Advocating for women & girls since 1985
Our Community Grants Progam
Since 1985, our grants have been helping Victorian women and girls to thrive.
Guaranteed Loan Fund
Our first major public initiative made banks change their policies and start lending money to low income women.
Completing the Picture: the Lost Women of the Heidelberg Era
100,000+ visitors to this exhibition, recognising the invisibility of Victorian women artists saw the market value of their work rise to reflect their intrinsic value, and was a turning point in the casual discrimination against female artists.
Women’s Enterprise Connection (WEC)
Gave practical support to several hundred women struggling to make ends meet through job training and mentoring.
Celebrating partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women
We have been in active partnership with Koorie Women Mean Business for over 20 years, working together in the pursuit of justice for Indigenous Australians.
The Purple Sage Project
In this ground-breaking exercise in participatory democracy, 6000 Victorian women and men were engaged in dialogue around governance, policy and their experiences, in community groups led by women 75% of the time.
Business Matrix
The first and only dedicated women’s start up incubator in Australia, housing 40+ businesses in 8 years and contributing approximately $2.3 million to the City of Yarra economy.
Ordinary Women Extraordinary Lives (OWEL)
21,000+ visitors witnessed this tribute to the contributions and lives of 264 nominated Victorian women from 1900-2000, validating and recognising their common and extraordinary experiences.
The Watermark Australia Project
A timely and innovative response to the urgent policy problem of a one-sided water debate. 220+ community groups were formed throughout Victoria, meeting regularly and identifying key community issues and concerns, and bringing women’s voices into the water debate.
Provocation and Defensive Homicide Law Reform
The Trust was actively involved in campaigning to abolish provocation from the Victorian State’s statute books. Provocation was abolished in 2005 and replaced by new defensive homicide law. The Trust revisited this law and critiqued it arguing that in the absence of provocation as a defense, defensive homicide was being used as it’s replacement by men instead of being used as a defense by women. Our opinion piece was replied to by the Attorney-General Rob Hulls who then instituted a review into homicide legislation two weeks later.
Be The Hero!
Violence prevention program that has reached thousands of young boys and men, now partnered with Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club.
Celebrating the Centenary of Victorian Women's Suffrage
A series of public forums, highlighting women’s suffrage and their ongoing activism.
Love & Justice Women's Anthem
450 women joined voices to perform an anthem heard worldwide, celebrating strength in unity.
Paradox of Service
World-first research that exposed the mistreatment of former religious women when they left their Orders.
A Gender Lens for Inclusive Philanthropy
Gave organisations the tools and encouragement to recognise and address funding with a gender- lens.
Vida's Voices
A student-run, girl-only, Victoria-wide public speaking competition. The grand final at Federation Square was opened by the World President of YWCA, and saw the six finalists deliver passionate and articulate speeches on the positive changes to women’s status in Australia.
A Switch in Time
A national publication calling on the restoration of respect to Australia’s democracy, and untangling sexist and gendered attacks on Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
Here She Is!
A directory of 350+ successful and capable women, elevating women’s voices while addressing the lack of gender parity on panels, at public forums and conferences.
Sheilas
Monthly online magazine featuring bold, feminist and thoughtful contributions from Ruby Hamad, Kerry- Anne Walsh, Angela Pippos, Susan Mitchell, Amal Awad, Karen Pickering and many others, as well as cartoons by Judy Horacek.
Credit Where Credit is Due - national advertisement
A tribute to the efforts and achievements of Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, was put on the public record, reaching 3.5 million people.
Credit Where Credit is Due - Melbourne Town Hall Event
Following on from the success and support of the ‘Credit Where Credit is Due’ ad, speeches by Julia Gillard and Tony Windsor at Melbourne Town Hall were live streamed to venues nationally and overseas.
Monster Climate Petition
Government inaction on climate change prompted the VWT and supporters to collect 72,000 signatures and table the fifth-largest petition ever delivered to the Federal House of Representatives.
Breakthrough 2016: The Future is Gender Equality
Happening over November 25 + 26 at the Melbourne Town Hall, Breakthrough is a new gender equality event bringing big ideas, leading thinkers and passionate change-makers to the fore.
Menstrual Workplace Policy
Our menstrual workplace policy, co-written by Casimira Melican and Grace Mountford in 2016, and supported by About Bloody Time research allows staff members who are experiencing symptoms of menstruation or menopause the option to work flexibly. The result? Exactly what you’d expect; greater productivity and a happier work environment. Media attention around our menstrual workplace policy has attracted an audience of over 6.2 million people.
About Bloody Time book published
About Bloody Time makes the case for menstrual revolution as an essential key to unlocking gender equality. Thousands of women and girls shared their experience of menstruation and menopause.
All women and girls are entitled to respect, dignity and a belief in the integrity of their bodies. In this work, we build on these goals, multiply he solutions, and share our plan to revolutionise menstrual culture and transform our society as a whole.
