LATEST NEWS
Did you know that Domestic and Family violence is the leading cause of Homelessness? Listen to WCS Director of Advocacy Meagan Prabhakar speak with Matthew Pantelis on FiveAA about the the critical intersection of homelessness and domestic and family violence. A very important conversation! Thank you so much Matthew Pantelis and FIVEAA for having us.
Come with us to celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary of The Sanctuary - The Hills Women's Shelter Ten years. Over 800 lives changed. Since opening their doors, The Sanctuary has been a safe place for more than 800 women and children escaping violence and homelessness. Now it’s time to celebrate — and secure the future. Join the Sanctuary at their 10 Year Anniversary Teal Ball 📅 Saturday 31 October 2026 | 🕕 6.00pm–9.30pm | 📍 Castle Hill RSL ✨ An evening of dinner, entertainment and connection. All funds raised keep our doors open for those who need us most. 🎟️ Tickets: $180pp | 👥Table of 10 for $1,600. https://www.thesanctuaryshelter.org.au/event/teal-ball/
Leaving a violent relationship takes enormous courage. But for many women and children, safety can come at a price they simply can't afford. During Anti-Poverty Week, we're highlighting the financial risks women face when escaping violence. Too often, a lack of money, housing and financial security forces women to stay, or makes it harder to stay away. Source: National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032
This Mental Health Month, let's talk about 'connection'. Creating opportunities for connection is a very important part of what we do in our Safe Havens. Recently, residents at Glenfield House enjoyed their first Sound Therapy Session, offering a moment of mindfulness, relaxation and calm. These shared experiences help transform a space into a community, building confidence, fostering belonging and strengthening support networks, all of which contribute to positive wellbeing.
For too many women in Australia, there is nowhere safe to go. Following World Homeless Day, Women’s Community Shelters Director of Advocacy Meagan Prabhakar spoke with news.com.au about the critical link between domestic and family violence and housing. “If we can give women a safe, secure home – from that moment of crisis all the way through to their recovery – we can reduce domestic violence. “Initiatives to address homelessness in this country must be intertwined with initiatives to reduce domestic and family violence.” Over the past year, the Women’s Community Shelters network provided more than 81,000 safe bed nights. But for every woman supported, three more could not access a safe bed. No woman should have to choose between staying in an unsafe home and having nowhere to go. Safe housing must be central to the response to domestic and family violence. Thank you to Kaylee Cranley and News.com.au for shining a light on this issue. Read the full article: https://shorturl.at/nh2iD #domesticviolence #homelessness #womenssafety #housingcrisis
Sweethearts – Sculpture by the Sea Congratulations to artists, Omi McCurdie and Pip Lysaght for conceptualising and creating this powerful and important work. 💗 They have taken the candy hearts we give to the people we love and turned them into something impossible to walk past. Each heart remembers a woman killed by violence in Australia this year. Each one carries words we’ve all heard: “He was drunk.” “She coulda left.” “Not my business.” They sound harmless. They’re not. These are the words that excuse violence, silence women and stop people stepping in. We were proud to work with the artists on the phrases, with staff from across our shelter network sharing what women tell them every day. Right now, 56 women have been killed this year. The artists made 60 hearts, knowing that number is likely to rise before the exhibition closes. Visit Sweethearts at Marks Park, on the Bondi to Tamarama walk, until 2 November. Stop, read every heart, and if you hear these words, call them out. If you need support: 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 · In an emergency call: 000 Sweethearts is a Flim Flam Studios production. Sculpture by the Sea #sculpturebythesea #domesticviolence #endviolenceagainstwomen
