Through Our Eyes:  Legal needs of women in regional, rural and remote Australia 

Community information sharing and networking

You may be eligible to join an organisation working on community legal issues to feed into their submissions on behalf of your community. You may be able to benefit from their activities, networks and resources.

Categories
Legal related organisations | Community advocacy
| women's organisations | law related professional bodies

Hint: scan all listings, some organisations fall under multiple categories but each is listed only once.

Legal related organisations

National Association of Community Legal Centres ('NACLC')
NACLC is the peak network and representative body for community legal services in Australia. You join NACLC through your state or territory community legal centre network. Contact NACLC direct for information.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/clc/

National Network of Women's Legal Services ('NNWLS')
NNWLS is a network within the NACLC. It consists of women's legal services including rural women's legal outreach services.
http://www.nwjc.org.au/wlsn/

National Network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Legal Services
NNATSILS is a network within the NACLC. It consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Legal Services. NNATSILS services are also members of NNWLS.
http://www.nwjc.org.au/awlsn/

NACLC Regional, Rural and Remote Legal Services Network
The NACLC RRR Network focuses on legal  service delivery issues for communities and individuals in RRR areas. The Network also provides active policy input and promotes awareness of the particular needs of those in RRR areas.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/clc/

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Legal Service Secretariat
NAILSS is the peak coordinating body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) and Aboriginal Legal Services (ALS) organisations across Australia.
http://www.powerup.com.au/~nailss/

Australian Women Lawyers
AWL is the national representative body for state and territory women lawyers associations.
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~awlawyer

National Women's Justice Coalition Inc.
The NWJC is a coalition of organisations and individuals which promotes women's equality before the law in Australia. The NWJC does this by networking, capacity building, and advocating at a national level. Membership is open to all bodies and individuals who support the NWJC's objectives.
http://www.nwjc.org.au

Directory of lawyer related groups and associations
NSW Law Society web site
http://www.lawsocnsw.asn.au/directory/associations/index.html

Community Legal Education Network 
This network spans all legal sectors in Australia and is community focused. The network has an email list which  is primarily for people who are involved in community legal education ('CLE') .

The aim of CLE is to increase access to justice for disadvantaged groups within our communities and to work at reducing structural inequalities. The aims of the list are to: strengthen the networks between community legal education workers across Australia; invigorate discussion about how to prepare, establish and evaluate community legal education projects; share ideas and resources for community legal education projects; share information on where further funding may be sought; look at the research and data collection needs for focussed CLE; find ways of collaborating on projects with other workers and organisations.
http://www.nwjc.org.au/avcwl/lists/info/cle-workers.html


Community advocacy

Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is the national peak council of the community welfare sector in Australia — the principal voice of low income and disadvantaged people in social and economic policy matters. National organisations are eligible for full membership of ACOSS and local organisations join the COSS in their state or territory.
http://www.acoss.org.au

Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations (AFHO)
AFHO aims to represent the diversity of views within the homelessness sector, and undertakes specific policy work in the areas of youth, women, single adults and families. You can contact AFHO or one of the member organisations for help to link in on housing and homelessness issues.
http://www.afho.org.au/

Defence for Children International (Australia)
DCI promotes the rights of children in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. DCI Australia is an independent national non-government organisation which campaigns on children rights.
http://members.dynamite.com.au/dci-aust/


Women's Organisations

Women's Services Network (WESNET)
WESNET is the national peak body for women’s services funded through the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). WESNET's vision is to ensure that all women and children can live free of domestic and family violence. WESNET does this by lobbying, research and debate, networking and resourcing and community education.
http://www.wesnet.org.au

Women's Rights Action Network Australia (WRANA)
WRANA is the key national women's organisation which coordinates and advocates on women's human rights in Australia.
http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/

Directory of National Women's Organisations
There is a directory of national women's organisations with contacts and web links on the NWJC web site. Go to:
http://www.nwjc.org.au/womensorgs.html
Most leading national women's organisations participate in pamelas-list. If you are a member of a national  women's organisation you can ask your representative on pamelas-list to post alerts which will be received by about 65 other national women's organisations.
http://www.nwjc.org.au/pamelaslist.htm

National Council of Women of Australia (NWCA)
The NWCA  is non party political and non sectarian and encourages the participation of women in all facets of community life.
The aims of NCWA are: to work for the removal of all discrimination against women and to promote the equal status of women and men in law and in fact; to act as a link for networking and a co-ordinator between State and Territory Councils of Women; to act as a voice or Agent of communication at national and international levels on issues and concerns of women; to develop national policies and responsibilities on behalf of women on an Australia wide basis; to maintain the affiliation with the International Council of Women and monitor the implementation of its plans of action and policies at national level.
http://www.ncwa.org.au/


Law Related Professional Bodies

For a list of law related professional bodies go to the NWJC web site at: http://www.nwjc.org.au/lawbodies.htm

Project of the National Women's Justice Coalition with 
the Albury Wodonga Community Legal Service
NWJC GPO Box 3148 Canberra ACT 2601
email: nwjc@nwjc.org.au  ph: 02 62472075 fax: 02 62573070
web: http://www.nwjc.org.au