Media Releases
2025
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Safer Places Assistance Program Funding Ends
YWCA Canberra is disappointed that the Safer Families Assistance Package, administered by ACT Housing, has again been exhausted within months of the start of the Financial Year. This is a vital payment that provided $2000 in cash to help people leave violence. And crucially one that included survivors of family violence, such as violence between…
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YWCA Canberra Applauds Decision to Exempt Public Housing from ACAT Appeals
YWCA Canberra welcomes the announcement today by Planning Minister Chris Steel to exempt public housing from third party appeals in the ACT’s administrative tribunal. This reform will fast-track housing delivery and help move more people off the public housing waitlist. Since 2019, 20 public housing proposals have been held up at the Tribunal. Nearly all of…
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Applications Open for Great Ydeas Small Grants Awards: Empowering Women and Gender-Diverse People to Make a Difference
Media release YWCA Canberra is thrilled to announce the launch of the 2025 Great Ydeas Small Grants Awards, a unique initiative designed to support women, girls, and gender-diverse people in the ACT to turn their ideas into reality. With grants of up to $2500 available, this program provides vital funding to help emerging leaders, entrepreneurs,…
2024
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YWCA Canberra Welcomes Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC as New Patron
Media release YWCA Canberra is pleased to announce the appointment of Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC as our new Patron. Her Excellency, a renowned advocate for gender equality and social justice, brings a wealth of experience and passion to our organisation. We are elated to have her join us in our mission…
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YWCA Canberra Congratulates Dr. Marisa Paterson on Ministerial Appointment, Raises Concerns Over Homelessness Portfolio Erasure
Media Release YWCA Canberra congratulates Dr Marisa Paterson on her appointment to Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, within the ACT Government. YWCA Canberra worked collaboratively with Minister Paterson since her election in 2020 in the advancement of women’s safety and wellbeing in Canberra. We look forward to…
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A National Commitment: Working with Women to Advance Safety and Equality
Media Release Canberra, Australia – YWCA Canberra, a longstanding leader in advancing women’s rights, will continue to deliver the National Women’s Safety Alliance (NWSA) and will now also support the National Women’s Equality Alliance (NWEA), as announced today by Senator the Honourable Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women. “YWCA Canberra warmly welcomes the establishment of the…
2023
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No Idea Too Small for a Grant
YWCA Canberra and its partners are proud to offer funding for women, girls and non-binary people in the Canberra region to pursue their passions and improve our community through the Great Ydeas Small Grants Program. YWCA Canberra Chief Executive Officer Frances Crimmins said she is thrilled that corporate partners have again answered the call to support…
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YWCA Canberra Still the Only Organisation in the ACT to be Recognised for Gender Equality
YWCA Canberra has just received its 2023 Workplace Gender Equality (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation, having being recognised annually as an employer of choice for women since 2011. This year represents the fourth year in a row as the only ACT-based organisation to receive the citation. The Employer of Choice for…
2022
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YWCA Canberra Continues to Lead in Workplace Gender Equality
YWCA Canberra is proud to once again be awarded the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). The EOCGE program recognises organisations at the forefront of the movement for change towards gender equality in Australian workplaces, and YWCA Canberra has held this citation continuously since 2014. “Disappointingly, for the third year in…
2021
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Nine Canberra Women Recognised for Their Great Ydeas
An innovation lab for young people, a new platform to buy and sell second-hand clothes, and a program to support a more positive education on menstruation are just three of nine projects funded through YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program this year. Over 130 Canberrans came together today to celebrate the awarding of…
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Planning approval granted for 10 new affordable homes for women on YWCA Canberra land in Ainslie
YWCA Canberra welcomes the news today that our Development Application to build 10 quality homes in Ainslie for women experiencing housing crisis has been approved by the ACT planning authority. This approval comes after a public consultation process with the local community. We are grateful to everyone who participated in good faith in these processes…
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ACT Working Group on sexual assault welcomed by leading women’s organisation
YWCA Canberra welcomes the announcement by the ACT Minister for Women Yvette Berry to establish a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Working Group to coordinate the community sector and relevant other stakeholders on responses to sexual assault in the ACT. Young women make up a strong proportion of those who are sexually assaulted and harassed…
2020
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Support Found Next Door for 78 Older Women
DATE: Friday 7 August 2020 YWCA Canberra has surpassed its goal to support up to 15 older women through its innovative Next Door program by more than 400 per cent in its first year. Next Door empowers women age 50+ (and Aboriginal women 45+) to secure and maintain affordable, appropriate and safe homes. “Through the program, we…
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New Job Skills Program for Canberrans Wanting a Career in Childhood Education and Care
Today we launched YWCA Canberra’s latest innovative job skills program to train people to work in Canberra’s childhood education and care sector: Educate, Inspire, Excel (EIE). EIE gives Canberrans the opportunity to study and work in childhood education and care in a supportive, inclusive environment. YWCA Canberra Chief Executive Officer, Frances Crimmins, said that “the…
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Canberra Property Owners Making a Difference
DATE: Thursday 14 May 2020 Last week was the first anniversary of Rentwell, the first charitable property management service in the ACT, providing affordable rental accommodation to people on low incomes. Frances Crimmins, Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canberra said with so many people struggling in our current time of crisis, many in our community want…
2019
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Local Women Honoured With Innovation Grants
Seven entrepreneurial Canberra women were honoured this morning for their innovation and creativity, at YWCA Canberra’s annual 2019 Great Ydeas Innovation Breakfast. Now in its tenth year, YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program supports women and girls in the Canberra region to bring their dreams to life. Priority is given to projects that empower…
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YWCA Canberra Honoured With Gold Award in 90th Year
YWCA Canberra has received a Chief Minister’s Canberra Gold Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the Canberra community throughout its 90 years of operation. The award recognises and celebrates the unique contribution made by individuals and groups who have made Canberra their home for fifty years or more, and the role they have…
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Survivors Change the Narrative on Domestic & Family Violence for IWD
A new program to change the community narrative on domestic and family violence has been launched in Canberra to mark International Women’s Day 2019 (IWD). Voices for Change is a media advocacy program developed by national violence prevention agency Our Watch for women who have been subjected to violence to share their stories with the…