Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence

28/08/2026

Housing is safety.

Every day, we work with women and children escaping family and domestic violence who are ready to start again but are unable to find safe, affordable housing. When rents continue to rise and affordable rentals become harder to access, it creates yet another barrier for those seeking freedom from violence.

Safe housing is not just a housing issue. It's a safety issue.

We support Make Renting Fair WA's call for renters to share their experiences through this survey. If rising rents or housing insecurity have impacted you, we encourage you to have your say.

Your voice can help highlight the real impact of the rental crisis on individuals, families and communities across Western Australia.

Take the survey here: https://makerentingfairwa.org.au/take-action/renters-survey/

Our call for a rent cap grows stronger every day. Even The West Australian is getting behind us - with this powerful opinion piece out today saying:

“It is time to recognise that we don’t live in an entirely free market anyway, and that the rental crisis is so far out of control that price caps are required — even if only as a temporary measure. The system is clearly broken when someone on a $130,000 annual salary- which is the top 10-15% of earners in Australia – struggles to pay the rent”

We know how hard renters in WA are doing - and we'd love to include your experience on unfair rent increases and what it's like to live in this hellscape in the huge report we are working on right now and will be releasing next month! Got five minutes? Have a vent here https://makerentingfairwa.org.au/take-action/renters-survey/

27/08/2026

Things We Grew Up Learning… “Boys will be boys.”

How many times have we heard it?

When boys are rough.
When they're disrespectful.
When they cross a line.
When someone gets hurt.

“He's just a boy being a boy.”

But saying “boys will be boys” doesn't just excuse harmful male behaviour. It tells girls and women that this is something they simply have to accept, tolerate or navigate because apparently, “that's just what boys do.”

No. It isn't.

Boys can learn respect.
Boys can learn consent.
Boys can learn boundaries.
Boys can learn accountability.

Recent events in the AFL have sparked difficult conversations about consent, respect, accountability and the culture we create around men and boys. And some of the victim-blaming comments that have followed have been deeply disturbing.

So let's ask:
Would you say the same thing if they were your daughters? Your sisters? Your nieces? Your granddaughters?

Would you still call it “boys being boys” if it was your loved one who had been hurt?

A woman's safety shouldn't depend on who she is to us.

She deserves safety because she is a person.
She deserves respect because she is a person.

Her consent matters. Full stop.

Being drunk isn't an excuse.
Being part of the group isn't an excuse.
“Just having fun” isn't an excuse.

And “boys will be boys” isn't an excuse.

So perhaps it's time to retire:
“Boys will be boys.”

And replace it with:
“Boys can be better. Men can do better. And we can expect better.”

💭 What would change if we stopped excusing behaviour and started expecting better?
💭 What are we teaching boys and young men about respect, consent and accountability?

20/08/2026

Things We Grew Up Learning… and the Truths We Know Now.
“Children should be seen and not heard.”

How many times did you hear this growing up?

But what does it teach children about their voice, their feelings and their place in the world?

Listening to children doesn't mean giving them responsibility for adult decisions.

It means recognising that their experiences, feelings and opinions matter.

For children experiencing family and domestic violence, being heard can be particularly important. Their experiences can easily be overlooked when the focus is on the adults around them.

Children don't need to have all the answers to deserve to be listened to.

They don't need to be adults to have a voice.

So perhaps it's time to rethink:

“Children should be seen and not heard.”

And change it to:

“Children should be heard, respected and taken seriously.” 💜

At Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence, we strongly believe in listening to children and young people because it is an important part of creating safer relationships and safer communities.

What might we learn if we actually listened?

20/08/2026

We all grew up hearing things that shaped how we see the world.

Some were harmless.

Some were meant to teach us a lesson.

And others… perhaps it's time we questioned them.

“Children should be seen and not heard.”
“Boys will be boys.”
“Sticks and stones may break my bones…”
“Home sweet home.”

We've heard these sayings so many times that we rarely stop to think about the messages behind them.

But when it comes to relationships, respect, power and family and domestic violence, the things we grow up learning can shape what we see as normal - and what we don't.

So we're starting a new series: Things We Grew Up Learning.

We'll take some of the familiar sayings and assumptions we grew up with and look at them through a different lens.

Because sometimes, changing the conversation starts with questioning what we've always been told. 💜

What did you grow up believing that perhaps we need to rethink?

19/08/2026

💜 COMMUNITY IN ACTION: SCHOOLS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

We’ve been incredibly grateful for the generosity and support of Lake Joondalup Baptist College, Mindarie Senior College and St James Anglican School.

Over the past few weeks, students and staff have been putting kindness into action in some wonderful ways:

🧸 Lake Joondalup Baptist College - LJBC - Year 10 students created and donated toddler toys to support the young children we work with.

🧴 Mindarie Senior College - students donated hand-sewn bags filled with toiletries and personal hygiene items.

