On Thursday, 27 August 2026, Jesuit Refugee Service Australia’s Finding Safety Project held its third annual Insights Forum, this year on the Role of Faith Communities in Preventing Gender-Based Violence.

Building on last year’s “Faith in Action” forum, this year webrought together faith leaders, government representatives and community organizations and people with lived experiences to share their insights and continue the discussion on how faith communities can strengthen their support to women in our communities.

Specifically, we work alongside women who are seeking asylum and on temporary visas, and experiencing gender-based violence. With over 50% of the women we serve facing homelessness, we know that we need real change across the board to create more pathways to safety, and improve access to support.

Opening the Forum

The Forum opened with an acknowledgment of Country by Ian Shearer, a lecturer at Western Sydney University, who reflected on the legacy and storytelling of the Darug Nation and the continuation of continuing conversations of care and support within our communities.

Opening Speakers included:

• Brett O’Neill, S.J., Country Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia, who spoke about JRS Australia’s values and mission in supporting and accompanying refugees, people seeking asylum and temporary migrants and upholding their dignity and agency.

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  The Honorable Donna Davis, MP, State Member of Parramatta who acknowledged the progress made in addressing Gender-based violence, and the need to build relationships with local and religious communities and to further engage in conversations to prevent and strengthen GBV response and support.

• Maeve Brown, CEO of Mercy Foundation and one of the founders of JRS Australia’s Finding Safety Project. Maevespoke about the challenges and uncertainties faced by women at risk and victim-survivors of GBV and the Finding Safety Project’s role in creating a space and removing barriers for women who are at the intersection of migration, violence and vulnerability.
• The Honorable Andrew Charlton, MP, State Member of Parramatta who spoke about the importance of laws and governance, but most critically, promoting values inspired by faith in respecting women and children and cultivating alliances and values across our faith communities.

Interfaith Dialogue

The interfaith discussion involved faith leaders from the Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic and Hindu traditions, who spoke alongside survivors about the role of faith and religious communities in assisting women experiencing violence.

Panel 1: Survivor Dialogue

Linda George, Counsellor at Try Counselling

Carol Dutton

A panel of women with lived experience have shared their experiences, challenges with and also support from organizations and religious communities, and emphasized that religious communities listen, believe and support women with lived experience of sexual and gender based violence. support. Through their stories and work, they continue to advocate and shape support for women victim-survivors facing domestic violence in Australia.

“If a situation comes up where you are not getting the help that you want, don’t give up, go somewhere else, there are churches and people with good hearts in the community that do want to help.” – Carol Dutton

Panel 2: Faith Leaders Discussion on the Role of Faith in GBV Prevention

Bhante Sujato (Senior Teaching Monk)

Dr. Ali Alsmail (Director of Shia Muslim Council of Australia)

Fr. Brett O’Neil, S.J. (Country Director of JRS Australia)

Pandit Venkatraman Shastri

Religious leaders across multiple faith traditions emphasized the integral role faith and religious communities can play in safeguarding and supporting women experiencing gender based violence, and the need for working through combined expertise and trust with community organizations to strengthen safeguarding and support across both sectors.

“You don’t undermine the sanctity of marriage by leaving a broken destructive marriage, it is the person who is destructive and vile who undermines the sanctity of marriage.” – Fr. Brett

The conversation emphasized the importance of reframing faith to affirm and protect the sanctity of the lives of women who experience domestic violence instead of allowing harmful ideas to be normalized and reinforced through culture and misinterpretations of religious teachings.

Faith as a pathway to community safety

Sara Muzamil, Project Manager of Finding Safety shared profound reflections on the role of faith in providing support and faith to women with lived experience across various religious traditions, and challenging power-imbalances through misinterpretations that can make it unsafe for women experiencing gender-based violence.

“Religion can be a powerful source of safety.” – Sara Muzamil

The Forum acknowledged complexities and barriers arising from religious misinterpretations, while inspiring hope that religious communities can and often do play an important role in creating safety. When faith communities center safety, women experiencing gender based violence are able to trust and find strength and support within their faith and faith communities.

“When faith leaders center true teaching, women feel supported.”  – Sara Muzamil

Acknowledgements

At JRS Australia, we extend our sincerest gratitude to the accomplished speakers, survivors, faith leaders and partners who contributed to and attended this Forum.

We are deeply encouraged by the strength of our multifaith communities and your dedication to supporting women on temporary visas who are facing violence. We look forward to continuing this work with you going forward.

Toolkit for Religious Leaders

Alongside the Forum, JRS Australia’s Finding Safety Project released a Toolkit for Religious Leaders, intended to support faith communities to engage safely and supportively with women facing violence. The toolkit is available for free here, and includes a directory for referrals, including to our own Finding Safety Project.

If you would like to work alongside us, learn more about the Finding Safety Project here or email women@jrs.org.au.