Over the past few months we’ve been working closely with community organisations who support women and non-binary folk to rebuild their lives after contact with the justice system.
In our previous blog post on Decent Work for Women Exiting the Justice System, we looked into the important need for more meaningful employment opportunities for women transitioning out of the justice system. Now, we’re excited the share that we have launched a new co-design process in partnership with Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner.
The ‘Employment Collaboration Project’, funded by Victorian Legal Services Board is a collaborative co-design project that aims to uncover opportunities for using business and finance to create decent jobs for women who have had contact with the justice system.
Approximately 4,500 women exit the criminal justice system across Australia each year. As peer advocate, Cathy Campesato says,
“When we leave the criminal justice system, most of us are determined to use our life experiences to drive community and personal growth. We are powerful agents of change. We are strong, we are resilient, and we have much to offer.”
But what women often encounter is a world that is not ready for their life experiences. Instead, women consistently face further punishment by being locked out of employment for having a criminal record.
We know from decades of research that employment provides purpose and belonging, and is one of the best predictors of post-release success, (alongside housing).
How can we create more decent jobs for women exiting the criminal justice system, using the tools of entrepreneurship, business and investment, so that their full contribution can be realised?
The Employment Collaboration Project aims to bring together leaders from the community sector, women with lived experience, entrepreneurs, investors, as well as the education and training, and government sectors to build new connections, identify opportunities and build momentum for action.
By fostering collaboration across different sectors, we aim to identify opportunities for dismantling barriers to employment. This holistic approach acknowledges that creating decent work for women requires a multifaceted strategy that leverages the strengths and insights of all stakeholders involved.
As we move forward with this initiative, we’re thrilled to have welcomed Cathy Campesato to the TDi team as a Lived Experience Advisor for the duration of this project. Cathy brings a deep commitment to supporting women navigating the justice system and re-entering the community. Her passion for raising awareness of the challenges faced by women affected by domestic violence aligns perfectly with our mission. With lived experience of incarceration, Cathy serves as a peer mentor and advisor and facilitates workshops on relationships, homelessness, finance, and health and wellbeing. Cathy’s unique perspective and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to refine and approach and begin to develop solutions that meet the real needs of women exiting the criminal justice system.
The next phase of this work is three days of Collaborative Ideation Workshops, which we’re running in three separate streams. We’re inviting leaders from a range of sectors, as well as entrepreneurs, investors, and most importantly women with lived experience, to participate, uncover opportunities, and build relationships and momentum.
If you’re interested in attending one of these workshops, please get in touch with Anna Moegerlein, Deputy CEO, by emailing anna@tdi.org.au.