🎒 St James' Anglican Schooll - students donated tote bags filled with practical items including blankets, toiletries, clothing, water bottles and notebooks.

These donations provide practical support to women, young people and children experiencing family and domestic violence - and we're so grateful to every student and staff member who contributed. 💜

But our partnerships with schools go beyond donations.

We recently delivered Healthy Relationships presentations at Lake Joondalup Baptist College and St James Anglican School, exploring topics including consent, boundaries, respect, healthy and toxic relationships, and recognising the signs of family and domestic violence.

We believe prevention starts with conversations and helping young people understand what respectful, safe and healthy relationships look like is an important part of creating change.

A huge thank you to all three schools for supporting our work and helping young people turn compassion into action.

💜 Is your school interested in learning more about Healthy Relationships or having PGCNV deliver a presentation for your students?

Contact us on (08) 9300 0340 to find out more.

14/08/2026

💜 COMMUNITY IN ACTION

Every week, we’re reminded of what can happen when a community comes together.

This week, we were grateful to receive generous donations of food, toiletries, clothing, blankets, scarves, beanies and other essentials from individuals, families, community groups and local organisations.

To everyone who donated - thank you. 💜

These donations provide practical support to women, young people and children experiencing family and domestic violence, helping to make an incredibly difficult time a little easier.

And, community support doesn’t always come in a box or a bag. We also receive monetary donations throughout the month, which help keep our pantry stocked with essential staple foods. These are packed into staple food bags for clients who need a little extra support to get through the week.

For a mum trying to make ends meet while rebuilding her life, a staple food bag can mean one less thing to worry about when putting food on the table.

A warm blanket can bring comfort.
Toiletries can help maintain dignity.
Warm clothing can provide comfort and protection.

These might seem like small things, but together, they make a big difference.

To everyone who gives - whether it’s a bag of groceries, a blanket, a box of toiletries or a monetary donation - thank you for helping to support women, young people and children when they need it most. 💜

12/08/2026

Things adults say to young people that we need to retire…
“You’re too sensitive.”
“You’ve got nothing to be stressed about.”
“When I was your age…”

We might say these things with the best intentions. But sometimes young people don’t need us to minimise what they’re feeling or compare it to our own experiences.

They need us to listen.

Young people today are growing up in a different world, with different pressures. And for some, home isn’t the safe place it should be.

So instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?”
Try asking “What’s happening for you?”

This International Youth Day, let’s choose curiosity over judgement, connection over correction, and create spaces where young people feel safe to be heard.

Their experiences matter. Their voices matter. They matter. 💜

07/08/2026

Homelessness is rarely a choice. It's most often the result of circumstances beyond a person's control.

💛 If you, or someone you know, is experiencing family and domestic violence, you don't have to face it alone. Contact Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence on (08) 9300 0340 for confidential support and assistance.

06/08/2026

Imagine having to choose between buying period products and putting food on the table.

For women and young girls experiencing Family and Domestic Violence, financial pressure can make everyday essentials feel like luxuries.

That’s why we were so grateful to receive a whole pallet of reusable period underwear from Share the Dignity. 💜

This generous donation means the women and young girls we support can access essential period products without having to worry about the cost and helping to remove one more financial burden at a time when they already have enough to deal with.

And because the period underwear is reusable, it can provide ongoing support well beyond a single period.

This is more than a donation. It's dignity, choice and practical support when it's needed most.

💜 A huge thank you to Share the Dignity for helping us ensure the women and young girls we support can manage their periods with comfort and dignity.

05/08/2026

Picture this.

It’s 2am.

The children are asleep.

She’s standing in the kitchen wondering if tonight will be the night things go too far.

Again.

She’s thought about leaving before.

But where would they go?

How would she afford the rent?

Where would the children sleep?

Then one day, she can’t stay anymore.

She packs a bag.
She takes the children.
And she leaves.

Behind her, she leaves the home, the furniture, the memories, the security and the life she worked hard to build.

That night, she doesn’t know where they’ll sleep.

She only knows they can’t go back.

And yet we still hear that homelessness is a choice.

For many women and children escaping family and domestic violence, homelessness isn’t the result of poor choices.

It can be the consequence of choosing safety.

Because leaving violence doesn’t necessarily mean walking into a safe home.

It can mean leaving without knowing where you and your children will sleep tomorrow.

It can mean choosing between staying somewhere unsafe and facing homelessness.

That isn’t a choice anyone should have to make.

Housing is safety.

Safe, secure and affordable housing must be part of the family and domestic violence response - not an afterthought.

Because leaving violence shouldn’t mean losing your home.

This Homelessness Week, let’s change the conversation.

Let’s challenge the idea that homelessness is always a choice.

Let’s recognise the connection between family and domestic violence and homelessness.

And let’s work towards a system where women and children can leave violence without having to risk losing their safety, security and home.

💛 If you or someone you know is experiencing family and domestic violence, support is available. Contact Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence on (08) 9300 0340.