Empowering Women for a Better Future

Hagar Australia

Supported beneficiary groups within Women & Girls

Financially disadvantaged people | Victims of disaster

Age Demographic

Varied Ages

Project Focus

Economic development | Human rights

Project Area

International

Rural/Regional

Project Description

The overarching program, The Whole Journey, provides comprehensive trauma-informed support program for women and children affected by human trafficking, slavery and abuse. Through their healing journey, survivors are supported to make choices ensuring their physical and mental health needs are met, they are safe, they are afforded education, training and employment opportunities, can seek legal justice and, where safe to do so, are living back with their families or independently in their community. This project will continue to build on the Hagar Cambodia pilot initiative implemented in 2019, and will increase the number of cohort groups to ensure peer support for more women survivors of abuse, to share learning and build skills to improve their economic livelihoods and financial security. Four geographically diverse cohort groups will be identified to meet the needs of women survivors in rural provinces, as well as Phnom Penh. These cohorts bring together women early in their career in order to build the technical and people skills needed to direct their own career pathway and succeed in the workplace of their choice, or in starting a business of their own. The cohorts provide a safe support network based on a shared understanding of the trauma each of the women has experienced, where they are able to build relationships and confidence as they work together to achieve economic independence.

Expected Outcomes

Increased autonomy of women in decision-making about their economic rights and choices. This will be measured through regular case management follow ups, recorded in the Client Management System and triangulated through face to face interviews with women, their families and their employers.
Women demonstrate increased self-confidence, communication and technical skills. This will be measured through combination of case management sessions and pre and post training assessments. In addition, women, their families and employers will give structured feedback on the progress and impacts of the project.
Women secure and retain employment; or start up and maintain a small business. Progress against this will be measured through our employer database and regular follow-up visits.
Women develop new coping mechanisms through relationships and peer support in cohort groups. This will be noted by Hagar’s team in interactions

Project Data & Lessons

The Hagar global network has collaboratively developed several shared approaches to monitoring and evaluation, and record data in:

i) Client Management System (CMS) an online database developed for Hagar’s case management work

ii) Global monitoring indicators (GMI) which encompasses Hagar’s impact across all 5 global strategic goals – Heal, Prevent, Partner, Empower and Influence.

These procedures are oversighted by Hagar’s global Quality Assurance Working Group. Both the CMS and the GMI align to Hagar’s:

2020-2022 Global Strategic Plan,
Operational Plans, and
Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (PMERL) framework that sets out the minimum requirements or standards and guides program teams on achieving best practice, including the Program Approach.

Learn More

Project Dates

Project Commences: July 1, 2021

Project Completes: June 30, 2022

Funding Details

$15,000
Funding Needed

$40,000
Current Funding

$55,000
Total Project Costs

Approved Tax Deductability Status

Approved Tax Concession Charity

Other Funding Sources
Perpetual Impact Funding

Other Support Opportunities
Impact investment, Pro bono services

Organisation Details

Hagar Australia

ABN: 20 159 198 535

ACNC Registration Link

Contact

Ashley Bulgarelli

Email: ashley.bulgarelli@hagar.org.au

Phone: 0478615958

About Hagar Australia

Hagar exists to see communities free and healed from the trauma of trafficking, slavery and abuse. Our primary focus is on transforming the lives of women and children who have experienced these abuses by providing them with comprehensive, trauma-informed care. We work intensively at: a) an individual level (to heal trauma), b) a project level (to ensure access to high quality, culturally appropriate Trauma Informed Care services) and c) a systemic level (to bring an end to human trafficking, slavery, and abuse). We currently deliver services in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Myanmar. We seek to break the cycle of trafficking, slavery and abuse through advocacy at all levels, working with high-risk communities to increase the understanding of their rights, we help establish sustainable livelihoods and reduce the risk of exploitation. We remain committed to the following strategic goals:1. HEAL: Support survivors (particularly women and children) to heal through access to consistent quality social services.2. PARTNER: Build the capacity of our partners to deliver trauma-informed care to survivors.3. PREVENT: Strengthen prevention efforts to reduce trafficking, slavery and abuse.4. EMPOWER: Empower and equip survivors at community, national and international levels to actively contribute to society and the economy.5. INFLUENCE: Influence change at the community, national and international levels.