Recently we held the first social evening for the Ballarat Women’s Fund at the Hydrant Food Hall. The evening provided an opportunity for fund members and supporters to connect and to hear from organisations who are working in Ballarat to deliver programs to vulnerable women.
The event was an important opportunity for more than 70 members of our community to come together in support of a new movement to drive change on issues such as family violence, gender inequity, employment and health. Rochelle Kirkham led the panel which included Libby Jewson, WRISC CEO, Emily Murphy, Women and Mentoring Ballarat Program Coordinator, Natalie Illingworth, Founder and Director of Raven Collective and Elisa Zentveld, Professor of Social Justice at Federation University.
The panel were able to discuss powerful and important insights that are helping inspire positive community responses. Elisa Zentveld spoke from the heart about her own lived experience, managing to free herself and her four children from living with family violence, she uses her experiences to inform her research. Elisa’s research has focused on the higher risks of family violence around times of major events and holidays, as well as the post-separation risks. He words resonated in the room profoundly as she spoke about removing the blame from women and the impact family violence has on children.
A very clear message from the event is that we must engage more broadly and deeply with everyone in our community - men, women, young people, corporate and community sectors - to take responsibility for action. The Ballarat Foundation has created and will drive the Ballarat Women's Fund, but we've also committed to taking direct organisational action by joining the Communities of Respect and Equality (CoRE) Alliance and will be encouraging others to do the same.
We recognise how many people in Ballarat are already working tirelessly to change the narrative and outcomes. The Ballarat Women's Fund commits to walking alongside you all. Please encourage your family, friends, work colleagues and community leaders to do the same by joining as fund members below.
Applications for the first grants from the Ballarat Women's Fund close on September 15. Financial members of the Ballarat Women's Fund will have the opportunity to have a say on the first project to be funded at a special event next March. We can't wait to showcase and celebrate the important work which is driving meaningful change in our community.
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