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Take the First Step Project

NCLC's Take the First Step project trains groups of local women from diverse backgrounds to be family violence peer educators and leaders within their community. The women meet regularly to learn about the causes of family violence and how to respond to and support someone experiencing family violence, including where they can go for help.  They are encouraged to create networks of support using community-led engagement strategies.

The project recognises that women who are newly arrived in Australia are most likely to receive information about pathways to safety from other women of their own cultural community; and that reaching isolated victims/survivors in the places they feel safest through peer education is often the first step towards safety for themselves and their children.

In 2022 and 2023, Take the First Step ran in the City of Hume (funded by Hume City Council) and in Mitchell Shire (funded by the Victorian Law Foundation). Following the success of both, the project was extended into Merri-bek in mid-2023 with funding from the Merri-bek City Council. Watch the video below to meet some of our Peer Educators.

Take the First Step Resources

Information for migrant women experiencing family violence in Victoria

NCLC's lawyers have pulled together information for newly arrived women who are experiencing family violence. These resources cover their rights in Australia and how to make an appointment to see a lawyer, and are available on our website in English and in Arabic.

Posters and social media tiles

Our Hume and Mitchell peer educators put together the following resources to help spread awareness among women in their community. We encourage sector partners and community members to share them among their networks. Click to download.

Resources – Mitchell Shire