Page 4419 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Adjournment
Motion (by Ms Berry) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
YWCA Canberra
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (6.07): I take this opportunity to put on the record my congratulations to YWCA Canberra which celebrated its 90th anniversary last week. Ninety years old. The organisation celebrated at the National Museum of Australia and it was the perfect time to reflect on how the YWCA has grown and evolved over the past nine decades.
The YWCA movement has provided community services and represented women’s issues in Canberra since 1929. Over the decades YWCA Canberra has made a significant contribution across a range of areas, including: advocating for better wages and working conditions; supporting migrants and Indigenous families; providing early childhood services and community development activities; supporting our youth; connecting women with affordable housing; and addressing violence against women.
Today the feminist organisation continues to help empower women and girls to lead in their organisations, communities and their families. It continues to work towards equality and towards social justice. And it continues to empower women and to build their resilience, independence and wellbeing. After all, its vision is girls and women thriving.
I am pleased to have met many amazing and hardworking women who have contributed to the YWCA’s mission and vision over the years. Today YWCA Canberra employs more than 350 people working across early childhood education and care, affordable housing and homelessness services, community development, youth engagement, training and education and, of course, women’s leadership and advocacy.
In the past financial year YWCA Canberra provided school-age care for 2,500 children and crisis accommodation and outreach support to 161 clients, and it helped 259 people obtain affordable and secure homes. Programs include but are not limited to the Lanyon Food Hub, the Circles of Support counselling service, Rentwell, the She Leads initiative, and the Great Ydeas small grants program. Our current ACT Young Australian of the Year, Hannah Wandel, won that award for her work with Country to Canberra, which was spawned from a Great Ydeas grant.
I want to draw particular attention to YWCA Canberra’s work to support women and children impacted by domestic and family violence. Domestic and family violence is a
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