Women’s Health Matters CEO, Lauren Anthes, is pleased to announce the Victim Survivor Voice pilot program has been extended thanks to further investment from the ACT Government.

Today, Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, ACT Minister for Women and for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, has announced an additional $646,000 funding package to support Women’s Health Matters in extending this Territory first pilot program designed to centre lived and living experience in ACT services and systems. The first phase of the pilot program is focussed on the development of the ACT Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Strategy and government responses to domestic and sexual violence, with the goal of improving whole of system responses in the ACT.

The additional funding will support the ongoing, sustainable and meaningful engagement with victim survivors, ensuring that diverse voices of lived experience are central in all aspects of policy design and implementation.

About the Victim Survivor Voice

The Victim Survivor Voice is a peer-led pilot program open to people over the age of 18 who have lived or living experience of domestic, family, and/or sexual violence and live in the ACT and surrounding regions. This multi-modal engagement program seeks to improve ACT services and systems to better support victim survivors of domestic, family, and/or sexual violence.

Since March 2025, the pilot program has received approximately 80 expressions of interest from people with lived and living experience in the ACT. In-depth individual and small group discussions were conducted with over 20 victim survivors to inform development of the ACT Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Strategy. Using participatory research and qualitative analysis methods, key themes and findings have been identified and will be validated through further victim survivor engagement before presentation to the ACT Government.

The second phase of the pilot will focus informing the ACT Government’s approach to improving criminal justice responses to coercive control.

Women’s Health Matters CEO, Lauren Anthes, has said the pilot program applies a unique approach in centering lived experience in policy and service reform, while allowing victim survivors a voice to advocate for themselves and others:

“This community-led approach ensures victim survivor voices are central to strengthening support services and prevention initiatives in the ACT. Combined with evidence reviews and analysis of best practices from other jurisdictions, these insights will be translated into concrete recommendations for government implementation that deliver measurable outcomes.”

Register your interest in joining the Victim Survivor Voice online.

About Women’s Heath Matters

Women’s Health Matters is the Peak Body for Women’s Health in the ACT, working to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in the ACT and surrounding region. We advocate on behalf of all ACT women, to improve outcomes and experiences across the health and social services systems.  Our work is centered on providing evidence-based, lived experience centered, social research, policy development, and advocacy services to governments, the corporate sector, policy makers, service providers and other peak bodies.

Media Contact

Women’s Health Matters

E: media@womenshealthmatters.org.au

P: 02 6290 2166