Every month, the Victorian Women’s Trust publishes the online newsletter called Sheila’s. It’s always a great read and every month, it features a cartoon from the wonderful Judy Horachek.   Here’s is this month’s issue, the cartoon plays with gender sterotyping and the language that goes with it.   Wonderful, huh? Sign up for the newsletter here!  

  Our Executive Officer found this post about 3 days in a refuge for women and their kids. I particularly liked it because it’s so easy to read, features beautiful illustrations and, most importantly, helped me understand what it must be like to be in crisis accommodation. I love the way it walks through the […]

Bonnie’s loves this video from New Zealand. It reminds us that family violence takes many forms and NONE of them are OK. Sometimes everyday violent behaviours slip under the radar and are almost excused because they don’t seem to fit that very BIG label of Domestic Violence. But as you will see those behaviours, without […]

The other day we received an interesting call at Bonnie’s. It was from a man, calling about his little sister. She was experiencing domestic violence and he was feeling helpless, trying to get any information he could about how to support her. Calls from family and friends are not unusual for Bonnie’s but there was […]

Shockingly, last week in Australia, three women and two children were murdered in so-named “domestic” circumstances. The murder of a woman and her 7 year old grandson at Lalor Park, by the son and uncle of the two; the murder of two Queensland women, in separate incidents by their former partners and finally the murder […]

Sexual consent is something that’s not usually discussed in our everyday conversations with friends, family and co-workers. Is it because we assume that everyone understands what it means or is it because the conversation makes us feel uncomfortable and awkward? Sexual consent is such an important matter and it needs to be talked about openly. […]

We love this video. This is beautiful crafted video that provides insight on what your child would say to you if they could talk.                         Remember to visit the NAPCAN website to find out more about Child Protection Week 6th-12th September 2015.  

Recently, one child at Bonnie’s said, “My father is a lion, and I am a sheep” . He was describing what it felt like being in the house when he was unable to help his mother. Most of the children we see every day at Bonnie’s could identify at least one of the following feelings […]

A couple of years ago, I met a woman in Tasmania. She had just found a permanent home after couch surfing with relatives and friends for months following the breakdown of her marriage. She was so happy to be settled again and for her family to be able to start living ‘normally’. When I asked […]

In my role as EO for Bonnie’s I spend a lot of time behind the desk but a few weeks ago I found myself being a case worker again for half a day. Quite a few years have passed since I last did casework but as many of the staff were sick and others were […]

Famous American actor Bill Cosby is currently facing multiple charges of sexual abuse and rape committed against women over decades. We found a link on Destroy the Joint to this story about the women who accuse him. They found the strength to speak out with the support of each other and their stories are now […]

Recently, I volunteered with two of my colleagues to be part of ‘Nite Under the Stars’. This idea to sleep out for a night and raise funds and awareness around homelessness was put together by a group of local services. I agreed to sell raffle tickets, get sponsorship and spend the night of August 7 […]