The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing would like to acknowledge the passion and commitment of earlier Western Australian women’s domestic violence and women’s health movement activists and the extraordinary efforts they made to improve the circumstances of women’s lives and to fill significant gaps in the law, service provision and access.
The domestic violence protest movement engaged with the topic both through work with women affected by domestic violence, and also by lobbying for changes to the policies and practices of key stakeholders such as government, police, courts and welfare agencies.
Angela Hartwig was the long-serving CEO of the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services. She worked tirelessly, selflessly, generously and fearlessly over many years to improve the safety and support for those experiencing domestic and family violence, at both an individual and systems level. Angela was an extraordinary person who made an enormous contribution to improving the lives of countless people in the community and leaves an indelible, positive legacy.
Historical gains against gender-based violence in Australia only occurred because of the willingness of women like Angela to stand against complacency. Violence against women will not be solved by the simple march of time. Action continues to be needed.
In late 2020, the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services WA and the Women’s Community Health Network WA merged to form the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing following an external review, with a new CEO, Board and constitution. Our new name reflects our new integrated service model incorporating an interdisciplinary focus on domestic and family violence, sexual violence, women’s health and gender inequity.
We are an independent peak body who continues to build on our legacy by embodying feminist principles and approaches.
We have introduced an integrated approach across domestic, family and sexual violence, health and gender equity that will enable us to grow these areas to develop new and better ways to improve the lives of women and their families. A collaborative and state-wide partnership of services in sexual violence, women’s health and women’s and children’s domestic and family violence services positively complements specialist work and the sharing of specialist knowledge.
We recognise there is much to be done to improve the lives of women and their families, and together we can do more.
CWSW Rationale for name and purpose
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians and first peoples of Australia. We recognise the impacts of colonisation and dispossession and the contemporary disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing is committed to working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men to end violence against their women and children in Western Australia.
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing acknowledges the strength and resilience of adults, children and young people who have experienced family and domestic violence. We pay respects to those who did not survive and acknowledge the families, friends and communities who have lost loved ones to this preventable and widespread issue. We are committed to ensuring responses to family and domestic violence are informed by lived experience.
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing recognises, welcomes and respects people of diverse gender, sex and sexuality. We are committed to greater inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people (LGBTIQ).
