Today, YWCA Canberra launched the 2023 survey, Our Lives: women in the ACT.
The survey is open for all women and non-binary people aged 16 years and over who live in the ACT and surrounding region. The survey looks at their lived experiences by asking questions primarily relating to employment, housing, financial security, safety, and future aspirations.
Following the success of the 2019 and 2021 surveys, the ‘Our Lives’ survey data has become an integral element of YWCA Canberra’s advocacy agenda and used to inform the organisation’s contribution to the development of public policy on housing stress, safety, and economic security.
“The ‘Our Lives’ survey gives us insights into the changing face of Canberra for women and children and provides a snapshot of community needs. The survey has become synonymous with YWCA Canberra’s commitment to hearing from women and non-binary people across the city,” said Frances Crimmins, CEO of YWCA Canberra.
“Reflective of our own engagement with parts of the community and previous survey results, I am delighted that for the first time, the survey will also be available in Arabic, Mandarin, and Nepali that are common languages now spoken in Canberra.”
The ‘Our Lives: women in the ACT’ survey paints a vivid picture across the spectrum of women’s lives. The 2021 survey revealed how Canberra women were managing through COVID and the immense social and economic toll on certain households including renters, single parents, and young people.
This year the survey offers a unique opportunity to run a comparative measure of women’s lives over the previous two surveys and to explore contemporary themes relating to cost of living, and the impact on wellbeing, and perceptions of safety.
YWCA Canberra CEO Frances Crimmins is hopeful this year more Canberrans will do the survey to help gain further insights into the current lives of women and non-binary people in Canberra. Frances also acknowledged survey partner Sustineo for their support.
“We have worked hard to refine the survey since first launching in 2019 and are grateful for the support of our partner Sustineo in this process,” said Frances Crimmins.
“Sustineo recognises the social value of the survey in understanding the lives of women and non-binary people in Canberra. We know it will provide powerful insights and we are proud to support this iteration of the project,”said Sustineo CEO Tom Sloan.
The 2023 ‘Our Lives’ survey will be open until September with a final report released in November.
Key insights from the 2021 survey include:
• 26% of respondents who were renting told YWCA Canberra they would be unable to afford one payment cycle if they lost their income.
• 44% of single parents had experienced domestic, family, or interpersonal violence in the previous 12 months.
• 34% of respondents aged 16-19 said they harbored generally negative feelings for the future, the highest of any age bracket.
Women and non-binary people, aged 16+ can do the 10-minute survey at: Our Lives Survey
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Media contacts:
YWCA Canberra: Jane Wilson, jane.wilson@ywca-canberra.org.au
Sustineo: Tom Sloan 0432 460 236 tom.sloan@sustineo.com.au