The program WOMEN FOR WOMEN is a supportive, non judgemental activites program founded by Anna Kemp, which encourages women to become involved in discussion, development and interaction of life skills that will increase their chances of successful rehabilitation from a life of offending behaviour to a non offending lifestyle and reintegration into the community.
Women, (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) who have previously experienced imprisonment and are now in the community, are given the opportunity of participating in various group activities one day per week and becoming involved in a cottage industry which produces various toiletries for retail sale.
The path to rehabilitation can be extremely difficult for women who have experienced a long history of drug /alcohol use and involvement with the criminal justice system. Barriers to rehabilitation for the long term recidivist are created by a number of factors that include
- the recidivists entrenched way of life,
- the lack of stable, supportive and ongoing relationships,
- lack of opportunity to experience activities and events outside their normal experiences,
- difficulty accessing or denial of services.
Many women have experienced mental health problems such as depression, anxiety states, panic disorder and social phobia. They lack feelings of self worth and confidence, are fearful of new things and are unable to trust others. Substances such as heroin and amphetamines are used to distance the person from their reoccurring difficulties and emotional pain. In addition to these experiences, involvement with the criminal justice system, convoluted difficulties, negative interactions in family and social networks render them disenfranchised and marginalised from mainstream services.
Indigenous offenders experience a high level of social disadvantage as a consequence of dispossession of their land, family connections and culture and are disproportionately represented in the prison system. Offending behaviour within the Indigenous population often involves poly substance use associated with unresolved issues relating to grief and loss.
The lack of positive activities and opportunities in the community for women who have experienced imprisonment further devalues the women’s self esteem, belief in her capabilities and maintains a lack of motivation to participate in a new activity.
Activities such as WOMEN FOR WOMEN, that allow the women to feel supported and not judged have been found to be beneficial.
Frequently this group experience rejection from family and social exclusion within the community, hence maintaining a sense of marginalisation that creates stronger ties to their drug using peers.
The WOMEN FOR WOMEN program will demonstrate that by incorporating new ways of working with women
Some of the skills the women will gain include:
- Independent living skills
- practical cooking, healthy living
- growing seasonal produce in a vegetable garden,
- preserving fruits of the season, herbs,
- manufacture and production of various toiletries,
- aromatherapy and use of essential oils,
- social skill development such as day trips-cultural exchange,
- budget shopping, barbecues and shared lunches.
- We plan to use peer support where possible to develop leadership skills and supportive role modelling.
The WOMEN FOR WOMEN program will improve the well-being, quality of life, community participation and life management skills of disadvantaged women both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous by incorporating new ways of working with women that allow for discussion, development and interaction of life skills and increasing the women’s chances of successful rehabilitation from a life of offending behaviour to a non offending lifestyle and reintegration into the community.
TOILETRIES produced by the Women for Women program
will be available for sale on special showcase days, which will be held at the Bowden Brompton Community Group offices, which are at 19 Green Street, Brompton.
These Showcase Days will be advertised well in advance, and invitations will be sent to various Agencies and Government organisations
