Fund launched to support women and children escaping domestic violence

Women’s Community Shelters has launched the Firefly First Nations Fund to deliver immediate, culturally safe support for First Nations women and children escaping domestic and family violence.

The initiative follows International Women’s Day and aligns with the 2026 theme, “balance the scales.”

The Firefly First Nations Fund has been established by Women’s Community Shelters (WCS), described as New South Wales’ leading for-purpose organisation providing accommodation and support for women and children. The fund is intended to support women and children at critical moments, with an emphasis on culturally safe, specialist casework tailored to individual circumstances across WCS’s Shelter Network.

WCS stated the fund seeks to close the gap and ensure fair, inclusive, and accessible justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. The organisation said the initiative is designed to respond at the point of crisis and through recovery, helping restore safety, dignity, and connection.

“Like a firefly offering light in the dark,”

— Danielle Jolliffe

First Nations Partnership and Outcomes Manager Danielle Jolliffe said the fund “responds when it matters most” and invited communities to back solutions led by and for First Nations women to “help balance the scale.”

Disproportionate risk underscores urgency

As of 2026, First Nations women are 27 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than other women in Australia. They are also 11 times more likely to die from assault, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. These statistics were cited by WCS to highlight the disproportionate and systemic risk faced by First Nations women and their children.

WCS said combating domestic and family violence is a core priority across its services in New South Wales. The organisation framed the fund as part of its broader mission to address immediate safety while supporting longer-term healing and connection for women and children affected by violence.

How the fund will be used

WCS said the Firefly First Nations Fund will back culturally safe, specialist casework across its Shelter Network. The organisation outlined a suite of supports that can be tailored to each person’s needs, including:

• Counselling and advocacy to navigate safety, recovery, and systems
• Transport to enable access to services and safe arrangements
• Access to cultural activities that strengthen identity and connection

WCS said the fund’s design is intended to support women to remain in control of their lives, especially through choices that foster cultural connection and dignity. The organisation described the approach as responsive to on-the-ground needs and aligned with a ‘for mob, by mob’ model led by First Nations expertise.

“We need to be responsive and meet the needs on the ground,”

— Annabel Daniels

Chief executive Annabel Daniels said Aboriginal women and children are disproportionately affected by domestic and family violence and stressed the importance of safe, accessible cultural supports in daily work. She said community and connection were essential sources of strength that inform WCS’s model.

Ms Daniels emphasised that practical cultural needs are central to recovery and must be adequately resourced. She cited examples that range from reconnection with mob, family, and community to materials and experiences that support healing. The focus, she said, is on the “important work of repair and restoration” that upholds cultural identity and agency.

Sector solidarity

Ms Daniels called for sector leaders to stand alongside Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, recognise their strength and expertise, and support Aboriginal women and children across services. She said the Firefly First Nations Fund is intended to become a sustained initiative that contributes to improved outcomes.

Ms Daniels said one in four women and children who come to WCS services are Aboriginal. She said the organisation hopes the fund helps provide “important and meaningful connections” that support a future free from abuse and empower women and children to determine their own lives and destinies. Daniels described empowerment, choice, and self-determination as critical to recovery from domestic and family violence.