University of Newcastle

Gifting Day | Walking Alongside Student Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

Hi everyone,

I am raising awareness and funds to support student survivors of gender-based violence through the University of Newcastle’s Gifting Day.

Gender-based violence is a social problem of epidemic proportions across Australia, Newcastle and the Hunter region. It is having a devastating effect on the well-being of families and communities that can be felt for years.

Higher education has been shown to play a significant role in alleviating the impacts of gender-based violence.

But the reality is, victim-survivors face substantial challenges in accessing and participating in higher education, including profound economic hardship as a direct result of gender-based violence.

“After I experienced [domestic violence] I was homeless, living in my car and I did my first ever final exams at university the day after sleeping in my car.”

Your support today can ensure that student victim-survivors can fully participate and thrive in higher education.

Through the Gender Justice Hub based at the University of Newcastle, one-on-one support is provided to student victim-survivors; a program informed by the experiences of people who have been personally impacted.

Your donation will enable this one-on-one support: a relational navigator to walk alongside victim-survivors throughout their educational journeys to ensure access to quality services and resources that enable them to thrive in their degrees and beyond.

Your generosity will not only help someone today, but it will also enable them to support others who share similar experiences.

“Education itself provides the freedom, focus and escape to a better future for women and children.”

All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible and 100 percent of your generous gift will provide vital support and services for students who have experienced gender-based violence to complete their higher education, helping to break the cycle of abuse in our communities..¹

Thank you so much for your kindness to shape a better tomorrow for people in our communities and the world.

_{1.Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia. The University of Newcastle covers all administration costs so that 100% of all funds raised goes directly to the cause supported.}
_{Penny Jane Burke, Julia Coffey, Jean Parker, Stephanie Hardacre, Felicity Cocuzzoli, Julia Shaw & Adriana Haro (2023): ‘It’s a lot of shame’: understanding the impact of gender-based violence on higher education access and participation, Teaching in Higher.}
_{Australian Bureau of Statistics. Personal Safety, Australia. Rates of physical and sexual assault, family and domestic violence, economic and emotional abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, and childhood abuse (2023).}