The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many parts of the community hard, but one of the worst-affected groups has been women. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women lost more jobs than men, took on more unpaid work in the home including home-schooling children, and were less likely to receive government support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, almost one in 10 Australian women in a relationship have experienced domestic violence during the coronavirus crisis, with two-thirds<\/a> saying the attacks started or became worse during the pandemic. A survey of 15,000 Australian women also revealed 4.6 percent of all women experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former cohabiting partner between February and May 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Victoria, vulnerable women were left even more susceptible to abuse with extended restrictions stopping people from seeking help and perpetrators using lockdowns to further control and isolate<\/a> their victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, the true extent of family violence will only emerge in the months and years<\/a> to come, so it’s more important than ever to invest in support for front-line practitioners and organisations who lead Victoria\u2019s family violence response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of the many reasons Origin is pleased to support The Queen\u2019s Fund, a non-profit organisation that provides emergency funding to Victorian women and children facing homelessness, domestic violence, family crisis, mental illness and disability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe’re so proud of this partnership with The Queen\u2019s Fund, whose important work helps to give vulnerable women in Victoria the crucial breathing space they need to get back on their feet after significant financial hardship or abuse,\u201d said Jan Prichard, General Manager, Customer Care at Origin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Origin began its partnership with The Queen\u2019s Fund in 2018 to assist vulnerable women with their energy bills in the form of debt waivers. Origin also supports customers who have experienced or survived family violence directly, providing bill credits worth approximately $65,000 nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Queen\u2019s Fund has had an immeasurable impact on many women\u2019s lives, such as single mother Erin* who lost her job at a factory in June 2020. Erin receives no financial support from her child\u2019s father and prefers to have no connection to him due to family violence. Struggling to pay for her family\u2019s necessities, The Queen\u2019s Fund requested support from Origin to waive Erin\u2019s $350 electricity bill, which meant Erin could put her government income towards rent and groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the year to February 2021, The Queen\u2019s Fund helped nearly 400 women like Erin, and more than 450 children. It provided $130,000 to help pay for food, rent, household bills, essential appliances, school uniforms and even second-hand laptops so children could connect to online learning during the Victorian lockdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sally McLean, President of The Queen\u2019s Fund, predicts that the demand for assistance from The Queen\u2019s Fund during the COVID-19 lockdown is just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a steady flow of applications from women affected by the lockdown, but we definitely haven\u2019t seen the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the latest ABS monthly labour force data showing that Victoria has the highest number of women who are unemployed, ever, The Queen\u2019s Fund expects that the impacts of the pandemic will continue long after the vaccine rollout addresses the immediate health crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To support The Queen\u2019s Fund with a donation, or to learn more, please visit the website<\/a>. With an unpaid committee and low overheads covered by a historical bequest, 100 percent of donations to The Queen\u2019s Fund go directly to the women in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re proud to support a range of organisations making a positive contribution to their local communities, including Victoria\u2019s The Queen\u2019s Fund<\/a>, Sydney Alliance\u2019s Voices for Power<\/em> energy literacy program<\/a>, Don Dunstan Foundation\u2019s Adelaide Zero Project<\/em><\/a> tackling homelessness and Aboriginal-owned South Australian organisation Nunga Mi:Nimar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also provide a range of support for our customers who are in need. We encourage anyone experiencing financial stress to reach out to us<\/a> so we can assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond our key customer advocacy program, Power On<\/a>, which allows vulnerable customers to access bill relief, concessions and other government support<\/a>, we\u2019ve introduced new ways to educate and empower customers<\/a> such as Bring Your Bi<\/a>l<\/a>l Days<\/a>, and are sponsors of the Financial Counselling Australia National and State Conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupporting women in crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The life-changing work of The Queen\u2019s Fund<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Want to help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How we’re helping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n