50 years of the refuge movement is a reminder of what Elsie, the first women's refuge, stood for

Today in Parliament, Abigail celebrated the historic Elsie's Refuge being added to the NSW State Heritage Register, while also reminding the Labor Government that action and funding speaks louder than words when it comes to ending gendered violence.

Abigail said:

On behalf of The Greens, I support the motion. The establishment of the Elsie Women's Refuge 50 years ago represented a critical turning point in Australia's history—the first women's refuge, the consolidation of the second wave of modern, organised feminism in Australia and the birth of what we know today as the domestic and family violence sector. Elsie provided a respite for women escaping violence. It supplied food, sanitation and information, empowering women to make decisions for themselves and to reclaim their lives. Moreover, it was a safe place for women to confront and deal with their trauma alongside other victim‑survivors and support people, facilitating their healing and recovery.

In the early 1970s, the need for safe places for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence was growing. Elsie sought to fill that void by providing that safe space, run for women and by women, with the mission that one day there would be no need for refuges. Sadly, 50 years later, rates of gendered abuse and femicide have not decreased as hoped but instead continue to soar, with demand for women's refuges only increasing each day. In the early years Elsie relied entirely on volunteers to operate the refuge, with no legal protections for workers and perpetrators regularly seeking out the refuge and threatening violence against victim-survivors. Eventually Elsie secured pools of funding, as did future refuges established in later years.

Australia is now home to over 800 refuges and shelters that provide crisis accommodation and wraparound specialist support for countless victim-survivors. Although today's refuges certainly receive more funding than 50 years ago, State and Federal governments continue to largely ignore the demands of the sector to invest the levels of ongoing and sustainable core funding that is needed on the front line. The refuge movement is rooted in the fight for collective and inclusive liberation for all women—something that we cannot achieve without properly funding services and programs that are truly safe and accessible, including for women with disabilities, trans and queer women, First Nations women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and older women.

Adding Elsie to the New South Wales State Heritage register is a welcome and monumental signifier of Australia's refuge movement. It is a testament to the 50 years of growth, advocacy, support, dedication and commitment of the courageous domestic and family violence sector, which grew following the establishment of Elsie. However, it is also a timely reminder of how far we still have to go in eradicating violence against women and children. In passing the motion, we must reflect on Elsie's original mission: to create a world where refuges like Elsie are not required. For that to happen, we need far more than words and heritage listings. We need governments that are prepared to drive real, transformational change, to listen to victim-survivors and experts, and to deliver the services and programs that will one day end the scourge of domestic and family violence in our State.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

25 September 2024

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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50 years of the refuge movement is a reminder of what Elsie, the first women's refuge, stood for

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