empowering women & their children

northern rivers women & children’s services inc. (norwacs)

Our services support the diverse women and their children in the Northern Rivers community to be well, safe, strong and empowered to thrive.

NORWACS’ services are provided by women to women throughout their life cycle therefore, ‘women’ includes women and girls of all ages. Women are considered to be all those who experience or have experienced oppression as women, including cisgender, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and all those who identify as women. Self-definition is at the discretion of the individual.

About our Organisation

Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services Incorporated (NORWACS) is a feminist, community-based charity that provides health and wellbeing services for the diversity of women and their children, in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Our services recognise and challenge the effects of sex-role stereotyping and gender discrimination on women’s health and wellbeing. We work to empower women to determine their individual health needs and to make and access evidence informed choices.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

Lismore Women’s Health and Resource Centre
WISE: Women in Social Enterprise
Heartfelt House: Support for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse
WORTH: Women’s Outreach Trauma Health Service

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Our Patron

We are proud and honoured to have the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO KC as our regal patron.

Our values

Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services Inc is committed to the achievement of a society in which all relationships are free from abuse, and embraces the feminist principles of self-determination, empowerment and freedom of choice for all women and children.

EQUITY

We strive for fairness and justice

INTEGRITY

We are honest, sincere and do what we say we will do

respect

We accept and value the diversity of women for who we are

kindness

We are friendly, generous, compassionate and considerate

courage

We speak and act on our convictions despite adversity

sustainability

We foster sustainable programs to benefit the lives of women and our communities

Respect to First Nations people

Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services Inc acknowledge the people of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work today. We pay respect to their elders past and present and emerging leaders, as well as all other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. This country was never ceded and always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

We endorse the ‘Uluru Statement From the Heart’ to call for the establishment of a ‘First Nations Voice’ in the Australian Constitution and a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise a process of ‘agreement-making’ and ‘truth telling’ between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our Top Priorities

The NORWACS Strategic Framework 2023-2028 sets out the priorities and objective of the organisation and can be accessed here.

Strengthen Our Organisational Culture

Build an organisational culture that exemplifies our values and enables high quality service provision.

Increase NORWAC’s financial independence

NORWACS has access to the funds required to effectively respond to the targeted support needs of women and children in the Northern Rivers

Enhance NORWACS’ public profile

The work of NORWACS is valued, respected and trusted in the Northern Rivers region.

Deliver high quality and accessible services that promote wellbeing and safety for women and their children at risk of poor outcomes

Women (and their children) of the Northern Rivers have access to a high-quality service that demonstrably improves their wellbeing and safety. Deliver high quality measurable outcomes to priority populations.