Working Women’s Centre Victoria opens

A new community organisation has been established in Victoria to support and advocate for justice for women and non-binary individuals facing workplace challenges.

The Working Women’s Centre Victoria has officially launched, providing crucial “free and confidential” legal support to women and non-binary individuals facing workplace challenges throughout Victoria.

The new centre comprises four community legal centres, including South-East Monash Legal Service, Women’s Legal Service Victoria, WEstjustice, and Northern Community Legal Centre.

The opening of this community organisation comes at a pivotal time, responding to the increasing demand for support in light of a series of “high-profile sexual harassment cases” that have captured significant public attention. These incidents have underscored the urgent need for strengthened legal protections for women and non-binary individuals in the workplace.

Kristen Wallwork, CEO of the South-East Monash Legal Service, underscored the importance of the Working Women’s Centre Victoria launch, viewing it as a crucial step towards achieving lasting justice for all working individuals in Victoria.

“The establishment of the Working Women’s Centre Victoria marks a significant step forward in ensuring equitable access to justice for all women working in Victoria,” Wallwork said.

“Too often, women fall through the gaps in our legal system, leading to worse outcomes and exacerbating existing systemic injustices.”

Recent statistics from the Australian Human Rights Commission underscored the urgent nature of this pressing issue, revealing that two in five women have experienced sexual harassment at work.

Despite recent legal reforms designed to dismantle the barriers women face when seeking legal action against their employers, the new community organisations have noted that a significant number of women still lack the resources and support necessary to pursue such actions.

To address this gap, the Working Women’s Centre is committed to “empowering women with knowledge, advice, and legal representation to ensure their rights are upheld”.

Jenni Smith, CEO of Northern Community Legal Centre, said: “Too often, women avoid getting legal help because they’re afraid of the repercussions. This centre is free, confidential and not affiliated with [the] government, meaning that more women can feel comfortable asking for help.”

Melissa Hardham, CEO of WEstjustice, echoed these sentiments, asserting that “everyone should be able to feel safe and be treated with dignity in their work”.

“However, many women across Victoria experience a range of workplace issues, including sexual harassment, discrimination, breaches of workplace safety and basic work rights,” Hardham said.

The Working Women’s Centre Victoria will provide support across a spectrum of issues affecting women and non-binary people, including “sexual harassment and workplace bullying, parental leave rights, family violence leave and workplace accommodations, unfair dismissal and discrimination, and sham contracting and underpayment”.

The CEO of Women’s Legal Service Victoria, Claudia Fatone, emphasised the centre’s timely opening amid a renewed focus on creating safer workplaces.

“With the current focus on creating safer, more equitable workplaces, the Working Women’s Centre Victoria will play a crucial role in empowering women to address workplace injustices,” Fatone said.