I first came to Bonnie’s as a student and one of the things I love about working here is the emphasis on learning. I have never worked for an organisation that encourages self-development like Bonnies does. Not only am I learning something new from my colleagues every day but I am encouraged to attend as […]

Bonnie’s works with women and children who have experienced violence and abuse. However there are many organisations that work with male perpetrators of domestic violence. Some programs aimed at changing the violent behaviour of men toward their partners are having significant success. According to research by Monash University and Violence Free families, 65 per cent […]

Love is a powerful influence in our lives. But, as I have found, writing about love is not an easy thing to do. People have so many different experiences that shape their perspective on what love means to them. Love comes in all different shapes and sizes: romantic love; the love of a child; the […]

Those of us working in the field of domestic and family violence frequently hear survivors ask self-blaming questions such as: “Why did he do this to me?” and “Why does this keep happening to me?”. Helping survivors make sense of their experiences is part of the work we do. The most important point is that […]

I grew up in a small town in Tasmania, as part of a Lebanese family… Being different is hard work when you’re a kid. Not only did I look different, but my family was different, my food was different and my culture and beliefs were different. Been teased was part of the daily ritual at […]

Domestic Violence Leave is an issue of relevance to all of us. When you consider that one in three women experiences physical violence by the age of 15, and one in five experiences sexual violence, and that an average of one woman per week is murdered by a current, or former, intimate partner, it is […]

It’s been 10 years since I left the worst DV relationship of my life… They say it takes seven years for all your skin cells to renew, which means there is now no part of my skin that he touched. But I’m not healed. I may never be. Ten years and I still jump when […]

Happiness can feel elusive at times, especially when we face challenges in our lives. However, we can consciously work to create more happiness in our lives. The two main pathways to happiness are pleasure and meaning. While genetics contributes (some people are just born more resilient, or easy-going), much of our individual happiness comes down […]

When a woman escapes from violence at home, a refuge can be a safe port in a very stormy sea: an opportunity to regroup and begin the process of rebuilding her life. For many women, the safety of their children is a driving force in the decision to leave a violent home. But for mothers […]

The story is a familiar one. A woman escapes abuse, or finds herself homeless after a change in life circumstances, and ends up in a refuge. Many of us will know someone who has experienced domestic violence. Some of us may have experienced abuse or homelessness ourselves. We can imagine what living in a refuge […]

After working hard for many years, in a job, raising children, or both, you want to know that you will be looked after. But for some women, the reality is very different. Many older women in Australia are finding themselves without the security they deserve. Some have lost bread-winning husbands through relationship breakdown or the […]

How you can help Bonnie’s women and children At Bonnie’s, every dollar donated is spent on the women and children we support, many of whom experience hardship and disadvantage when they access our service. Our donors share our vision of a safe world where women and children flourish and reach their full potential, and there […]