Laura Davies

I'm Walking for WAGEC!

I’m walking to call for an end to violence against women and children. 

Last year domestic violence was declared a national crisis. It’s time we demanded more and supported the women and children affected by violence in our community.

As you will know, this cause is close to my heart, domestic violence impacted every thread of my being for a long time. The road to recovery is long, hard, lonely and financially crippling for those who end up in the family court system. 

In Australia, 1 in 3 of us have experienced violence from a current or previous partner. For those who are employed; most report the violence disrupting their performance, many experience harassment whilst trying to work, impacts of trauma such as memory loss, being stuck in fight/flight/freeze, loss of confidence, panic attacks, anxiety. Many victim-survivors need to take extended periods of leave, reduce their hours, and some have to walk away from their employment, their financial stability and a place they maybe loved. 

Women out of the workforce, such as those caring for children, are financially dependent on their abusers. Each year, 12,000 women return to a violent partner because they have nowhere else to go.

WAGEC supports 200 women and children a night with crisis accommodation, material aid and case management. WAGEC also runs tailored recovery programs for hundreds more women and children per year such as The ACCESS Mentoring Program and Helping Children Heal. The crisis is increasing, the need for services is increasing but access to funding is harder than ever. Grant writing is lengthy, increasingly competitive, with less than 10% success rate. Community fundraising is an essential part of providing DFV staff and programs to support women and children’s safety and recovery. 

Thank you for reading my page, if you are able, please donate to my walk today!