Page 5856 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 7 December 2010
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empowering effect that it can have but also how difficult it can be to re-enter the paid workforce after several years out of it. By providing that important financial support to overcome the initial hurdle, the return to work grants are supporting women to either continue where they had left off or to make a new start and a new career.
Not all of the Office for Women’s grants programs target individuals. The women’s grants program assists community organisations to provide activities that focus on enhancing the status of women and strengthening their capacity to provide women’s services. The grants have supported women from diverse backgrounds to access a number of projects, such as empowering young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to develop leadership skills.
The grants also enable women from Canberra’s southern Sudanese community to celebrate their cultural heritage through dance and song. Some of the recipients to share the $100,000 available in the 2009-10 program include YMCA of Canberra which received a grant of $15,000 to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women to develop leadership skills, which I just mentioned. Inanna Inc received $9,000 to provide opportunity for disadvantaged women to gain their first aid certificate and undertake nutritional education and training through a strengths-based participatory approach. And, as I mentioned before, Companion House received $3,000 to support women from Canberra’s southern Sudanese community to express their cultural heritage through dance, song and the preparation of traditional food for community celebration.
One of the Office for Women’s newer grants programs is the Audrey Fagan scholarship program. The 2007-08 budget initiative honours Audrey Fagan, the first female chief of police in the ACT. The three scholarships in this program recognise Ms Fagan’s contribution to women in public life and seek to encourage Canberra women to follow in her footsteps into positions of leadership and community service. $250,000 was allocated over four years to provide Canberra women with opportunities to further their study and professional development in leadership positions in law enforcement, care and protection or professional support services for women who are victims of violence. The program also seeks to inspire women to make a difference in the community and encourages the retention of skills.
The program has three components. Firstly, there is the ACT government Audrey Fagan Churchill fellowship. Three fellowships have been awarded to date. Secondly, there is the Audrey Fagan postgraduate scholarship. Again, three scholarships have been awarded to date. Thirdly, there are the Audrey Fagan young women’s enrichment grants. Pleasingly, 13 grants have been awarded to date. The young women’s enrichment grants for 2010 have gone towards helping a number of young women pursue their dreams.
One recipient in particular has begun her journey as a pilot and aims to continue her studies in mathematics in order to achieve her ultimate goal, which is to become a pilot in the Australian Air Force. Another recipient is a young photographer who hopes to become a member of PhotoAccess at the Manuka Arts Centre which presents exhibitions, provides courses and publications and special projects and offers learning opportunities in digital photography. Other successful applicants for 2010 include
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