The Women’s Legal Services NSW (WLS NSW) formerly the Women’s Legal Resource Centre, is an independent, non-aligned, non-profit organisation funded by the Australian Commonwealth and State Governments. It is part of the Community Legal Centre Network.
Contents
WLS NSW is dedicated to promoting women’s human rights and social justice statewide. The organisation:
diverse communities and women in correctional facilities (the Legal Education and Advice in Prison program).
WLS NSW has a strong domestic violence focus, pioneering a trauma informed and qualitative approach to advice and advocacy for victims. Other major areas of practice include discrimination in employment (Working Women’s Legal Services Program) family law, parenting issues, victims support and sexual assault.
Ethos
WLSNSW works from a feminist perspective. Through casework, education, training and reform WLS NSW intends to promote legal and social change to redress the inequalities women experience.
“Women’s Legal Services NSW works from a feminist perspective to promote access to justice for women in NSW. We seek to promote women’s human rights, redress inequalities experienced by women and to foster legal and social change through strategic legal services, community development, community legal education and law and policy reform work. We prioritise women who are disadvantaged by their cultural, social and economic circumstances…We focus on areas of law that most directly have a gendered impact on women. This includes domestic violence, sexual assault, family law and discrimination.” – Women’s Legal Services NSW strategic plan 2013-16
The Indigenous Women’s Legal Program (IWLP)
In 1996 with the aid of Federal Government funding, WLS NSW founded the Indigenous Women’s Legal Program in consultation with Aboriginal women. The Indigenous Women’s Legal Program is staffed by Aboriginal women and offers services including: free legal advice, assistance finding a lawyer, training and community workshops, face to face advice through outreach services and community legal education across NSW.
In 2000 Women’s Legal Services (at that time the Women’s Legal Resource Centre) received the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Law Award for its specialised Aboriginal women’s services.
Partnerships
WLS NSW has developed a number of partnerships in order to promote access to justice, these include:
History
In 1982, a group of female legal activists founded Australia’s first legal service for women. The Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WLRC) was established to promote access to justice through the provision of legal services, law reform, and community legal education; particularly for women disadvantaged by social and economic circumstances.
In 1986, the Women’s Legal Resources Centre recognised the need for a community legal centre dedicated solely to women experiencing domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Legal Service (DVLS) provides advice, advocacy, information, and education, in addition to developing policy and working towards law reform.
Between 1995 and 1998, the Women’s Legal Resources Centre established five Legal Outreach services across Western Sydney and in Wyong, enabling women to receive face-to-face legal advice in their local areas. Due to resource constraints the Campbelltown and Wyong services were discontinued in 2010.
In 1996, the NSW Government, through the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, provided funding to set up a Training and Resource unit for the (then called) Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program. This unit provided training and resources to (then called) Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Schemes (WDVCAS) throughout NSW, and administrative support and resources to the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Schemes Network (WDVCAS Network). This unit was resumed by Legal Aid NSW in 2008.
As the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WLRC) grew and developed its diverse programs, the board of directors changed the name of the service to Women’s Legal Services NSW to reflect the work of the organisation. This change occurred in 2003.
Until 2010, Women’s Legal Services NSW auspiced the Walgett and Bourke/Brewarrina Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (WFVPLS & BBFVPLS), which were funded by the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department. The Family Violence Prevention Legal Services aimed to facilitate community development in the prevention of family violence. The services combined legal resources with skills training, group and individual support, community education and advocacy. In 2010 the auspice of these services transitioned to Thiyama-li.
In 2015 Women’s Legal Services NSW, along with other specialist women’s services, faces uncertainty due to government cuts to funding.