Elsie’s Refuge – 40 years on yet the fight is still not won. The wet weather didn’t deter more than 200 people gathering at Minogue Park, Glebe on Friday 29.8.14 at ‘high noon’. They were there to make their voices heard, voicing protests about the State Government’s changes to the delivery of Women’s services, brought about through its ‘Going Home, Staying Home’ Policy (GHSH). The devastation it could wreak on the lives of vulnerable women is frightening. News Flash Elsies closed its doors on Friday afternoon ‘Speakout to Save Women’s Refuges’ was organised by the No Shelter Collective to mark the day that several Women’s Refuges closed, and from which many others will no longer be able to operate as feminist services. In Glebe, the first women’s refuge, Elsie’s (1974) was taken over by St Vincent De Paul. All staff was made redundant. Other women’s services that will no longer operate as independent feminist services include Delvena on the North Shore, Dolores in Bondi, Marcia’s in Campbelltown, Moruya, Bourke, Bega, Taree, Tweed Heads, Wagga Wagga, and Forbes. Over 20 people expressed their deep-seated anguish at the loss to women’s well being that the GHSH will make. Christina, a member of the original collective which occupied premises in Westmoreland Street and founded Elsie as a safe haven for women fleeing domestic violence painted a grim picture, and one that no-one wishes to see revisited. Christine Bird of the No Shelter Collective reiterated that 87% of people seeking these Women’s Services were Domestic Violence survivors. Lola, formerly a volunteer at the Tempe Refuge gave the migrant women’s perspective. Coming largely from male dominated, conservative communities ‘they don’t have a choice’ she said. As speaker after speaker identified the difficulties women seeking help and safety will face further facets of the situation became evident. DV survivors who’d used the services, indigenous women with children who’d depended on them, workers whose skills would now be unavailable to women at risk all spoke. Support to the calls to the State Government to reinstate funding to Women’s Services also came from the Australian Services Union whose assistant Secretary Elaina recognized this as an aspect of the current conservative political agenda; to reduce expenditure on human services. Further political support for Speakout was vocalised by Jamie Parker, the Green member for Balmain, who stated there was a need to defend Women’s Services in order to ‘move forward as a country’. Verity Firth, endorsed Labor candidate observed the inequity it will produce; inequities seemingly overcome since that great year of action, 1974, gains which must not be lost. The attendance of Linda Burney, the Shadow Minister also attested to the importance of the issue. Wendy Bacon recognised that there is a public right for women and children to be safe. Eva Cox, while noting that the general trend of larger organization ‘eating up’ smaller ones was a trend not confined to the services sector, stressed the need for clear demands to be made if successful outcomes were to eventuate. It was essential to ‘differentiate between Women’s Services and Services for Women’ she said. The difference being that of services run by women, with women’s welfare the prime consideration, together with the removal of funding from Housing and returned to DOCS. Further changes to services are scheduled for 30th October at which time more action to protest the changes will be made. Future action could take the form of a sit-in or occupation of a premise due to close. This will be determined by discussion amongst the No Shelter Collective but whatever its form, until funding to Women’s Services and the reinstatement of its management by professionals who understand the needs and are not driven by unsympathetic agendas, the wound will fester and women will remain second-class citizens. Can you lend your voice to right this wrong? Go online and sign the Petition.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 05:32:57 +0000
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