Equal Rights. Equal Opportunities. Equal Power.

International Women’s Day (IWD), observed annually on March 8th, is a global call to action for women and girls worldwide. It’s a day to rise, demand change, and work towards a more equal world for everyone.

IWD is an opportunity to address the challenges women continue to face, such as gender inequality, violence, and abuse. It also serves as a day to celebrate and recognize the economic, political, and social achievements of women past and present.

While important progress has been made, women face significant obstacles to achieving equal participation in the economy. Women’s economic empowerment is central to a gender equal world. When women are given equal opportunities to earn, learn and lead – entire communities thrive.

Two important messages being shared this year are:

• ‘For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. – UN Women
• ‘Accelerate Action’. – International Women’s Day website

IWD serves as a reminder to governments, businesses, and communities that women will not be overlooked. We are here, and we are ready to take action to achieve equal human rights.

When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

Although significant barriers to gender equality remain, with the right actions and support, we can create positive change. By breaking down obstacles and fostering diversity, we can build a more equitable and inclusive society for generations to come.

So, on this day, we ask you to:

Take action to drive gender parity.

Celebrate women’s achievements.

Raise awareness about discrimination.

Illawarra Legal Centre (ILC) provides free legal advice and services, so if you or anyone you know is being impacted by gender discrimination, violence or abuse, contact us on 4276 1939.

Happy International Women’s Day!

#ForAllWomenAndGirls

#AccelerateAction

#IWD2025

To find out more visit: 

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

https://unwomen.org.au/get-involved/international-womens-day/

Over the last 8 months, our First Nations Social Work Cadet Emma has been gaining incredible hands-on experience, working alongside Ji, our identified solicitor. 

Working closely alongside Ji, Emma has been learning how a social worker can work alongside solicitors in the legal sector to ultimately provide strong holistic support for clients. Emma has highlighted how beneficial it has been to be a part of this program from a social work perspective as law underpins many social work core principles. Being in the law sector also allows social workers to provide a more holistic view towards clients. 

Together, Ji and Emma have made a real impact by:

• Supporting community outreaches at the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service, Illawarra Women’s Health Centre and Aunty Jean’s Chronic Care Group.
• Actively participating in the Illawarra Aboriginal Community-Based Working Group and attending their annual Reconciliation Lunch.
• Providing compassionate, holistic legal support to clients and connecting them to additional services.
• Observing District, Supreme, and Coroners Court proceedings to deepen her understanding of the justice system.

Emma has had particular interest in the outreaches that ILC does with the community and has learnt the importance of rapport-building in the community and working with client in a space that they are familiar with and feel safe in. The experience has also enabled Emma to network with other community workers and services, experience the ups and downs of the legal practice and ultimately how to ensure the best outcome for the clients we work with.

Emma’s and Ji’s dedication to Indigenous social justice and their community is inspiring and we’re so proud to have had the opportunity to be on this journey, helping Emma to build the skills to make a lasting difference in the community legal sector.ecuring a home.

Ji – Aboriginal Access and Community Engagement Solicitor (left) and Emma – First Nations Cadet (right)

#CLCNSWFirstNationsCadet #FirstNationsCadetshipProgram #FirstNationsCadetship

Landlords, agents, and third party companies will no longer be allowed to charge prospective renters for background checks when applying for a rental property.

This measure aims to address a recent trend of rental application platforms asking renters to pay a fee for a background check to improve their chances of securing a home.

For more, see Tenants’ Union of NSW updated Factsheet 2: Starting a tenancy.

From 31 October 2024, the landlord cannot increase your rent more than once in any 12 month period. The new rules apply to all rent increases that come into effect after 31 October 2024, even if you received notice before this date.

Importantly, these new rules apply to all residential tenancy agreements – including new and existing fixed-term and periodic (ongoing) agreements. The new laws also apply to any new residential tenancy agreement for the same premises (including renewal), as long as the landlord and at least one tenant remains the same.

The rent increases must also come with proper notice, and can still be challenged if it is “excessive”.

For more detail see the Tenants’ Union of NSW updated Factsheet 4: Rent increases

Save community legal centres: End the funding crisis

Community legal centres like ours are in a funding and workforce crisis. The Save community legal centres: End the funding crisis campaign launches today. Illawarra Legal Centre is proud to have endorsed the campaign sign-on.

Read and endorse here: www.savecommunitylegalcentres.com/take-action

Community legal centres help hundreds of thousands of people every year to resolve everyday legal problems in areas like housing, relationships, debts and money problems, and discrimination. People trust their local community legal centre to support them early, before legal problems snowball to crisis point.

Community legal centres play a crucial role preventing and responding to domestic and family violence. Frontline family law and family violence services make up the largest areas of work for many of the 150+ centres across Australia.

Community legal centres are at breaking point. Funding shortages and overwhelming demand are forcing centres to turn away over 1,000 people each day and reduce services to local communities across the country. The crisis will only worsen until the sector secures a guarantee of ongoing funding.

The 2024 Federal Budget failed to provide the urgent funding boost and long-term funding security the community legal sector desperately needs. With less than a year’s guaranteed funding left, community legal centres are in the most uncertain position we have faced in a decade.

The costs to our communities of the chronic underfunding of community legal centres include:

• More people in prisons and hospitals
• Women and children stuck in dangerous situations for longer
• People losing their homes and becoming homeless
• Households and individuals overwhelmed by debt and financial problems
• Families stuck in conflict over custody, child support and family law issues
• Asylum seekers facing exploitation due to their visa status.

Save community legal centres: End the funding crisis calls on governments to step up and provide fair funding to community legal centres:

• $35 million this year to address the workforce crisis.
• At least $270 million per year for community legal centres from 1 July 2025, committed by December 2024.
• $95 million for frontline domestic and family violence work.

#SaveOurCentres #FundFrontlineServices #CommunityLaw

Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud

Celebrated every July, NAIDOC week is an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and heritage.

2024’s NAIDOC Week theme is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”. 

This year’s theme celebrates the unyielding spirit of our communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.

You can support NAIDOC Week and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events held across the country.  This year you will find Illawarra Legal Centre participating in the following NAIDOC events:

Monday 8/7/24 11am-2pm – Shellharbour City Council NAIDOC Event at Shellharbour Civic Centre

Tuesday 9/7/24 10am-1pm – NAIDOC Family Fun Day at Darcy Wentworth Park Warrawong

Thursday 11/7/24 10am-2pm – CareWays NAIDOC Event at Koonawarra Community Centre

#NAIDOC2024

#BlakLoudProud

#NAIDOCWeek

#NAIDOC

Celebrate NAIDOC week with us!