Latest

SA based counselling service receives federal funding to expand program nationally

Zahra Foundations financial services for domestic abuse victims will now be readily available Australia wide thanks to a multi-million dollar grant.

Thousands of women experiencing financial abuse across Australia will have prolonged access to free, specialised support thanks to A $5.5m government grant awarded to Zahra Foundation Australia.

The grant will allow for the extension of their financial counselling service with the South-Australian based service becoming available to women anywhere in the country via telephone and online support.  

Announced by Federal Minister for Women’s Safety Anne Ruston, the investment in women’s lives will make a significant impact on those recovering from family, domestic and sexual violence.

Perpetrators of financial abuse may prevent victims from earning or accessing money, force them to accrue debt or make financial transactions in their name without consent. Under the new model, victims of this kind of abuse can be referred to the Zahra Foundation’s trauma-informed staff, who are trained to work with them to regain their economic independence.

Demand for financial counselling has risen 60 per cent over the past two years with the new funding boost enabling the organisation to help thousands more women in coming years including those in rural and regional areas.

Zahra Foundation General Manager Kelly-Ann Tansley said  “The control of money and other economic resources is one of the most prominent forms of coercive control. Limiting or blocking a woman’s access to material means restricts her ability to plan to escape or remain free from abuse,

“This service is essential if we are going to break the cycle of abuse. We thank Minister Anne Ruston and the Federal Government for recognising this need and responding to it.”

Zahra foundation was established in 2015 in honour of Zahra Abrahimzadeh, who was murdered by her estranged husband in 2010. Zahra’s children Arman, Atena and Anita created an organisation to help women escaping abuse gain the skills they need to build a life free from vi violence.

The foundation offers a unique empowerment program, specialising in financial counselling, one-off grants and skills workshops to help abuse survivors enrol in study, find work and plan their future. Zahra Foundation relies on the generous support of sponsors, donors, government and community fundraisers to continue this work.

Mother-of-two Margaret was referred to Zahra Foundation for support to recover from financial abuse and control and is now studying at university for the first time. “I lost my job, my income, my home. I didn’t know what to do, where to turn,” Margaret said. “Zahra Foundation is a really safe place. They know what you are going through – and a pathway out of it. If I didn’t have that support, I truly don’t know where my path would have led.”

Zahra Foundation co-founder Arman Abrahimzadeh said it was important that services were available to women as they recovered from abuse to reduce the likelihood that they may return to an unsafe relationship. “It is great to see investment being made in services that offer assistance to women in the post-crisis phase,” Mr Abrahimzadeh said.

For more information visit the Zahra Foundation Australia website.

More News

To Top