In the lead-up to the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign (25 Nov - 10 Dec 2024), Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service (BGCLS) will staff a Women's Legal Health pop-up stand in Ararat next week.
BGCLS has been providing free legal services for over 35 years, and operates on the front-line of gender-based violence by providing duty lawyer services in the Specialist Family Violence Court in Ballarat, and the Magistrates' Courts in Horsham, Ararat, St Arnaud, and Stawell.
Their learned staff will be offering information and resources about your rights across two hours on Thursday 21 November. All are welcome to drop by the library and access this specialist knowledge.
The pop-up stand service will also be running for two other sessions the following week within the township's centre: Tuesday 26 November at the library for a 10am-12pm session, and that same afternoon at Ararat Fitness Centre for a 1pm - 3pm session.
"BGCLS stands with the many women in the communities of the region we serve who experience family violence or gender-based violence," says BGCLS CEO Narelle Laing.
"Accessible legal advice and support for women who might face barriers in accessing these services - especially in regional areas - is immensely important to us at Council," says Ararat Rural City Council CEO Tim Harrison. "We want to do everything we can to empower women, by providing the means to reach knowledge and resources they need to navigate legal issues, and have equal access to justice.
"We thank Narelle Laing and BGCLS for bringing their invaluable expertise to our community. The pop-up stands are an excellent way to kick off the 16 Days of Activism, during which we all hope to learn more about how we can promote equality and respect between genders."
POP-UP STAND DATES & TIMES
Thursday 21 Nov
Ararat Library, 1pm - 3pm
Tuesday 26 Nov
Ararat Library, 10am - 12pm
Ararat Fitness Centre, 1pm - 3pm
Image: The team at Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service.
