Women's Legal Centre ACT

24/06/2026

Content note: this post includes references to domestic and family violence.

📢 A note from our CEO, Elena Rosenman:

I don't often write these posts myself, but I wanted to, because I want to be direct with you.

Our EOFY Appeal closes on 1 July. Until then, every donation is matched dollar-for-dollar by Canberra law firm Parker Coles Curtis Lawyers, up to $10,000.

I have spent years watching what happens when a woman finally gets the legal help she needs at the right moment. I have also seen what happens when she doesn't. The difference is not about how strong or capable she is. It is about whether someone was there to help her navigate a system that was never built with her in mind.

That is what your donation does. It places a lawyer and a social worker beside a woman who would otherwise face this alone.

If you have been meaning to give, I am asking you directly: please do it now, while your gift can be doubled.

🔖 https://www.givenow.com.au/eofy-twenty-six-fundraising-appeal

Thank you, sincerely.

Elena

22/06/2026

Content note: this post includes references to domestic and family violence.

Affording a lawyer shouldn't be the deciding factor whether a woman can leave a dangerous situation or fight for her safety.

Elena from the Women's Legal Centre ACT and the team at Parker Coles Curtis Lawyers (PCC) sat down to talk about what women are really up against, and why PCC stepped up to help.

Until 1 July, PCC is matching every dollar you give. So if you've been meaning to donate, this is the moment. 🫶

🔖 https://www.givenow.com.au/eofy-twenty-six-fundraising-appeal

22/06/2026

Workplace sexual harassment doesn't stop because the law says it should. It stops when leaders actually do something before it happens, not after.

Our colleagues at Working Women's Centre Victoria have a free training series for employers worth your time. Session 3 features Victorian Commissioner Ro Allen on the positive duty: the legal requirement to prevent harassment proactively, not just respond to it once it's happened.

ACT employers take note: you have the same obligation under the Commonwealth S*x Discrimination Act. "We didn't know" and "we dealt with it after" are not a strategy.

What you'll get from session 3:
💡what the positive duty actually requires
💡 how to build prevention into systems, leadership and culture, not just a policy nobody reads
💡 real steps leaders can take, not just intentions

Start here: https://wwcvic.org.au/education-and-training/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=preventing_sexual_harassment_workplace&utm_content=ro_allen_pdf

*xualHarassment

Women's Working Centre Victoria offers customised training programs for your business, community group or workplace to foster a positive and supportive work environment.

16/06/2026

Content warning: workplace sexual harassment

Workplace sexual harassment can happen once. It can happen online. It can happen at after-work drinks. It can come from a manager, a client, or a colleague.

And it is against the law.

The Working Women's Centre ACT has a new factsheet that breaks down what workplace sexual harassment is, how it can affect people, and what your options are if it has happened to you.

Key things to know:

👉 It could be a single incident or an ongoing behaviour

👉 Your employer must actively prevent it, not just respond to complaints

👉 You do not have to confront the harasser or speak to your employer before seeking help

👉 Your employer cannot punish or dismiss you for making a sexual harassment complaint

Free, confidential advice is available. Talking to a lawyer does not mean taking legal action.

📄 Read the workplace sexual harassment factsheet:https://wwcact.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/13052026-WWC_WorkplaceS*xualHarassment_Factsheet_Digital-FINAL-2.pdf

🔗 Explore all our resources: wwcact.org.au/our-resources/

15/06/2026

🔧 Website Maintenance Notice

The Women's Legal Centre and Working Women's Centre ACT websites will be temporarily unavailable while we undertake scheduled maintenance from:

📅 Monday, 15 June 2026, 10:00pm to

📅 Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 8:00am

If you require urgent assistance during this time:

🚨 Emergency
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

🚔 Police Assistance (non-emergency)
Phone 131 444.

💜 Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS)
24/7 Crisis Line: (02) 6280 0900

We appreciate your patience while we complete these updates.

15/06/2026

Certainty is not a small thing.

For organisations like ours, one-year funding cycles mean one-year horizons. Hard to plan. Hard to build. Hard to hold onto the skilled, experienced people our clients depend on.

The ACT Government's four-year funding commitment to Women's Legal Centre ACT changes that. For the first time, we can plan with confidence, invest in our people, and focus on what matters: being there for women and gender-diverse people in the ACT when they need legal help most.

With demand for our services up 38% last year, that stability means everything.

It's good that the ACT Government recognises the long-term value of this work.

The Women's Legal Centre ACT can provide free legal advice to women, trans and gender-diverse people in the ACT and surrounding region.

12/06/2026

We’re excited to be part of the Multicultural Hub Expo this June.

Join the Women’s Legal Centre ACT on Saturday 13 June at the Multicultural Hub (mHub) Welcome2Canberrra Expo. This event connects multicultural community members, particularly those new to Canberra, with essential services, community groups, and support.

From previous years, we’ve seen how valuable this event is. Not only for community members, but also for services, strengthening connections across the sector.

The Women’s Legal Centre ACT can provide free legal advice to women, trans and gender-diverse people in the ACT and surrounding region.

Our team can assist with:

Problems at work
Family breakdown or separation
Family violence and safety
Care arrangements for children
Migration
Discrimination
S*xual harassment
📍 Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden
92–96 Corinna St, Phillip ACT
🕙 10am – 1pm

If you’re attending, come by and say hello. We’d love to meet you.

📞 1800 634 669
🌐 wlc.org.au

10/06/2026

Last month, Farrar Gesini Dunn hosted a film screening, invited their clients, and made space for WLC ACT to speak. The generosity in that room, combined with Farrar Gesini Dunn's own contribution, totalled $3,173 for our Centre.

We are thankful for the ways the legal community shows up for people who need it most.

10/06/2026

Content note: this post includes references to domestic and family violence.

Region Canberra has written about our EOFY fundraising appeal, and it's a lovely read. 🧡

Parker Coles Curtis Lawyers director Catherine Coles describes what it means to walk alongside someone who was lost and didn't know where to turn, watching them reach the end of the process with financial independence secured and "more purpose and hope for the future."

That is what your donation makes possible.

Until 1 July 2026, Parker Coles Curtis is matching every gift dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. Whatever you give, they double it.

Read the article and support the appeal here 👇
🔖 https://region.com.au/care-compassion-and-counsel-in-crisis-local-firms-lifeline-to-womens-legal-centre-act/970422/

Or give directly: 🔖 https://www.givenow.com.au/eofy-twenty-six-fundraising-appeal

Thank you. 🫶

Double your impact this EOFY. Parker Coles Curtis will match every dollar you donate to the Women's Legal Centre ACT until 1 July 2026, up to $10,000.

09/06/2026

AusAlert is Australia's new emergency warning system, launching this year. It sends alerts directly to mobile phones during serious emergencies like bushfires and floods, cutting through even when your phone is on silent.

For people experiencing family violence, especially those living with someone who uses violence, an unexpected alert can put safety at risk. Alerts could expose hidden safety devices.

Here's what an AusAlert does when it arrives: vibrates your device, plays a loud siren-like sound for about 10 seconds, and turns on your screen to show the message.

If receiving alerts on your device is not safe, keep it turned off or in aeroplane mode until you need it.

For more information on staying safe with AusAlert: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/community-resources/staying-safe-ausalert