Introducing this month’s charity – FVPLS
R.S. Dixon
Every two months the Irrelevant Society donates 20% of profits to a different organisation working to end domestic violence. This June and July, all your purchases support Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Victoria (FVPLS).
If you saw the Four Corners episode in May about the death of Lynette, a young Aboriginal woman and mother of seven who bled to death on a lonely beach after horrific sexual abuse, you’d know that Indigenous women are far more likely to suffer violence and abuse. In fact Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) statics show that Aboriginal women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised and 10 times more likely to be killed than other women because of family violence.
Yes, you read right – 34 times more likely to be hospitalised and 10 times more likely to be killed.
It’s important to keep in mind that while the victims may be Indigenous, the perpetrators of such violence come from a range of cultural backgrounds. In Lynette’s case, her boyfriend was white, which sadly, may have something to do with why justice is still yet to be found five years on.
It’s stories like these which prove the need for specific prevention support and legal services for Indigenous women and children affected by family violence. Enter FVPLS. Established in 2002 in Victoria, FVPLS is an Aboriginal community controlled organisation which provides assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims/survivors of family violence and sexual assault and works directly with families and communities affected by violence.
Through a range of free legal advice and services, as well as education and advocacy programs, FVPLS works to provide support to survivors, enable justice, and ultimately prevent domestic violence against Aboriginal and TSI women.
You can find out more about FVPLS here and don’t forget to check our new winter jumpers and other collections to add to your wardrobe while supporting this fantastic organisation.
