• Part-time 3 days /22.5 hours per week or Full-time (negotiable)
• Location: this role is located in-person in the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre, Warilla NSW (80 km South of Sydney)

Organisational Context

Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical and humanitarian association founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to communities faced with crises endangering their survival. These crises typically take the form of armed conflict but also include epidemics, natural catastrophes and even exclusion from healthcare. Currently, MSF is present in 70 countries.

The Australian Section of Médecins Sans Frontières was established in 1995 and is one of 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices that form the MSF global movement providing oversight and expertise, funding and staff for field operations and communicating on the needs of our patients.

For this position, MSF Australia is partnering with the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre (IWHC). Nationally accredited, the IWHC has a focus on mental health, women experiencing domestic and family violence and sexual assault, and sexual and reproductive health. The community-based Centre sees over 6,000 women a year and has an exceptional reputation, providing integrated care and social support to women with complex needs using a social model of health and a community development approach to service delivery. IWHC has recently secured access to a ‘safe room’ space located at the local Stockland Shopping Centre which may serve as workspace for this position.

COVID-19 Response: Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence (FDSV)

FDSV against women is a public health emergency and occurs in epidemic proportions in Australia. The mental and physical health consequences of FDSV are significant, long lasting and evidence based - impacting women, children, future generations, our community, our economy and ultimately, our country.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has critically exacerbated this emergency, and simultaneously thrown into stark relief the lack of services available to women seeking support because of FDSV. As a direct result of the COVID-19 social distancing requirements, domestic and family violence rates have risen across all socioeconomic groupings, and in all contexts - as was widely and publicly predicated in March. The Australian Institute of Criminology's findings about women's experiences of domestic violence during the early stages of the pandemic show that of the 15,000 Australian women surveyed, 11.6 per cent (1 in 10) reported experiencing emotionally abusive, harassing, or controlling behaviour. The consensus across the sector is that the worst is yet to come after September, when much of the government financial support is removed or reduced, and we head into Christmas, a time when violence and abuse traditionally escalates.

The Illawarra Women's Health Centre is at the front line of this "shadow" pandemic. There is a significant increase in women contacting IWHC for support due to domestic and family violence. Nearly all these women have complex needs and the restrictions and safety measures of COVID have substantially increased levels of risk, fear, and anxiety. There is currently a 2-month waiting list for counselling at IWHC and existing staff are at risk of burn-out.

Overall responsibility