PRESS RELEASE: Dinner & Dance to Raise Funds for Women’s Legal Help
“It has been 25 years since Women’s Legal Service (SA) first opened its’ doors to provide much needed legal help to vulnerable South Australian women” says Zita Ngor, CEO of Women’s Legal Service (SA). “In that time a lot has changed but unfortunately many things have also stayed the same. More women than ever need legal help & COVID-19 has also worsened living conditions for vulnerable women.”
“COVID-19 had prevented us from visiting women and children in rural, regional and remote areas of South Australia and unfortunately we are currently not funded to continue to do outreaches at the same levels as in the past. This effectively means that in some of the regions that we cover there will be no on the ground legal services provided to vulnerable women and their children.”
Women’s Legal Service (SA) will be holding a Fundraising Gala Dinner on the 09th of April 2021, to raise much needed funds to help vulnerable women and children. The service hopes to raise $60,000.00 to fund outreach services to rural, regional and remote areas of South Australia. The funds will enable women to access much needed legal help to protect themselves and their families and most importantly to rebuild their lives.
“I was turned away not due to my dire financial circumstances; however, it was due to being the defendant on a vexatious intervention order taken out by an abusive ex-partner. My case didn’t fit into any funding boxes with [other legal services], however due to Women’s Legal Service’s vast experience of dealing with abusive men they could see it was a textbook case of a man using his power and the legal system to continue the domestic abuse I had already suffered. With his ultimate goal being to destroy me and my mental health. Without women’s legal service I hate to think what my mental health would look like now. I have no doubt I would possibly be homeless, and my child taken away. Instead, I am now over halfway through my Uni degree and looking forward to graduating and starting my career. Every day I am thankful for Women’s Legal Service.” Phoebe – client alias.
Women’s Legal Service (SA) currently provides outreaches to the following rural, regional and remote areas:
Berri and surrounding regions
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Mount Gambier and surrounding regions
Murray Bridge and Mannum
Port Augusta and surrounding regions
Port Lincoln and surrounding regions
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
Over 25 years Women’s Legal Service (SA) has delivered the following services to the community:
43,000 given legal help;
72, 698 legal advices;
Approximately 5,000 legal representation cases
Successfully campaigned with other services and agencies to create changes in the law to ensure equity and recognition for victims of domestic and family violence including the 2011 changes to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).
For more information, please contact Zita Ngor, CEO on 08 8231 8929, mobile 0438 010 598 or via email at [email protected].
Contact Profile
Women’s Legal Service (SA)
Women’s Legal Service (SA) is a community legal centre and the peak legal body in South Australia providing free legal assistance and representation to women across SA. WLSSA also delivers community legal education and undertakes law reform initiatives and campaigns. As a state-wide service, since it was formed in 1995, WLSSA has assisted thousands of vulnerable women each year from Ceduna in the west, to the APY Lands in the north and Mount Gambier in the south of the state.
Zita Ngor
P: 08 8231 8929
M: 0438010598
W: www.wlssa.org.au
E: [email protected]
