Monthly Archives: February 2021

Over 100,000 women 55+ in Queensland are living every day at risk of being homeless.

Sharing with Friends is looking to change this terrible statistic.

Sharing with Friends i a not-for-profit foundation set up by three Zontians (all members of the Brisbane Club) in response to the Zonta Advocacy issue of Homelessness in Older Women. Its original inspiration was the Zonta Area Meeting in Noosa in 2019.

It is holding a free workshop March 6 about co-housing and affordable home ownership in retirement. It’s a two-hour interactive experience with two highly experienced facilitators Zontians Anne Landsberg and Adrienne Irvine.

Through the District HOWZ-ing newsletter, Zontians know the terrible statistics about older women who are 55+, single, renting, and unemployed. Over 100,000 are living every day at risk of being homeless.

An underlying opportunity with the workshops is for people to bring a friend who fits this profile so they can assess for themselves whether Sharing with Friends (or other options that will be showcased) might be an answer. We all know someone – an auntie, neighbour, colleague, friend – who is NOT homeless, but is paying a huge percentage of their income in rent. As a result, they are one crisis away from couch surfing or sleeping in their car. You are our secret weapon – because such women would never identify themselves at-risk, nor come alone, they need a personal invitation by a trusted friend.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more about homelessness

When: Saturday March 6 at 3-5pm (introductory workshop)

Where: Albion Peace Centre, 102 McDonald Street, Albion

RSVP: by March 4

Email: info@sharingwithfriends.org

Phone: 0412 336 759

Another milestone moment for  Lacie Malcomson, one of our Zonta Club of Brisbane education award winners. Lacie won our Kingston Learning College award in 2019. Now Lacie has graduated from TAFE and she is about to start studies at Griffith University where she is going to study social work. It has been a story of determination and joy for Lacie, who has also been mentored by Club member Anne Landsberg.

Lacie has juggled study this year with on-line learning and juggling home schooling for her children. She completed her Diploma at TAFE and is now right on track to do her social work degree at Griffith. Lacie has many connections to Zonta – she enrolled at Kingston Learning College after reading an article about Margaret O’Hare winning a Zonta Education Award. She embodies the reasons why we are in Zonta and why we work hard to raise funds for young women and girls.

Our education awards go to state school, TAFE and university students and we know they play a key role in enabling them to have an education that will help them secure a safe and successful future for them and their loved ones.

For more information on our Education Awards go here

Zonta Club of Brisbane member the Hon Margaret McMurdo AC has been chosen to chair a new independent task force to examine the issue of taking action against coercive control.

The Queensland Government has established the task force, just days before the one year anniversary of the tragic death of Hannah Clarke and her three children who were killed by her partner.

The taskforce has a role to recommend how best to legislate against coercive control as a form of domestic and family violence.

Legislating against coercive control was a commitment made by the Queensland Government before the 2020 State Election.

The Government is seeking to consult with a wide range of survivors, domestic and sexual violence service providers, legal and domestic violence experts and the community.

That includes Hannah Clarke’s parents Lloyd and Sue, in the development of a new approach to coercive control.

Coercive control is a significant risk factor for escalating violence and intimate partner homicide and can include tactics such as isolating women and surveillance.

Tasmania is the only Australian jurisdiction that has introduced specific criminal offences covering elements of coercive control, while new offences of coercive control have been introduced in Scotland, England and Wales.