Victorian Women's Trust

22/10/2026

Our 2026/27 Grantees are here 🥳
Meet them now: https://www.vwt.org.au/resources/journal/23-new-reasons-to-celebrate-introducing-our-2026-2027-grantees

For the 2026/2027 round, our Trustees approved $163,659 in grants towards 23 projects, selected from a pool of 133 applications. Narrowing the shortlist down was no small task, and every organisation earned its place.

The diversity of projects funded is striking — from a survivor-led writing and boxing program helping people reclaim their stories, to a regional roadshow bringing financial and legal know-how directly to rural women. Each project meets community wants and needs, and we’re proud to support such a broad spectrum of gender equality initiatives.

None of this happens without our donors, particularly those who’ve taken the meaningful step of establishing their own Sub-Fund. Thank you for backing this work, round after round. 🙏

13/10/2026

Support single mothers! Join the Council of Single Mothers and their Children's election forum next Wednesday. Details below.

Want to know where election candidates stand on the issues affecting single-parent families?
Join CSMC for our Election Forum and hear directly from candidates about their policies.
This is an opportunity for single mothers and allies to ask questions, hear the debate and make an informed choice before you vote.
📅 Register now and have your voice heard https://events.humanitix.com/csmc-victorian-election-forum-2026

26/08/2026

Free webinar: Your Body, Your Vote.

Abortion access is back on the public agenda in Victoria, and staying informed has never been more vital.

Join us on Wednesday 23 September (12 pm–1 pm AEST) for Your Body, Your Vote, a free online panel unpacking reproductive justice, health rights, and healthcare equity as state elections approach.

⌛ When: 12:00 PM (60 mins), Wednesday 23 September 2026
📍Where: Online event (register via Zoom)

Speakers:

Dr Nisha Khot – President of RANZCOG and practising obstetrician

Fiona Patten – Author, former MP, reproductive rights advocate

Hannah Bambra – Writer, peer support worker, reproductive rights advocate

Moderated by Dr Kirsten Abernethy - Executive Director, Victorian Women’s Trust

🎟️ Free online event

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pWn95yXFT26k92VSR49VrQ?utm_campaign #/registration

11/08/2026

The 2026 census is a big deal.

For the first time, the census includes questions about your sexuality and gender. This is a massive win. Here's why:

📊 Census data shapes what populations governments can see — and which stay invisible.

💸 Census data helps determine billions of dollars in public spending. Influencing what health and support services are provided, and to whom.

🔍 Census data has missed LGBTQIA+ experiences. Since its inception, q***r and transgender people have not fit into the neat boxes of the national survey. Meaning important data about LGBTQIA+ people's experiences, lives, and needs has been missed.

In 2006, unpaid labour and care work were added to the census. This means that crucial data about the consistent burden of domestic labour on women has been captured and tracked for 20 years.

This data informed the Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality, that address women's experiences of a "double burden".

Understanding the unique intersectionalities of q***r and trans people's experiences is vital to understanding how public spending can be used to alleviate burden and create pathways for safety.

No, the census capturing data around gender and sexuality won't solve all the issues faced by q***r and trans people in this country.

But it is a darn good first step.

VD in comments

05/08/2026

We're hiring: Grants and Community Impact Manager 🌿

We're looking for someone who brings together feminist analysis and care. Someone who notices social trends and growing areas of need, and takes the time to ask why.

If you're someone who's motivated to find solutions to complex problems, from team workflows to fundraising to leveraging partnerships for greater social impact, we'd love to hear from you.

In this role you will all steward strong relationships with grantees, philanthropic partners and community organisations, lead our annual grants program, contribute to fundraising through our grant funding stream, and shape how we measure and tell the story of our impact.

You'll also keep an eye on who isn't yet in the room, especially under-represented communities and women from regional areas.

📍 Hybrid / Melbourne
🕐 Part-time — 22.8hrs or 3 days/week
💰 SCHADS Level 6

We welcome applications from First Nations women and women of colour, and from people with lived experience of intersecting forms of discrimination. If you don't feel you meet every criterion, we still encourage you to apply.



https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/VictorianWomensTrust/grants-and-community-impact-manager?utm_medium=email&utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=noreply%40ethicaljobs.com.au

30/07/2026

Menopause and menstruation aren't a sickness — and we think it's about bloody time that workplaces caught up.

This policy allows staff experiencing symptoms of menstruation or menopause to work flexibly, without being penalised by having to deplete their sick leave.

It seeks to remove the stigma and taboo that so many still feel.

Take the step to dismantling the menstrual taboo in your organisation by reading the comprehensive guide, available for free on our website.

ID in comments.

https://www.vwt.org.au/our-work/menstrual-and-menopausal-wellbeing-policy

16/07/2026

Introducing the new Chair and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Women's Trust! 🎉

Nicky Friedman, our new Chair, brings years of experience from within and outside of the Victorian Women's Trust. First joining us as a volunteer, then as a staff member, later becoming a Board Member in 2006 and Deputy Chair in 2018. In 2026, she steps into a new era as Chair of the Board. What a journey!

We have also appointed a new Deputy Chair, Leena van Deventer. An award-winning writer, game developer, and educator, Leena has served on the VWT board since 2017.

Both Nicky and Leena have deep roots in the VWT community, and share a desire to continue its strong tradition of feminist action.

“For us, feminist governance isn’t anything niche; it simply means good governance, and accounting for who holds power and who shapes decisions,” said Dr Kirsten Abernethy, VWT Executive Director. “Representation without influence is not enough.”

We look forward to working alongside these passionate feminists. And wow, do we have work to do!

Read the full announcement in our journal 🔗

ID in comments.


https://www.vwt.org.au/resources/journal/new-leadership-same-feminist-fire?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a58579780c0a4750e5973f2

09/07/2026

When did you know you were a feminist? The answer, we've found, is different for everyone. Makes sense, right? This plurality of experience makes for richer conversations with each other, but also with the burning *why* of it all: why do we take on the patriarchy? What is the future we're fighting for? We've been exploring these facets of feminism and movement-building to find what connects us — equality, justice, love — through an intersectional lens. VWT's mission is to bring people in, and build the movement so equality for women, girls and gender diverse people is not an afterthought or a nice-to-have. It's essential. It's every day.

It's a journey, and we mean to keep listening and learning as we go. Come with us.



https://www.vwt.org.au/?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a4eedc5e831f2792d852985

07/07/2026

For decades, the annual NAIDOC artwork has been a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and a call to acknowledge and remember the past as we look to the future.

Since the '70s, each year a poster has been chosen to encapculates the theme of NAIDOC week. This year's poster — Paralpi by Yankunytjatjara man Zaachariaha Fielding — captures the vibrancy and spirit of First Nations cultures.

These artworks track a history of resistance, reminding us both of how far we have come and the fight that still remains.

Get involved in NAIDOC Week and see the full archive of NAIDOC posters at the link in bio.

ID in comments.




https://www.naidoc.org.au/?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a4c74482c80dd0e2028ba48

03/07/2026

"Actually, women don't care. Nobody does."

Yeah, we'll be using that all the time!

From the always funny: