The Illawarra is at the forefront of a national alliance to advocate for women and children fleeing family violence.
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The brainchild of Kelly-ann Tansley, general manager of the Zahra Foundation, the Australian Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Recovery Alliance is a community-based coalition of domestic, family and sexual violence recovery services and survivor advocates from across Australia.
It's no surprise the Illawarra Women's Health Centre is a founding member of the alliance.
General manager Sally Stevenson led the charge for a world-first women's trauma recovery centre to be established in the Illawarra, securing funds for the initiative from the federal government earlier this year.
She said such services were crucial not just for women who experience domestic violence, but their children too.
"Even if children only witness domestic violence, rather than experience it directly, the effect on their brain is the same," she said.
"Children must be treated as victims in their own right, and not an extension of their mother.
"This is a critical part of the response to domestic violence in terms of reducing harm, promoting healing, and preventing intergenerational violence."
Rosie Batty will officially launch the alliance in an online event this Thursday. The launch will feature speakers including Ms Batty, Ms Stevenson, Gumbaynggirr woman and advocate Samantha Cooper, psychologist Dr Lata Satyen and survivor advocate Lula Dembele.
Ms Stevenson said the alliance prioritised the inclusion of groups who may be left out of mainstream services, including First Nations women, LGBTQI women, regional women and women with disabilities.
"We want to amplify the voices of all victim-survivors," she said.
Tickets can be purchased at: https://events.humanitix.com/launch-national-domestic-family-and-trauma-recovery-alliance
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