ANZ has donated $100,000 to DV Safe Phone as the organisation marks the provision of its 10,000th phone to victims of domestic violence.
DV Safe Phone collects, repurposes and gifts mobile phones to those in need, helping keep domestic violence victims connected to services during times of crisis.
Perpetrators of domestic violence can often restrict access to phones, limiting connection with the outside world. By supplying a safe phone, victims are provided a clean break from violence, coercion and control, and a way to stay in contact with support organisations and with loved ones.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2.3 million (one in four) Australian women have experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner. 693,000 Australian men (one in fourteen) have experienced the same.
ANZ Head of Social Impact and Community Partnerships, Janet Liu said: "This donation represents another step in our ongoing support for DV Safe Phone. A new phone represents a lifeline and a fresh start for those fleeing dangerous circumstances. We're proud to come together with DV Safe Phone to help make a critical impact on the lives of those impacted by domestic violence.
"ANZ also works to support DV Safe Phone through the provision of ex-fleet phones, and through our postage program, where we provide express post envelopes to collection points in our major buildings around Australia, allowing pre-owned phones to be sent in and refurbished, ready for those who need them," she said.
DV Safe Phone founder, Ashton Wood, said: "Each phone represents a hope for a better tomorrow. This incredible donation from ANZ means we can get more phones into the right hands. Our goal is to make a phone available to every victim who needs one - a mammoth task we can only accomplish with the support of dedicated volunteers, donors and community partners.
"While celebrating this donation from ANZ, we have also proudly sent out our 10,000th phone - a milestone that acknowledges the persistent demand for safe phones, but also the incredible support of community partners who believe in this mission as much as we do," he said.
DV Safe Phone was founded in 2020, with the aim of supplying a phone to every victim of domestic violence who needs one. ANZ has been a partner of DV Safe Phone since 2023.
