad categories:

Initiatives focused on each of these areas are important and reinforce each other.

Safe+Equal’s latest resource ‘What is Primary Prevention?’ aims to promote understanding of family and gender-based violence work across the continuum, from prevention to response, as well as provide practical suggestions to improve connection.

Access resource here

Language has the power to reinforce or deconstruct systems of power that maintain poverty, inequality and suffering. As we are making commitments to decolonization in practice, it is important that we do not forget the role of language and communications in the context of inequality.

The Inclusive Language Guide is a resource to support people in our sector who have to communicate in English to think about how the way they write can subvert or inadvertently reinforce intersecting forms of inequality that we work to end.

The language recommended is drawn from specialist organizations which provide advice on language preferred by marginalized people, groups and communities, and by our own staff and networks, to support us to make choices that respectfully reflect the way they wish to be referred to. We want to support everyone to feel empowered to be inclusive in their work, because equality isn’t equality if it isn’t for everyone.

Read language guide here

Safe+Equal have published a summary of qualifications determined by the educational institution as equivalent under the Mandatory Minimum Qualifications Policy

This summary has been provided as a guide for employers and workers wishing to enter the sector to view some of the options available.

Mandatory Minimum Qualifications Equivalent Qualifications: Quick Guide

On February 15th 2023, WESNET hosted a webinar exploring the role of women’s specialist services and why they are so important.

The session was facilitated by Julie Oberin AM, WESNET National Chair, who was joined by panellists:

Click here for more information and to watch the webinar recording

Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and Pride in Diversity have released a joint report into the workplace inclusion experiences of culturally diverse LGBTQ workers.

Pride in Diversity and DCA joined forces on this project as their respective research on LGBTQ workplace inclusion had revealed that culturally diverse LGBTQ workers had unique workplace experiences that warranted deeper investigation.

Lisa Annese, CEO, Diversity Council Australia, said:

“Our work with people who are culturally diverse and LGBTQ found that for some people, current workplace D&I initiatives aren’t addressing the nuances of their intersectional identities. We wanted to start addressing this gap by sharing the insights of culturally diverse LGBTQ workers about the actions Australian organisations can take to create more inclusive workplaces.”

Read the full report here

Women of Colour Australia (WoCA), Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation advocating for a fairer and more equitable Australia for all Women of Colour is proud to roll out its second Women of Colour in the Australian Workplace Survey.

WoCA are seeking insight into the workplace realities facing Women of Colour (WoC) across Australia in 2023.

This online survey aims to map the lived experiences of Women of Colour in Australian workplaces and provides a safe avenue for WoC to voice their views and perspectives, shaping the direction and initiatives of WoCA. It will also build on gaps in the academic literature unpacking how discrimination influences ideas of psychological safety and mental well-being for Women of Colour. Finally, responses from this survey will be used to provide recommendations to industry and government to better support Women of Colour in Australian workplaces.

To read more, or to complete the survey, click here

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