Women and Girls equity

SSI is one of the leading community organisations that is recognised for its advocacy in the DFV and multicultural communities’ wellbeing space.

SSI works to influence policy, support the voice of lived experience and provide thought leadership. We are an appointed member of the NSW Council for Women’s Economic Empowerment, NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council, the Leadership Council on Cultural Diversity, the Harmony Alliance Council and Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership Council.

In partnership with Relationships Australia NSW, SSI provides successful in-culture and in-language programs, such as Building Stronger Families (BSF) in NSW, and the 99 Steps to end Domestic and Family Violence program in Queensland. A recent project commenced working with women community leaders to equip and support them as social responders to DFV, in Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

To enhance our input to the Women’s Safety Summit SSI organised a mini summit to hear from front line multicultural workers as to what they see to be the key issues for Domestic and Family Violence (DFV). Over 40 settlement workers and SSI staff joined the online event.

The SSI Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence Framework, released in May 2023, outlines SSI’s commitment to addressing domestic and family violence (DFSV) effectively. It emphasises the safety and support of victim survivors, especially those from multicultural backgrounds facing unique barriers. The framework incorporates principles such as human rights, equality, social justice, and accountability to guide its approach. SSI aims to create a proficient DFSV response organization by focusing on organizational commitment, staff capacity building, policy framework, client-centred service responses, referrals for both victim survivors and perpetrators where appropriate, and streamlined monitoring and reporting.