Toora Women is an Australian

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

non-governmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

organisation based in the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

assisting women and children facing

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. Toora Women is funded by the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...

and the

ACT Government The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lead ...

to provide homelessness and

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

services for women across the

. Services include short-term, emergency accommodation, long-term accommodation, case support and rehabilitation.

History

Toora Women was founded in the 1980s in response to the issue of homeless single women in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. The organisation founded Toora Wimmins Shelter (presently Toora House) based on a set of

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

values and principles to ensure quality services were provided to women.Past & Present
" Toora Women Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2017. The roots of Toora Women was the Single Women's Shelter collective, which in turn had grown from the grew out of the Canberra Women's Refuge. The Single Women's Shelter was funded by the ACT Government during the early 1980s. Following the closure of the collective, Toora Women was formed.

Programs and Services

The organisation's main programs are: * Toora House (originally Toora Wimmins Shelter), established in the 1980s. * The Coming Home Program, established in 2010 in alliance with Canberra Rape Crisis and Beryl Women’s Refuge. * Lesley’s Place, established in 2002, to address the needs of women with substance abuse issues. The program offers crisis accommodation and rehab. * Marzenna House, providing long-term accommodation and rehab.

People

Ara Cresswell,

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of Carers Australia, was the former

Executive Director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

for Toora Women.

Stances

Toora Women argued against the Australian Government's NDIS funding model, stating that the NDIS' competitive model would be detrimental to the homelessness service system with no guarantee of better outcomes.

References

{{Homelessness in Australia Homelessness in Australia Non-profit organisations based in the Australian Capital Territory Women's organisations based in Australia Women's shelters in Australia

History

Programs and Services

People

Stances

See also

References