Women and the Australian Church (WATAC) held their 2025 Conference on 14-16 November, at Mary Mackillop Place in North Sydney. I was thrilled to accept an invitation to participate on a panel to speak about Christian Feminism. 

As the Assistant Country Director of Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) Australia, who oversees the Finding Safety Project, a sexual and gender-based violence prevention, response and recovery service for women on temporary visas in Australia, I shared insights into the transformative power of women and lived experience-led ministry, and service. 

The JRS Women’s Space is where the Finding Safety team operate from and is a one-of-a-kind place of sisterhood. Actively and implicitly, we dismantle structures at the intersection of racism and misogyny which have not only led to actual experiences of violence, but also to the covering up, the excusing, the victim-blaming, and the minimisation of violence, and the creation of barriers that make it almost impossible for women on temporary visas to break free and access safety, justice and healing. 

What we do at the JRS Women’s Space is simple: “we are.”

We are a home away from home, we are sisters when family is so far away, we are witnesses to the lived experiences of women harmed in their countries of origin, in transit to Australia and then here on our shores and on our watch. We are non-judgemental. We are enablers of choice, agency and change. We are explorers of hopes and dreams, and we are a toolkit for women who are ready to carve their own way, often for the first time in their lives. 

I use the word “we” in its purest sense. It isn’t about us as workers rescuing women. It is about us being with, accompanying, walking alongside women on their own journey. We are companions, not guides – because women are experts in their own lives. They know, they resist, they survive.  

In sharing this insight at the WATAC Conference, my hope is that the Australian Church recognises the importance and impact of women-only spaces, just like our Women’s Space, and takes significant steps to creating these places of shared healing, empowerment and resilience across our parishes, our schools and ministries. 

Connection to Our Faith

In the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV quotes Pope Francis: 

 “Let us not forget that “doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights. Even so, we constantly witness among them impressive examples of daily heroism in defending and protecting their vulnerable families.”” 

“While significant changes are under way in some countries, “the organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men. We say one thing with our words, but our decisions and reality tell another story,” especially if we consider the numbers of women who are in fact destitute.” 

Pope Leo XIV transforms the image of women from powerless subjects to powerful resistors of systems worldwide that seek to oppress, subjugate, and silence marginalised voices. 

Whilst it is important to acknowledge the strength and resilience of women who courageously face their oppression, it is also time that we do more than just watch on.  

We need to transform the world: our Governments, organisations, our institutions and faith communities to address the gendered nature of violence, disempowerment, discrimination and oppression faced by women and girls in every corner of the Earth. 

At the JRS Women’s Space, we are active witnesses. More than observers, we heed the call from the women we serve to stand alongside them, and help their voices be heard. We hope that our example can encourage others, wherever you may be, to explore ways to create space for women’s leadership, safety and healing.  

Let’s stand together with women and for safety, justice and equality. Learn more about the Women’s Space here.  

Would you like to support us?

If you would like to help us continue our work accompany, serving and advocating for women on temporary visas, please consider making a donation to our Christmas Appeal.

Your donation helps us ensure we can keep our services running in the new year, providing essential support to people facing homelessness through casework, emergency relief, a Foodbank, employment support, and advocacy.

Please make a gift today.