JRS Australia celebrates International Women’s Day 2024

International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed annually on the 8th of March, and celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action, to educate, to raise awareness, and to accelerate our progress towards gender equality.

The theme set by UN Women this year is “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”. It is based on the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women priority theme ‘Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective’.

We would like to encourage you to invest in the women we serve, and invest in a more equal future for all, by supporting the important work we do at JRS Australia. 

The Women We Serve at JRS Australia

At JRS Australia, we work alongside resilient and strong women who face serious threats to their social, economic, cultural and political equality, and we serve, advocate for and accompany them throughout this journey.

Specifically, we support and uplift women who are seeking asylum in Australia, or have otherwise migrated in situations of vulnerability, because they are often left to fall between the gaps of mainstream supports.

Without access to Medicare, and without a permanent visa, many receive no government support and are also locked out of opportunities for assistance in the community sector. The women we serve at JRS Australia come to us when they have nowhere else to go.

The support we offer

Through our Foodbank, we support families to access essential groceries, and through our Casework we provide emergency relief and referrals to external health and legal supports.

Our Employment Program also provides women with opportunities for self-development and up-skilling to support them to find meaningful and long-term work once they receive a visa.

Through our flagship Finding Safety Project, we also offer the Women’s Space where we provide specialist casework support to women and girls who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing, sexual or gender-based violence.

More about the Finding Safety Project

The women we serve and accompany in the Finding Safety Project are strong.

They are resilient and they resist violence and oppression through their own unique journeys – sometimes in ways that are invisible even to themselves. We are privileged to be able to help women uncover their strength and reclaim their dignity. We enable them to determine for themselves how and when we support them, and we regularly seek their guidance in planning our future activities.

For many, accessing the JRS Women’s Space is the first time they have ever felt safe and heard, and this is our mission in action.

The Finding Safety Project offers specialised and complex SGBV casework, community and wellbeing programs, as well as practical assistance with access to funding for emergency accomodation, education, medical care and mental health support.

For more information, see our Women’s Space page or contact women@jrs.org.au.

You can also visit our 16 Stories campaign to learn more about the women we serve.

International Women’s Day Events

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the IWD events we have planned throughout March.