Sydney Women’s Refuge Group Wins International Grant Award

Receiving the award and grant is Catherine Gander, executive officer of the NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre with actor, Reese Witherspoon in Washington, USA.

A Sydney Women’s Refuge Group has won an international grant, awarded as part of International Women’s Day.

The NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre based in Redfern, Sydney, which runs 55 women's refuges in Sydney and NSW was awarded a $60,000 grant from the Avon Foundation for Women.

The award was presented by actor Reese Witherspoon at a special ceremony in Washington last week.

The Executive Officer of the NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre, Catherine Gander, took 7 Aboriginal women from far west NSW to the 2nd World Conference of Women's Shelter, where she received the award as part of International Women's Day.

"The NSW Women's Refuge Movement has for almost 40 years played a leadership role in advancing NSW and Australia's responses to women and children escaping domestic violence and sexual abuse,” Gander said.

“We contribute at both a grass roots crisis level and in contributing to the development of policy, legislation and law. We are honoured to have our work and achievements acknowledged internationally."

The Global Believe Fund Grants were awarded as part of the Avon Foundation's international efforts to stop violence against women and girls. The grants of $60,000 each were awarded to 10 different organisations from ten different countries to acknowledge and support the work of women's domestic violence shelters and agencies.

For more information on the Global Believe Fund Grants go to the Avon Foundation for Women website. 

For more information on the NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre visit their website.