Initiatives for Women in Need (IWiN) is a volunteer led organisation that was established in 2013 to support and advocate for CALD women and children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and families experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence. IWiN aims to educate, empower and enrich the lives of these women and children. Consequently, IWiN has been working relentlessly to raise awareness of the impacts of domestic, family and sexual violence, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the ACT and nationally through seminars, panel discussions, workshops, e-newsletters and policy advocacy. Over time, IWiN’s scope had expanded to include advocacy and research on other broader social justice issues affecting women and their families.

Due to IWiN volunteers’ extensive policy and research experience in a range of government, research, education, community services and not-for-profit organisations in Australia and overseas, they have been able to actively advocate, create awareness, provide informal and formal support to CALD families through a range of activities and programs. Several volunteers have post graduate qualifications and worked on issues related to women’s safety and wellbeing in government and research settings. IWiN has also presented a policy framework to assess the effectiveness of ACT’s domestic violence services for the migrant South Asian community at the First National Conference on Stop Domestic Violence (December 2015). IWiN Committee members have a broad understanding of culture sensitive actions and are engaged with ACT’s multicultural community associations, non-government organisations, businesses and financial institutions to bring change and awareness. We collaborate with key community organisations like Canberra Multicultural Community Forum Inc. & the ACT Multicultural Council Inc. and actively supported by Federation of Indian Associations of ACT Inc and India Australia Association of Canberra.

Each year, IWiN hosts three large scale events to support community members to better understand and respond domestic, family and sexual violence and reshape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that contribute to this violence including gender inequality and power imbalances in relationships. These events include an International Women’s Day forum, Orange Day which coincides with the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and a Symposium which focusses on a specific topic related to women’s issues, rights and empowerment. In 2016 the topic was on gender inequality, in 2017 it was on women working in counterterrorism to encourage women to step into roles that are conventionally held by men and in 2018, IWiN is focusing on flexible work and its impact on family and organisations.

IWiN's Guiding Principles

• Equal opportunities, encouragement and justice to all women and children.
• Equal respect for all contributors and participants in the organisational activities, irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds, knowledge, education status and abilities
• Ensuring organisational accountability and transparency.
• Ensuring organisational accountability and transparency.
• All initiatives to be based on identified community requirements and appropriate consultations.
• Supporting and strengthening Indo-Australian joint activities, wherever possible.