Recently, I started thinking about the female characters that I was exposed to while growing up during the 1980’s and 90’s. At school, we studied books by George Orwell (1984), Aldous Huxley (Brave New World), William Golding (Lord of the flies) and lots and lots of Shakespeare. I don’t remember a single female novelist on […]

In the 1970’s, 80 women declared themselves criminals due to having had abortions.  Courageously, they took an ad out in a national newspaper, denouncing themselves and calling for abortion to be made legal. Now 50 years on, it’s still classified as illegal to have an abortion in NSW and women (and men) continue to campaign […]

Most of us who work combating domestic violence, or are simply concerned about domestic violence will know that culture change is at the heart of making a significant impact in combating domestic violence. This means changing how boys view girls and how girls view girls. It means changing how parents and other adults relate to […]

“It was as if liking girl characters made me a joke” says Damian Alexander in the Boredpanda article called ‘Guy Illustrates How Boys Develop Sexism From Seemingly Small Interactions With Adults’. As I read the article and browsed Damian’s comics, I found myself reflecting on a family experience that occurred not that long ago. My 4-year-old […]

There are so many wonderful, strong, passionate and courageous women out there. However, we don’t often get to hear about how they’re making strides to change our world. Here’s a snapshot of five women who are doing just that, each in their own way. Inspire away. Jameela Jamil  Jameela is an actress, presenter, activist and […]

This is the second edition in a two-part series. Click here to read the first edition. THE CUP EFFECT (UK, KENYA & MALAWI) The Cup Effect is an organisation raising awareness about the benefits of menstrual cups through CupAware parties in partnership with Bloody Good Period. The parties, mimicking  Tupperware parties, are get-togethers individuals can attend or host, to […]

A new wave of period activism is a-flowin’ (ha) around the world. High on the agenda is tackling period poverty to support the millions of people around the world who can not afford menstrual supplies, promoting sustainable alternatives like reusable menstrual cups in the face of climate change and campaigning for greater awareness of periods […]

I’ve always been taught to be busy. The busier you are, the more productive you are; it’s almost like a status symbol of worth. In my job as a legal secretary, time is measured in six-minute increments, with lawyers billing their rates every six minutes. There is no time to be idle. Every six minutes […]

Amanda, manager of Liverpool Women’s Health Centre A few weeks ago, the team at Bonnie’s were asked if they would like to organise something for National Reconciliation Week. I had an idea of asking an Aboriginal elder from our local area to take us on a walk and teach us about the local flora and […]

I recently had the opportunity to accompany Bianca, one of our tenancy workers, to the Tenancy Tribunal. A client had accumulated substantial rental arrears and was refusing to engage with Bonnie’s. On the way over, I discovered that the client was someone with whom I had formed a good connection. I had completed the intake […]

At Bonnie’s this year, we have been learning a lot about the Safe and Together Addressing Complexity (STACy) model (developed by the Safe and Together Institute) to work effectively with survivors of domestic and family violence. One of the things that I’ve learnt from studying this model is the value in professionals having a very […]

I grew up in the Parramatta area where there’s a strong connection to the local Aboriginal community. My mother is a librarian and as a young child, she would bring books back from her library. Often these books were Dreamtime stories that explained the creations of the world and gave meaning to why flora, fauna […]