Women's Space

JRS Australia's award-winning Finding Safety Project supports women to create lasting change, safety, peace and freedom from violence for themselves and their children.

Finding Safety at the JRS Women’s Space 

The Finding Safety Project is a key ‘missing piece’ in the services sector puzzle, bridging the knowledge, capacity and practice gap between the asylum seeker and refugee sector and the domestic and family and sexual violence support sector. 

The first project of its kind in NSW and one of the first in Australia, the Finding Safety Project continues to lead the way by resourcing women, improving safety outcomes and building community capacity to prevent and respond appropriately to complex sexual and gender based violence (‘SGBV’).

Our work is recognised by the UNHCR Global Compact on Refugees as an example of Good Practice.

The Finding Safety Project was originally funded through Women NSW under the DFV Innovation Fund Grant. Recognised as a project of great impact, the Finding Safety Project secured a funding extension through the Department of Communities and Justice until August of 2024.

Our Services

Specialist SGBV Casework The SGBV casework team provides specialist support and emergency assistance.
Specialist SGBV Casework
Wellbeing and Connection A range of programs aimed at strengthening women’s social connection, health and wellbeing.
Wellbeing and Connection
Women At Risk Legal Clinic JRS and RACS partner to provide free drop-in legal clinics for at-risk women seeking asylum to receive professional legal advice.
Women At Risk Legal Clinic
Self-Empowerment and Education Supporting women to empower themselves with knowledge about rights, violence prevention, pathways to financial independence and where to seek help.
Photo of craftwork with signs that read, 'Girls are born leaders' and 'we are brave women'
Self-Empowerment and Education
Community Events Both a soft entry point to our program and an opportunity for healing and recovery- our events are for all women to connect together in solidarity.
Community Events
Leaders with Lived Expertise Community Mobilisers are offered training and support to engage community members in primary prevention initiatives.
Leaders with Lived Expertise
Sector Capacity Building Our work bridges gaps between the refugee and DV/FV sectors to ensure that women on temporary visas are effectively supported.
Sector Capacity Building
Advocacy and Awareness Raising Our team provides specialist insight into the experiences of women at risk. We engage in a range of collaborative approaches and initiatives to build better awareness and response.
Advocacy and Awareness Raising

Do you want to become a Community Mobiliser?

JRS Australia supports women with lived experience of forced displacement and those who have faced challenging migration pathways to become community mobilisers. Community mobilisers provide peer support, information and referrals about services to their communities and work alongside the JRS Finding Safety project team to provide platforms for asylum seeking, refugee, and migrant women to empower themselves and to access safety.

Community mobilisers help to identify and reach women at risk of SGBV in the community, and assist in providing help to those who do not utilise mainstream services. Community mobilisers access in-depth leadership training, including ongoing mentoring and skills development in specific areas such as public speaking and group facilitation.

If you or someone you know would like to join the Community Mobiliser program, please reach out to our Finding Safety Project Coordinator Sara at Sara.muzamil@jrs.org.au.

 

Need help?

Get in touch with our Finding Safety Project today at women@jrs.org.au

Please note the Finding Safety Project does not provide accommodation or after-hours crisis support.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE PLEASE CONTACT 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or NSW Domestic Violence Line 1800 65 64 63

IN AN EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL 000

 

Want to help?

Get in touch with our Finding Safety Project today at women@jrs.org.au.

Please visit our Take Action page to learn more about how you can get involved with our work, through financial support, donations to Foodbank, awareness-raising, and volunteering.