For women escaping violence, support can begin with something as simple as a safe phone, a taxi fare or a folder for court documents. Women’s Legal Service WA is ensuring women do not face those moments alone.

For many women escaping family and domestic violence, the hardest part is not only leaving, it is what comes next.

It’s the taxi fare needed to get to a safe place, a phone that has not been compromised, a folder to carry court documents and help her feel confident walking into a legal system that can be deeply intimidating for victim survivors of violence, or clean clothes for a magistrate’s hearing. These practical details can determine whether a woman feels invisible or supported as she navigates a difficult period of her life.

At Women's Legal Service WA, these details matter. The specialist community legal centre supports over 1300 women a year across Western Australia, many experiencing financial hardship, housing insecurity and the ongoing impacts of gendered violence.

“We don’t just provide legal assistance,” says CEO of Women’s Legal Service WA, Dr Jennie Gray. “We recognise she doesn’t just walk through our door with only unmet legal needs. We know she has a lot of other things that are impacting on her wellbeing that she needs help with. Addressing the legal issue in isolation is not going to always solve her issues or improve her wellbeing.”

Jennie explains that Women’s Legal Service WA combines lawyers, social workers and financial counsellors because “almost all of the women who come here have some experience of interpersonal violence”, alongside other vulnerabilities including homelessness, disability and insecure housing.

“Family, domestic and sexual violence, we know, is the leading cause of homelessness in Western Australia,” Jennie says. “Most women don’t have many options when they leave the relationship.”

 

“Family and domestic violence, we know, is the leading cause of homelessness in Western Australia”

How a grant has made a big difference

The organisation supports women across metropolitan, regional and remote WA, including outreach services through the Kimberley, Wheatbelt, Midwest and Great Southern regions.

A grant from the Luck Family Legacy, managed within the Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation, is helping Women’s Legal Service WA respond to immediate and practical needs for women fleeing violence.

The funding assists women with emergency relief including transport, groceries, short-term accommodation and secure phones. It also supports emergency care packs and court compendiums, helping women navigate legal proceedings with greater dignity and confidence.

"We’re so appreciative and grateful for this kind of funding,” Jennie says. “It gives us the flexibility to use it when we need to use it.”

The court compendiums were developed after women spoke about arriving at court empty handed while everyone else carried folders and paperwork. “What we heard from women is when they arrive at court, everyone else is carrying a folder except for them. It really makes them feel subordinate.”

Each pack includes court documents, a planner, tissues, sanitary products and colouring activities for children. “It’s a kind of dignity pack,” she says.

The organisation has also partnered with Dress for Success to provide women with clothing for court appearances, job interviews and school meetings.

Jennie recalls one woman, recently out of prison and rebuilding her life, arriving at court in a navy suit after receiving support through the program. “The magistrate mistook the client for the lawyer,” she says. “That’s how smart she looked.”

To Jennie, these moments matter because they help counter the fear and disempowerment many women carry into the justice system.

“These kind of little things help lift women, give women the confidence, give women the information that they need to make the decision that’s in their best interest and in their children’s best interest too. Our vision is justice for women.”

Photo credit: Women’s Legal Service WA