healing is a power move: safe sisters project debuts
Safe Sisters Community Forum - The Centre for Women and Co.
Throughout October, in alignment with Sexual Violence Awareness Month, Ethni rolled out the inaugural Safe Sisters project; a series of workshops and events across South East Queensland that support young women to feel safe and empowered in their bodies.
The Safe Sisters program provides information, resources and spaces for young women to be safe or heal from sexual violence. We gathered together throughout October in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan with workshops to expand the understanding of our young women and connect through experiences – talking, learning and healing. Topics of conversations mapped out for the day included sexual violence, women’s safety and consent.
Key note speaker, Sharon Orapeleng
safe sisters community forum
The program culminated with a community forum at the end of October at Ethni partners, specialist domestic violence and women’s wellbeing service, The Centre for Women, in the Logan area. Over 40 women gathered to connect, share and learn from each other. Ethni Program Coordinator, emerging social worker, amateur Muay Thai fighter, poet and plant lover Nasteho performed spectacularly with spoken word, embracing the Ethni mantra of leading the change.
Keynote speaker, Sharon Orapeleng – mental health professional, speaker, writer and senior policy advisor – shared her brave stories, including powerful, painful and poignant extracts from her diary, narrated by her 15 year old self. Sharon embodied the Safe Sisters catch phrase ‘Healing is a power move’ showcasing how writing, owning and sharing her story – speaking her truth – has been central to her own healing journey.
Themes around trauma, recovery and support were explored and hearty discussions unfolded around the room about the topics of consent, support and healing, victim blaming and allyship and language and shame.
Ethni partners and local services were involved in the forum, including sisters from QPASTT, Access and specialist sexual violence support services Zig Zag, BRISC and CASV.
Collaboration and sharing at the Safe Sisters Forum
safe sisters support continues - connect with us
We wrapped up the forum with lunch, a debrief and a panel Q & A; but the Safe Sisters train does not stop here. We know that 1 in 6 women in Australia have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 years and it’s estimated that only 19% female survivors of sexual assault report the crimes to the police.
With this in mind, the Safe Sisters program and associated support continues beyond October and Sexual Violence Awareness Month. Our Ethni design team have developed a number of resources – from e-books for download to cute little crops for sale - which you can find at our website. We’ll also be gathering every 6 months – sessions led by our team of young women - for women of all ages to join together and talk about violence against women and what matters to them. We’ve also got a monthly mental health group – Conversations; a safe space for connection, sharing and healing. Email us at sisterhood@ethni.com.au if you’re keen to be involved.
Reach out if you are a sister seeking support or want to link up with Ethni – DM us on IG @ethni.aus
