Run by Aboriginal women forAboriginal women.
Established to connect incarcerated Aboriginal women with services and support, the Voice of Hope delivers programs to assist women address trauma and issues such as substance abuse. Promoting connection to culture and helping women achieve healing, the Voice of Hope focusses on enabling women to reintegrate into the community, family and the workforce.
Connecting
Engaging with Aboriginal women whilst they are incarcerated through the delivery of our Walbreninj Yorga Program, the Voice of Hope assists women to find support and re-connect with themselves. The organisation provides mentoring for Aboriginal women, and aims to create a safety net around them, with Elders, community service providers, and business people able to lend support, aiding women to access resources and receive assistance.
Healing
With programs specifically developed for Aboriginal women, Voice of Hope supports women to address issues such as substance abuse, family reunification, restoring cultural connection and workforce reintegration. Addressing trauma allows women to come to terms with their past and start to heal body, mind and spirit.
Transitioning
Through programs, support and care, Voice of Hope creates the conditions for Aboriginal women to successfully reintegrate into the community and seeks to reduce the incidence of re-offending. Continuing to work with women following their release, Voice of Hope aids women in their return to their families, employment and the broader society.
The Need for a Dedicated Service for Aboriginal Women
Voice of Hope was created to purely focus upon meeting the needs and specific requirements of Aboriginal women in the Western Australian prison system.
The incarceration rates of Aboriginal women in the Australian justice system are alarmingly high. An Indigenous woman in Australia is 21 times more likely to experience jail than a non-Indigenous woman. In Western Australia, this rate soars to 27 times more likely.
How Voice of Hopemakes a difference
As the first dedicated service provider to Aboriginal Women both in prison and post release, Voice of Hope engages and encourages them. Running programs to assist Aboriginal women address substance abuse and trauma, Voice of Hope develops and implements holistic strategies, helping women to heal physically and spiritually.