Safe Arrival

Safe Arrival is our community education program designed to raise awareness of domestic and family violence (DFV) and provide important harm prevention skills for refugee and migrant women.

Through a culturally safe setting, using material provided in multiple languages, participants learn about the escalating nature of abuse and how to access support services if needed. The program provides support and intervention in an accessible and respectful format, and helps prevent or reduce the harm that domestic violence can cause for mothers and children.

Why was Safe Arrival created?

One in five women in Australia has experienced sexual violence, and one in three has experienced physical violence. In fact, DFV is so prevalent that it is the leading preventable contributor to death in women ages 15-44.

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities are among the most at risk. They can face significant barriers to getting help,  including financial dependency, fear of police, language difficulties and a lack of family support.

Safe Arrival Youth

Safe Arrival Youth is an adaptation of the Safe Arrival program for young women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The program uses a non-judgmental and trauma-informed approach to educating young women on how to build healthy relationships, recognise red flags, and access support services if they ever need to.

Why was Safe Arrival Youth created?

During delivery of our Safe Arrival program, many participants recalled having little to no instruction on healthy relationships or identifying abuse and wished they could have learned about these topics as teenagers. Participants discussed the difference in laws and ideologies in their home countries and the positive impact learning about their rights here in Australia would have had. These discussions led to the idea of a youth program.

Around one third of adolescents experience violence from an intimate partner, and migrant and refugee girls are at an increased risk due to factors such as their age, gender, past experiences of violence and language barriers.