News item - The Examiner - High costs trapping victim-survivors
By Matt Maloney
Published by The Examiner, 29/07/26
Recent national research estimates that immediate relocation and basic set-up costs to flee domestic violence exceed $7000.
Submission on the draft Conversion Practices Bill 2026, 30 July 2026
As a service specifically highlighting and challenging the role of rigid and limited gender ideas in the perpetuation of violence, Engender Equality welcomes the draft Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026.
Engender Equality is a specialist family violence service, that has long recognised the ways in which gender stereotypes and other gendered drivers of violence against women intersect and overlap with cis and hetero normative ideas that enable ongoing violence towards LGBTIQA+ folk. A commitment to LGBTIQA+ rights and inclusion has been evidenced in much of our work including in the development of LGBTIQA+ practice guidelines and in our current Dads for Gender Diversity project focussing on enhancing the capacity of fathers to affirm the gender identity of their trans children.
Just as gender inequity drives men’s violence against women, conversion practices arise in a society in which LGBTIQA+ folk are considered unequal to cisgender and heterosexual people. In such a context, forms of violence towards LGBTIQA+ folk such as conversion practices are too easily minimised and condoned.
Submission in relation to the Second Action Plan, National Plan to end violence against women and children 2022-2032, 31 July 2026
Engender Equality welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. Along with this submission, our colleagues have attended multiple consultation forums in person and online. We are hopeful that this dedicated consultative approach will be followed up with clear action and investment.
This submission aims to put forward recommendations and examples of scalable solutions from our own practice in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Engender works tirelessly across the spectrum of family violence practice and service delivery, often in partnership with other organisations and communities. We offer primary prevention education to communities, share our specialist family violence expertise with early intervention programs in generalist services, deliver family violence response services via place-based models, and innovate specialist therapeutic services for victim-survivors in the face of insurmountable demand for our support.
Engender is dedicated to the cause to end violence against women and children, and all forms of gender-based violence. We are eager to contribute our experience and learn from others on a national scale as part of future work under the Second Action Plan.
Webinar - Expanding definitions and understandings of systems abuse, Wednesday 8th July 2026
Thank you to everyone who in our webinar on Expanding Definitions and Understandings of Systems Abuse on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
Further resources that were referred to in the webinar are as follows:
- Gender and Disaster Australia
- Catherine Fitzpatrick – disrupting financial abuse and gender bias through smarter product and service design
- ACMA
- The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
Newsletter - Opportunities and innovations - Engender Equality Update - July 2026
The July edition of Engender News highlights:
- Private philanthropic charity fills vital funding gap for victim-survivors
- Reproductive coercion and abuse resources
- Dads for Gender Diversity Project Update
- Upcoming training
Media Release - Private philanthropic charity fills vital funding gap for victim-survivors
MEDIA RELEASE
25 June 2026
PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIC CHARITY FILLS VITAL FUNDING GAP FOR VICTIM-SURVIVORS
At a time when the public purse in Tasmania is stretched to the limit and waiting times for support are long, Hobart Women’s Shelter couldn’t believe their luck when new philanthropic funding from the charity Family Frontline Support landed in their lap yesterday.
Janet Saunders, CEO at Hobart Women’s Shelter said,
“It’s not every day you take a call from a private philanthropic charity that asks you ‘where is your greatest need?’”
“Of course, it was a no-brainer. Our collaboration with Engender Equality’s therapeutic counselling services that has put counsellors onsite at the shelter for the past two years did not attract the public funding we had hoped for this year.
“To have practitioners on-site who can quickly wraparound women and children experiencing family violence is so critical to ensuring integrated, trauma-informed support where and when they need it most,” she said.
“Our partnership with Engender Equality has transformed how we are able to support residents at the Shelter. Having specialist therapeutic support available on-site means women can access care in a way that feels safe, timely, and connected to their broader needs.”
Family Frontline Support’s investment reflects a growing commitment within the philanthropic sector to fund place-based, collaborative responses to complex social issues. This funding will ensure the continuation of embedded therapeutic services at Hobart Women’s Shelter, supporting women to navigate the impacts of violence, rebuild their lives, and move toward safe and sustainable futures.
Alina Thomas, CEO at Engender Equality, said the funding recognises the importance of collaboration in responding to family violence. “We know that women’s recovery is strengthened when services work together in a coordinated and relational way. This funding allows us to continue delivering therapeutic support embedded within Hobart Women’s Shelter—meeting women where they are and responding to their needs in real time.”
Richard Gorman, Director and Board Chair Family Frontline Support said they are pleased to support collaborative responses to family violence. “We are proud to support this important partnership between Engender Equality and Hobart Women’s Shelter. Place-based, collaborative approaches like this are critical to ensuring women can access the support they need. In an environment where victim-survivors face huge wait times to get support, we are pleased to improve access to services for women at the Shelter.”
Media Contact:
Alina Thomas, CEO, Engender Equality 0438 788 291
Belinda Witter, Deputy CEO, Hobart Women’s Shelter 0403 286 625
For a lived experience representative (case study) please contact advocates@engenderequality.org.au or
0415 740 524.
Newsletter - Collaborations, research and leadership - Engender Equality Update - June 2026
The June edition of Engender News highlights:
- Peer support model for women with experiences of incarceration and community corrections
- Upcoming training
- New resources and research opportunities
- Spotlight on volunteers
Primary Health Care Quick Guide - What is reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA)?
This guide focuses on reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) that occurs in intimate partner relationships.
Primary Health Care Quick Guide - Identifying and responding to reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA)
Children by Choice has identified ‘Yellow Flags’ and ‘Red Flags’ to help alert practitioners to RCA (reproductive coercion and abuse).
Video - Introduction to the PCFSV
The CEO of Engender Equality, Alina Thomas, introduces the Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence (PCFSV) Support program.