North Queensland Women's Legal Service

18/10/2026

This Sexual Violence Awareness Month, the language we use matters.

TW: this post discusses s*xual violence

“Just a joke”
“Boys will be boys”
“Everyone makes mistakes”

Words can minimise harm and excuse behaviour but they also have the power to heal.

“It wasn’t your fault”

When we talk about s*xual violence the words we choose can reinforce harmful myths or help challenge them.

This Sexual Violence Awareness Month we’re looking at the language we use and asking;

Are we minimising the behaviour?
Are we blaming the victim-survivor?
Or are we putting the responsibility where it belongs?

17/10/2026

TW: Sexual violence

It still counts if…

You were dating.
You went home with them.
You didn’t say no.
You froze.
You reported it years later.
There were no visible injuries.

None of these things mean you consented to s*xual violence.

Consent is specific, voluntary and ongoing. And there are many reasons someone may not immediately say no, resist, report what happened or show visible signs of injury.

What happened still matters.

Sexual violence is never the fault of the person experiencing it.

This Sexual Violence Awareness Month, we’re challenging the myths and assumptions that can make it harder for victim-survivors to be heard, believed and supported.

And this week it's the language we use.

16/10/2026

Registrations now open:

Know Your Worth Workshop - Friday 23rd October - Collaboration with

A free, interactive workshop designed to help women feel more informed, confident, and empowered in their relationships and everyday lives.

We'll discuss setting/strengthening boundaries, how to recognise healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours (and what to do about it), strategies to support a friend and lots more!

Email [email protected] to register, spots are limited!

15/10/2026

Where you live shouldn't determine your access to legal support.

Today, on International Day of Rural Women, we're recognising the women who live, work and raise families across rural, regional and remote North Queensland.

Living outside a major centre can make accessing legal services more difficult. Distance, transport, work, caring responsibilities and limited local services can all create barriers.

North Queensland Women's Legal Service supports women across our region, from Mackay to the Torres Strait and west to the NT border.

We provide legal advice by telephone and travel to communities through our Outreach Program. Where we can, we arrange appointments during these visits. If we can't visit your community, we can usually help remotely.

You don't have to live in a city to access legal support.

For a list of our face-to-face legal appointment outreach locations, check out our website: nqwls.com.au/outreach-locations

We are adding to our legal factsheet library regularly. Have a look at what we have so far here: nqwls.com.au/factsheets-other-resources

We deliver monthly webinars on a variety of topics. To see what is coming up and to rewatch past webinars visit our Ask Nola site here: asknola.com.au/

If you're unsure whether we can help, contact our team to talk through your options.

14/10/2026

TW: Sexual Violence

Imagine reading two stories about exactly the same incident.

One focuses on what the woman was wearing, whether she'd been drinking, where she went and whether she fought back.

The other focuses on consent and the behaviour that caused the harm.

Same story.

Very different focus.

The way s*xual violence is described in the media can influence the assumptions people make about victim-survivors, perpetrators and responsibility.

That’s why media literacy matters.

Before sharing a story about s*xual violence, ask:

Who is being scrutinised?

Whose behaviour are we examining?

What assumptions is the story asking us to make?

And most importantly:

Are we scrutinising the victim?

Or are we looking at the behaviour that caused the harm?

Sources: The Right Words Project, ANROWS

FAO the media: For further reading: anrows.org.au/publication/media-representations-of-violence-against-women-and-their-children-state-of-knowledge-paper

12/10/2026

TW: Sexual violence, s*xual abuse, s*x acts

October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month

And because this week we are discussing The Language We Use, NQWLS is dropping a new legal factsheet: Intimate Partner Sexual Violence 🎤

This factsheet explains the law relating to intimate partner s*xual violence, consent and s*xual activity. It is intended to provide accessible legal information about rights, consent and options for people experiencing s*xual violence.

Content Warning: This resource discusses s*xual violence and s*xual activity, including s*xual assault, r**e and other s*xual acts. Some people may find this content distressing.

This resource provides general legal information and is not a substitute for legal advice.

The Intimate Partner Sexual Violence factsheet can be found on our website here: nqwls.com.au/factsheets-other-resources

If you find any of the Sexual Violence Awareness Month content or information in this resource distressing, you don't have to deal with it on your own.

You can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for confidential support and information, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also contact North Queensland Women’s Legal Service on 1800 244 504 for free legal advice and support.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

12/10/2026

New legislation would grant the police the power to issue a three-year on-the-spot protection order, an expansion of the 12-month directions that came into effect in January.

Advocates, including North Queensland Women's Legal Service, have raised concerns that work related to domestic and family violence was being redirected to police rather than specialist courts.

Read more here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/qld-domestic-violence-police-protection-direction/107240658

The changes would grant the police the power to issue a three-year on-the-spot protection order, an expansion of the 12-month directions that came into effect in January.

12/10/2026

Thanks for following along for week 1 of Sexual Violence Awareness Week: Green Flags in Relationships!

How relationships are portrayed in popular culture and media has a direct impact on how consumers of the media see relationships. That can be good and bad depending on the portrayal.

We love Off Campus for their green flag-fuelled season one and can’t wait for the next 💚

Who’s with me???

Natalie