Fashion Show Gala Fundraiser

We are proudly hosting the first Fashion Show Gala Fundraiser in collaboration with the Blue Mountains Women's Health and Resource Centre. Our goal, with your support, is to raise much needed funds to support women's health and safety in our community.

Your Ticket Includes:

The Fashion Show

The Fashion Show will showcase the latest Autumn and Winter collections by designers including Zoe Kratzmann, Once Was, Cazinc the Label, Don't Tell My Husband, Arlington Milne, Esperance & Co, Up Pants, Women & Co, Tribal, Iris & Wool, Attici, Vinetti, Carbon the Label and Esmaee. All outfits will be modelled by local Blue Mountains residents, bringing authenticity to styling for all bodies and stages of life. Think mums, grandmothers, sisters, aunties and daughters rocking frocks, wearing the pant-suits and dazzling in denim.Fine Dining

Throughout the evening you will experience 3 course fine dining , including a set drinks menu (additional drinks can be purchased) in the newly renovated function room at the Katoomba RSL. Dress up and bring your partner and friends for a sociable and fun night out.

Charity Auction

Our generous sponsors and business partners have also provided a range of goods and services that will be auctioned during the evening. 100% of proceeds from the auction will also be donated to the Centre.

Your Donation

Included in the ticket prices is also a generous donation to the Blue Mountains Women's Health and Resource Centre. These funds will be allocated to supporting and keeping women safe from violence in our community. To find out more about the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence in the Blue Mountains keep reading below.

Join Us!

We would love you to join us for this exciting new event, and to help support women in our community who truly appreciate being seen and supported during, quite often, the most difficult and unsettling time in their lives.

About the Blue Mountains Women’s Health and Resource Centre

The Blue Mountains Women’s Health and Resource Centre (BMWHRC) is a community-based non-government organisation that provides evidence based interventions to address both physical and mental health needs, as well as the health impacts of domestic and family violence and sexual violence on women and children in the Blue Mountains.

The key components of the Women’s Health Program model provided to women in the Blue Mountains by BMWHRC include:

• Mental health and well-being services - individual and group counselling, and therapeutic resilience work, social and emotional well-being and psychosocial support
• Physical health and well-being services – chronic illness prevention and management, nutrition, complementary therapies and body work, reproductive and sexual health, cancer screening
• Integrated care and referral – support to address the social determinants of health and the health effects of domestic and family violence and sexual violence
• Health education and health promotion – to improve health literacy, promote healthy lifestyle choices and behaviours and equip women to participate in their own health care and well-being .

BMWHRC is a holistic and trauma informed women’s health centre that provides a range of a range of domestic violence related responses and prevention strategies embedded into their service delivery. BMWHRC has ensured this occurs in their service delivery because violence against women and children is a significant issue locally, nationally and globally.

BMWHRC innovates in violence prevention programs focussing on work with young people. The Centre also provides practical support for women such as showering and laundry facilities, as well as a study hub.

The Facts About Violence against women

Domestic violence is a women’s health issue. It poses the greatest risk for disease and premature death for women 15-44 years old and costs the country $8 billion each year .

International and Australian policy, research and health reports consistently refer to the extent and horror of violence against women. The cost, burden of disease and essential devastating and life changing experience of sexual, intimate partner and family violence are well documented, including that different groups of women are affected more severely if their lives are impacted by multiple barriers to resources due to systemic racism, colonisation, power and control. This is supported by research showing higher levels of violence against First Nations women and women with disabilities. In Australia migrant and refugee women also experience higher levels of violence coupled with restricted access to resources including healthcare.

It is estimated that one third of all women will experience domestic violence worldwide. This level of violence is consistent with statistics across Australia which show 31% – 35% of women in Australia are affected by violence. Further information about the prevalence of violence against women in Australia is at Appendix 1.

In NSW:

• there are approximately 2,500 reports of domestic violence to the police every month – but this likely represents only 40% of actual incidents due to underreporting (NCOSS, 2020).
• domestic violence related assaults increased 1.1% over a 24 month period to March 2021, from 31,607 to 31,947 (BOCSAR, 2021).
• sexual assault increased 14.4% over a 24 month period to March 2021, from 6,444 to 7,373 (BOCSAR, 2021).

In the Blue Mountains :

• Of the 173 domestic violence related assaults recorded in the Blue Mountains in 2019, 108 were against women .
• Of the 119 sexual assaults recorded in the Mountains 86 were against girls aged 0-17. The incidence of sexual assaults in the Mountains is increasing.
• The rates of breaching Apprehended Violence Orders in increasing.
• Older women are the fastest growing cohort at risk of homelessness.

Anecdotally, it is known that :

• Homelessness is increasing for women in the Mountains with the local refuge unable to move women and children on from transitionary housing resulting in fewer women and children having access to this important service. The BMWHRC has installed washer/dryer and showering facilities to accommodate women who are homeless/couch surfing/other.
• There are significant issues with young women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace (especially young High School students in their first jobs).
• A local culture with lack of public space safe exists for young women.

Together We Can Make a Difference