Photo: At the Leadership Development Course Graduation Ceremony

Women who have left abusive or violent relationships may take years to rebuild their lives; after the initial counselling and support has finished, many women continue to feel isolated and have a low sense of self-esteem, which can lead to a continuing cycle of damaging relationships.  To tackle this, Soroptimist International of Western Australia Regional Project worked with local partners to provide training courses tailored particularly to the needs of this group, helping women develop self-confidence and build happier, more independent lives for themselves.

Lynne Jones, Programme Coordinator/Reporter and President Elect of SI Fremantle and SIWA’s Programme/UN Liaison, writes about the project in this week’s SoroptiVoice blog.  This is the latest in our series of blogs focussing on Projects of Excellence identified in the SI Global Impact Report 2012-13. 

In 2010 – 2011 the SI Region of Western
Australia (SIWA) accepted a proposal for a new Region Project, to which each
club in the Region would make a financial contribution. At a meeting of SI Cambridge, SIWA members were
impressed by a presentation by staff of the Women’s Health and Family Services
(WHFS). They spoke about their work in assisting women from disadvantaged,
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, particularly those
trying to escape from violent relationships, stressing the importance of education
in assisting women in finding work and enabling them to lead independent lives.

WHFS offers support services on a variety of issues including drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, mental health
and other health issues, for women and their families. One of the greatest
problems for women seeking escape from an abusive relationship is that at the
end of counselling and support from agencies, the women often experience
loneliness and a need to have a ‘significant other’ in their lives and can too
often be persuaded to return to a violent partner. WHFS seeks to enable the
women to move into the workforce and overcome the feelings of dependence that
result in returning to violent relationships

The proposal for the Region Project was for
SIWA to provide funding to WHFS to enable a group of women to access
the Certificate 1 and 2 courses in Leadership Development offered at local
colleges. Given the backgrounds of these women, the courses are delivered in a
safe environment within the offices of WHFS, rather than on a college campus.
Apart from the women feeling more secure in this familiar environment, it also
provides easier access to public transport, childcare and counselling.

The funds provided by SIWA, help to cover
some of the tuition fees as well as those for a First Aid course. Childcare
costs can also be covered. Initially funding was provided for the purchase of
six laptop computers for use by the students. SIWA provided each woman with a
satchel with the SI emblem and other stationery.

The Challenger Institute of Technology (CIT)
working in partnership with WHFS, provides at least two teachers for each
group, giving the women additional academic support. As the course is held in
the offices of WHFS , counsellors are readily available to their clients and
have frequently been able to assist women experiencing difficulties to continue
with the course rather than dropping out, as they probably would have had they
been at the CIT campus without the additional support.

A Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up
between the WHFS and SIWA, setting out the roles of all parties and the
reporting and evaluation processes to be used. 
The SIWA Region Project coordinator meets regularly with the WHFS and
CIT representatives to discuss the progress of the project and future
plans.

Part of the Leadership Development course
involves the students working as a team to develop a project relevant to the
group. Projects have included the planning and running of the Graduation
Ceremony and lunch; sourcing prizes for raffles at events and holding a
multicultural lunch for a local Community Centre. Major projects have been the
gathering of students’ own stories and including them in a book which was
developed as a resource for other women victims of domestic violence and a DVD
which is being used to present a case for additional funding from Governments
and other organisations.

The current group of students is planning a
major fundraising event at a local restaurant. They are hoping to raise funds
for a SIWA Scholarship fund. This is adding a new link in the partnership as
SIWA has been asked to provide mentors to assist the students in aspects of the
planning for the event.  In planning this
event the women are learning and using a variety of skills and, most
importantly, building on their self esteem and confidence.

Most of the women entering the course are
at a very deep low in their lives and the changes witnessed by those working
with them over the course of even one semester have been enormous. There have
been very few women dropping out of the course other than for medical reasons
or those moving to live in another State. Counsellors reported that although
the students with substance abuse issues were not attending counselling
sessions as frequently, the students were not reverting to using and were
maintaining contact with the counsellors. The feedback received from all those
involved is that the course is truly life changing.

Attending the Graduation Ceremony at the
end of 2013 was a real privilege. It was a hugely emotional morning as women
told of their journeys to that point and how they now felt so much more in
control of their own lives.

SIWA has agreed to fund the course for 3
years. Unfortunately there have been huge increases in the fees for courses at
the colleges this year and WHFS is still working out how to make the most of
the money we have donated. SIWA has written letters  supporting SI Fremantle in their lobbying  of Members of Parliament, protesting the
increases and voicing concern over the effects it might have on the extremely
vulnerable group of women who could benefit from the Leadership Development
Course but can’t afford the higher fees. SI Fremantle has, with the help of
corporate sponsorship, been able to fund another group of women through this Leadership
Development course in their area.

Read about Empowering Disadvantaged Women through Education and Leadership Opportunities (Australia)

on the Global Impact Report website.

The SI Global Impact Report 2012-13 highlights 39 Soroptimist Projects of Excellence from around the world to educate and inspire.