Held: Her Story, In Her Hands
is a series of portraits built around a single idea: handshold what words sometimes can’t. Each photograph focuses on the hands of awoman with lived experience of family, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence: what she carried with her, what she left behind, and the objects and gestures thatspeak to who she is now.
Choose to meet courage with care
The women in Held chose to be seen. Your gift means the next woman who asks for help isn’t turned away.
About this cause
Keeping women and children safe is a choice. With your support, we can meet courage with care and turn fewer women away.
Last year, Women’s Legal Service WA wasn’t able to help more than 3,000 women who reached out for legal help and safety support. They did qualify. We simply didn’t have the capacity. Each number is a woman who found the courage to ask for help and was told to try somewhere else.
What we already know
We know a great deal about what keeps women safe.
Inquiries, royal commissions and national reviews across Australia have already shown what works to prevent and respond to domestic and family violence.
The recommendations are clear. What they need now is leadership, funding and accountability.
When these come together, women’s safety improves.
When they don’t, women pay the price, especially in regional and remote communities where options are already limited.
When legal, housing and support systems don’t connect, the consequences can be serious, and sometimes fatal.
What this means for Women’s Legal Service WA
Frontline women’s legal services across Australia turn away up to 1,000 women every week because they don’t have the capacity to help. So far in 2026, we have turned away more than 1,265 women.
Each of them is left without legal advice, protection or advocacy at a time when they may be at risk.
In 2024–25 we supported 1,676 women. Demand is much greater than we can meet. Sustainable funding for frontline services is critical, and the support of our community matters now more than ever.
Yes
Yes, as soon as your donation is processed.
Held: Her Story, In Her Hands
is a series of portraits built around a single idea: handshold what words sometimes can’t. Each photograph focuses on the hands of awoman with lived experience of family, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence: what she carried with her, what she left behind, and the objects and gestures thatspeak to who she is now.
Choose to meet courage with care
The women in Held chose to be seen. Your gift means the next woman who asks for help isn’t turned away.
About this cause
Keeping women and children safe is a choice. With your support, we can meet courage with care and turn fewer women away.
Last year, Women’s Legal Service WA wasn’t able to help more than 3,000 women who reached out for legal help and safety support. They did qualify. We simply didn’t have the capacity. Each number is a woman who found the courage to ask for help and was told to try somewhere else.
What we already know
We know a great deal about what keeps women safe.
Inquiries, royal commissions and national reviews across Australia have already shown what works to prevent and respond to domestic and family violence.
The recommendations are clear. What they need now is leadership, funding and accountability.
When these come together, women’s safety improves.
When they don’t, women pay the price, especially in regional and remote communities where options are already limited.
When legal, housing and support systems don’t connect, the consequences can be serious, and sometimes fatal.
What this means for Women’s Legal Service WA
Frontline women’s legal services across Australia turn away up to 1,000 women every week because they don’t have the capacity to help. So far in 2026, we have turned away more than 1,265 women.
Each of them is left without legal advice, protection or advocacy at a time when they may be at risk.
In 2024–25 we supported 1,676 women. Demand is much greater than we can meet. Sustainable funding for frontline services is critical, and the support of our community matters now more than ever.
Yes
Yes, as soon as your donation is processed.
