Hundreds more women affected by domestic and family violence across south-east Queensland will now have access to a Specialist DFV Financial Counsellor, after a record-breaking Dancing CEOS event on Saturday.
The tenth annual Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) fundraiser amassed $1,352,687 and had seven teams competing at a sold-out gala event at Brisbane’s City Hall.
WLSQ CEO Nadia Bromley was overwhelmed by the response, and said funds raised would significantly reduce the current wait time of six weeks to see a counsellor, and allow WLSQ to help more women and their children escape domestic violence.
“We know that around one in three women are returning to an abusive home because they have no money or nowhere else to go. It’s a shocking statistic and one that our CEOs will help to change,” Nadia said.
“This year’s result means that it will be possible for more women to flee domestic violence and avoid long-term poverty and homelessness.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of our Dancing CEOs, our staff and volunteers … as well as our incredibly generous donors – we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Nadia said WLSQ’s Financial Abuse Prevention Unit had helped more than 500 women and cleared their debt of more than $4 million since it was established in 2019.
The Dancing CEOs representing the profession in this year’s event were WLSQ President and Queensland Law Society Deputy President Genevieve Dee; migration lawyer and firm director Aishwarya Somal; Bond University Law School Professor Racheal Field; former President of the Queensland Court of Appeal, and Chair of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, Margaret McMurdo; and VM Family Law Director Kath Manby.
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