Women's Legal Centre ACT & Region

Lawyers have a crucial role in guiding both employers and employees through the complexities of workplace sexual harassment. Join Susan Price Principal of our Employment, Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Practice at this event to hear about what she has been seeing in this space and gather some insights and tips.

Last week, the ACT Senator David Pocock and great supporter of the Centre, launched the national campaign to save community legal centres at Parliament House. Every year, the Centre assists more than 1,600 women and over 2,000 accompanying children in the ACT. Despite this the 2024 Federal Budget failed to provide the urgent funding boost and long-term funding security the community legal sector desperately needs. ACT funding is also uncertain and inadequate to meet the legal need in our community. With less than a year’s guaranteed funding left, the Centre community legal centres are in the most uncertain position we have faced in a decade. The Women’s Legal Centre supports the campaign and calls on the ACT & Federal Government to step up and provide fair funding to community legal centres. #SaveCommunityLegalCentres

Today's graduates from the Audrey Fagan Program included our Community Education and Engagement Manager, Zhenia Kavunenko. Zhenia reflected the course was a great opportunity for women and gender diverse people to come together from across multiple industries and backgrounds to understand more about the role and impact of boards and fantastic board members in the NFP sector.

Not too late to register for tomorrow's free event, which provides an overview of the different ways we can assist clients.

Erin Priestly, Head of the Sexual Violence Legal Service at the Centre spoke to the Canberra Times about the ways the rights of complainants can be better protected in criminal proceedings related to sexual violence. "We have observed judges to give significant leeway to the accused party to undertake cross-examination rather than to step in to ensure these protections are enforced..." Ms Priestly said the service supported the introduction of a specialised sexual assault court list, and its goals of reducing delays and achieving earlier resolutions. "A specialised list is just one step in building faith in the criminal justice system. It alone will not achieve this, however, and it is just one change amongst many that are needed," the lawyer said. "Such a list will only be successful where everyone involved - the judicial officers, the prosecutors, and defence solicitors - have adequate training on trauma responses to sexual violence and consider the design of processes to ameliorate these." https://lnkd.in/gQhX_D8n

LOOKING FOR BOARD & COMMITTEE MEMBERS! The Centre has several current and anticipated vacancies on its Board, Governance Committee and Finance and Risk Committee, including the Board Chair and Treasurer roles. If you are a woman with a passion for gender equity and contributing to your community, as well as skills and experience in any of the following areas, we would love to hear from you.  * Governance, particularly in NFP sector  * Finance strategy and management + risk A lived experience of intersectionality is highly valued, so the Board welcomes applications from First Nations women, women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, women with disabilities and women from the LBTIQA+ community.  More info on our website.

We are looking for a new Principal Solicitor/Head of Practice for our Family Law Practice! If you have a vision for delivering family law services in the community, as part of a multidisciplinary team and for a purpose - this is the opportunity you have been looking for!

Thanks to our friends Legal Aid ACT for hosting us next Thursday to share info about what we do and how we can help. This session is free and online so very accessible - you can book here: https://lnkd.in/gVjupjYG

This is what Women's Legal Services across Australia are looking for in tonight's Federal Budget. These investments are critical to ensuring women in the ACT can access the specialist legal assistance they need, when they need it. +3

Our CEO, Elena Rosenman, joined other DFV specialist and women's services in the ACT calling for Governments to listen deeply to community concern, agree what support should be available to people who need help and then design and deliver funding arrangements to implement those services. Sue Webeck; Frances Crimmins https://lnkd.in/gw-VaCsP