Thanks for making 2018 a year of action
From all of us at the Victorian Women’s Trust, we hope your festive season is both safe and happy, and that you to get the down time you deserve.
As we wind down for the year, we’ve been reflecting on our biggest moments, made possible thanks to the generous and steadfast support of donors, volunteers, and supporters like yourself.
Scroll down to see our impact across 2018:
DIRECTORY OF WOMEN
PROJECT RELAUNCHED
Since going live in Feb 2018, Here She Is now features over 600 profiles of expert women and non-binary folks from around Australia. We’re so proud to be showcasing so many talented members of our community, proving that there really is no excuse for an all male panel.
It’s free to join, so if you want to get yourself out there in 2019 – sign up! And tell your friends to do the same.
ROSIE IN THE CLASSROOM
PROJECT LAUNCHED
Developed as a companion piece to Rosie.org.au, our feminist website for young people, Rosie in the Classroom supports teachers to introduce big, important topics – like sexting or mental health – into the school environment safely. Features videos, work sheets and lesson plans for educators, all free of charge.
Read all about it in Maddy Crehan’s blog piece:
CLUB RESPECT
PROJECT LAUNCHED
Harm-prevention initiative Club Respect is kicking goals for safe and fun clubs everywhere.
Launched in Oct 2018 by Shelley Ware, co-host of the Marngrook Footy Show; Brent Silva, General Manager, NRL Victoria; the Hon. Natalie Hutchins, and more, this important project will help people working at the grassroots level to make their sports club the benchmark for respect.
Check out our recap of the stirring speeches from Club Respect launch:
THE HUMANITAS SUB-FUND
NEW SUB-FUND
The Humanitas Sub-Fund, created by Prue and Liz Brown, will support the needs of women and girls from African-Australian communities. It is one of ten such Sub-Funds at the Victorian Women’s Benevolent Trust, each providing community grants to brighten the future of women and girls.
Find out what drove Prue and Liz to take this important step:
EVENTS, EVENTS AND MORE EVENTS
We had the pleasure of bringing hundreds of people together at dozens of VWT events across 2018. One of our fave sold-out events featured journalist Jan Fran in discussion with feminist author Clementine Ford at the launch of her latest book, Boys Will Be Boys, at the Athenaeum Theatre.
Sophie Bliss deftly captured the moment in her blog piece, Clem Ford of the Superficial Privilege of Masculinity.
Breakthrough
Economic Security, Equal Representation, Safety
We’ve kept the engines going since our huge gender equality event, Breakthrough 2016, taking the thought leadership from that unique opportunity and funnelling it into rigorous research and collaboration. In January 2018, we hosted feminist economist Marilyn Waring at VWT for our Economic Security Summer Intensive with leading experts, working together to uncover the hard truths about women and money in Australia.
The research intensive culminated in a sold-out in conversation event with Richard Denniss and Marilyn Waring. Catch up on all the action on our blog:
Record number of grants
COMMUNITY GRANTS
Over the course of 2018, thanks to our committed donors, we gave out 38 grants to projects that directly benefit women and girls, amounting to a total of$330,000. It was a record high for the Victorian Women’s Benevolent Trust and a shining example of progressive grant making in action.
Read volunteer Casey Duong’s article uncovering the common threads between the range of organisations supported by Trust grants in 2018:
FOR THE RECORD: 2018 POLICY SUBMISSIONS
ADVOCACY
This year the Trust contributed 5 policy submissions to a wide range of issues. From the 2018 Gender Equality Bill to the 2018 Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill, we made sure the voices of women and girls were heard, valued and on the record.
See all the Trust policy work undertaken in 2018:
MANUSCRIPT ON MENSTRUATION + MENOPAUSE IS FINITO
PROJECT
2018 shall be known as the year we put the finishing touches on an important manuscript, four years in the making. Written by Karen Pickering and Jane Bennett, this document encapsulates our research into people’s experiences of menstruation and menopause, advocating for a new normal.
Down with the shame and taboo, up with health and wellbeing! More to be revealed in 2019 – watch this space.
Thanks for all your support this year!
The list above is just a taster of what’s been going on at VWT throughout the year. Behind the scenes, our gender equality research machine was firing on all cylinders and we look forward to giving you a bigger insight into that crucial work in 2019.
2018 was a big one and we are so glad to have had you on the journey with us. Stay with us, and together, we will raise the flag for a brighter, equal future for women and girls.
Warmest wishes to you and your loved ones,
Team VWT
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