NOOR Survivor-Advocates

Migrant and refugee women who have survived family violence are powerful advocates for change and inform inTouch’s work at every level. By sharing their experiences, survivor-advocates influence sector and government reforms, the development of policy, media reporting and attitudes to family violence in the broader community.

‘Noor’ means ‘light’ in many languages around the world and is also a common first name used throughout South Asia. It reflects the multicultural nature of the group, while also highlighting their role shining a light on issues faced by victim-survivors, and as a beacon of hope for other women experiencing family violence.

NOOR also stands for ‘Narrating Our Own Resilience’, acknowledging that these women’s stories are powerful, and that they are strong, resilient and expert advocates contributing to the development of an appropriate and responsive system that reflects the experiences and needs of victim-survivors.

The NOOR Family Violence Survivor Advocates group was created in 2018 as part of the response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Unlike other survivor-advocate groups, NOOR’s purpose is to platform the voices of migrant and refugee women who have experienced family violence and is the only group in Australia to do so.

Members are former inTouch clients who are post-crisis, from a variety of different cultural, linguistic and professional backgrounds and are on their own individual journeys to recovery. inTouch is proud to work with the group to facilitate a safe and supportive environment where every member feels confident in sharing her story.

Noor Survivor-Advocates engage on and have expertise on a broad range of issues relating to family violence and migration. Primarily, they-

• Provide advice to the Victorian Government on how to ensure that the different and diverse experiences of family violence are reflected in legislation, policy and programs
• Support and influence the narrative around family violence through commentary in the media, conferences, panels and public speaking engagements
• Consider and advise how proposed family violence reform initiatives, projects or policies will impact those who require and use these services (specifically culturally and linguistically diverse communities)
• Participate in consultations and meetings with external stakeholders to ensure the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence meet the expectations of victim-survivors and the community
• Support the broader family violence and related sectors through consultation and co-design to increase the efficacy and suitability of support systems for victim-survivors.
• Provide ongoing input into in the design of inTouch services, programs, policy advocacy and projects to ensure that our services are fit-for-purpose, actively incorporate the perspective of our clients and fit the values and direction outlined in inTouch’s Strategic Plan

NOOR have provided their expertise to a diverse range of organisations and family violence service providers. These include-

• Department of Justice and Community Safety
• DV Vic
• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
• Commonwealth Government
• La Trobe University
• McAuley Community Services for Women
• Monash University
• The Salvation Army
• Safe+Equal
• Victoria Legal Aid
• WIRE
• inTouch Policy, Direct Services and inSpire programs