Women’s economic security

 

Women are an important priority for our work at Ecstra Foundation. Gender based inequality, including economic inequality, impacts women across all life stages.  

Addressing systemic issues and improving women’s economic security and wellbeing not only provides women with real opportunities and choice in their own lives, but is also key to better economic growth. 

Women’s Economic Security Project

The Women's Economic Security Project was launched to address the barriers to employment, financial participation, and economic security experienced by many women and their families in Australia. The project aims to empower women by providing them with the necessary support, skills and opportunities to help them take control of their financial futures. 

The Women’s Economic Security Project 2023 Impact Report shares the outcomes and stories from some of our 23 partners and 32 grants with $10 million in total committed to initiatives across Australia. 

Read our Women’s Economic Security Project 2023 Impact Report.

Project approach

Ecstra is focused on three practical responses to help strengthen women's economic security.

  • Scaling what works – capacity funding for proven approaches

  • Creating opportunities - supporting pathways for employment opportunities for women and tailored support

  • Consolidating and sharing learnings – supporting further research and sharing outcomes to inform policy settings.

Women’s Reference Group

The Women’s Economic Security Project reference group provided expertise, diverse experience, insights and feedback on the Women’s project program of grants. The reference group assisted in the assessment of shortlisted applications for the Women's Economic Security Project open grant round announced in May 2021.

We acknowledge the contribution of the following reference group members:

  • Dana Beiglari – Chair of Reference Group, Ecstra Board Member

  • Lacey Filipich - Founder, Money School

  • Louise Sylvan – Chair, Energy Consumers Australia, Non-Executive Director (various)

  • Seema Sanghi – Regional Coordinator, Cooperative Legal Service Delivery, Legal Aid NSW

  • Rebecca Thomas – Executive Director, Impact Investing, Social Ventures Australia

Members participate in an individual capacity, and not as representatives of their organisations.

Below is a selection of Ecstra’s grants to organisations supporting women’s financial wellbeing, capability and economic security, some of which are highlighted in the The Women’s Economic Security Project 2023 Impact Report.

WEstJustice

Restoring Financial Safety for Victim-Survivors of Economic Abuse

WEstJustice provides multi-disciplinary services to vulnerable communities in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

Ecstra’s grant funded a two-year extension of the Restoring Financial Safety Project -Transforming Financial Security- an integrated multi-disciplinary partnership between WEstJustice and McAuley Community Services. The Project provided legal advice, representation, casework, advocacy, and financial counselling for women who have experienced economic abuse.

Ecstra’s funding supported WEstJustice to incorporate employment legal services into the initiative, develop an impact evaluation mechanism and expand the program across Melbourne metro and regional Victoria.

A copy of the phase 3 report Restoring Financial Safety: The Transforming Financial Security Project can be found here.

Jul 2020 - Jun 2021

Two Good Co

Employment Opportunities for women

Two Good Co is a social enterprise providing survivors of domestic and family violence with meaningful employment.

Two Good Co has donated over 184,102 restaurant-quality meals to women’s shelters across Sydney and Melbourne and has paid over 35,207 hours of employment to vulnerable women through its Work Work Program.

The Program hires women from the same community shelters they provide meals to and employs these women in their commercial kitchen for Two Good’s catering business.

Ecstra partnered with Two Good Co in supporting victim survivors on their journey towards recovery; by helping to rebuild finances, confidence and financial autonomy.

Jul 2021 - Feb 2023

Code Like a Girl

Employment pathways for women in tech

Code Like a Girl is an innovative, social enterprise committed to increasing the representation of girls and women in tech and coding, helping to remove barriers for women pursuing a career in STEM.

Ecstra’s grant supported 30 women from disadvantaged backgrounds to enrol in Code Like a Girl’s School of Code, providing access to a suite of learnings and career support to help participants acquire technical and business skills needed to launch a career in web development and tech. The program included a paid internship and freelance opportunities.

May 2021 - Apr 2023

Women’s Health in the North

Let’s Talk Money

Women's Health in the North (WHIN) works to eliminate gender inequities and improve outcomes in women’s health, safety and wellbeing.  

Ecstra’s grant supported the extension and scaling of the Let’s Talk Money Program, an award-winning financial literacy program that aims to support the economic empowerment of migrant and refugee women living in Northern Melbourne.

Let’s Talk Money uses a peer educator/trainer approach, employing women from culturally diverse backgrounds to deliver practical and tailored in-language financial capability.

Feb 2019 - Mar 2021

Global Sisters

Innovative pathways for women’s sustainable employment

Global Sisters is a women led business incubator organisation that delivers innovative, impactful and sustained support to women who want to become financially independent through business.

Back Her Brilliance is a national service that guides women on their micro-enterprise journey, providing Sisters with end-to-end support from ideation to acceleration. Their programs include business education courses, expert coaching, opportunities for scale-up, workshops and events.

Ecstra’s grant supported Global Sisters to identify, co-design and tailor financial products and services for female micro-enterprises in partnership with a range of financial institutions.

Sep 2019 - Sep 2022

Women's Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE)

Financial capability for women

Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) provides free support, referral and information for all Victorian women and gender-diverse people, WIRE is experienced in financial capability education and research initiatives with an intersectionality focus.

Ecstra’s funding enabled WIRE to produce COVID-19 related and beyond financial capability resources and information to support women and gender-diverse people. These resources helped women make informed financial decisions during this period of intense economic uncertainty.

Jul 2020 - May 2021

Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (NSCLC)

Prevention of financial abuse – women and older people

Ecstra’s support enabled NSCLC to employ a Financial Advocate and Educator for 2 years to work collaboratively on building evidence on prevention of financial elder abuse in Western Australian. This included working with the Centre for Social Impact and the Victorian Economic Abuse Reference Group (EARG) and NSW (EAGR), as well as providing education and advocacy programs for women and older people at risk of financial decision coercion.

Jul 2020 - Aug 2022

Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights

Establishing a Women’s Support Line

Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights Inc (AMWCHR) seeks to advance the rights and status of Muslim and migrant women in Australia. The service supports women by building awareness of financial rights, financial abuse, and building capacity for economic independence and security.

AMWCHR established a Women’s Support Line, targeting highly vulnerable and isolated Muslim women experiencing a range of barriers to accessing mainstream services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 2020 - May 2021

Be Kind Sydney (Sydney Community Foundation)

Financial capability for women

Informed by Sydney Women’s Fund ‘Women’s Work’ research, Be Kind Sydney undertook an analysis and mapping of financial capability interventions aimed at Inner West and Western Sydney women to identify gaps, improve referral channels, and raise the profile of financial education in local communities. 

May 2020 - Jul 2021