Spirit of Woman is a not-for-profit organization, seeking to change the discourse on domestic and family violence by creating The Place of Courage.
The Place of Courage is a contemporary public memorial and landscaped surrounds in the Adelaide CBD with ‘ripples’ in other Council areas. These spaces publicly acknowledge the impact of domestic and family violence on our communities, and our country, through the generations.
The spaces are designed to be a place for grieving, a place of healing, and a place for moving forward. They are a strategy to reduce the long-term impact of DFV on individuals and help prevent its occurrence in the community.
Our long-term mission
Once The Place of Courage is established, we see our enduring role as connecting, uniting, and helping South Australian agencies, not-for-profit organisations and businesses to utilise the space in a variety of ways. This may include referring the site to clients as well as promoting and supporting community education programs to reduce domestic and family violence.
Our network of changemakers
Spirit of Woman is proud to work alongside other organisations committed to working against domestic and family violence, and in closing the gender gap that exists today. We know we make more progress when we work together, collaborate, and share ideas. We believe the power of shared resources, knowledge and passion is critical.
We have an extended network of community supporters who share our belief that violence against women and the intergenerational trauma that exists in our society needs to stop, and that gender equality is essential to moving our world forward.
Spirit of Woman stands at the centre of this network, bringing together a community that supports each other in the fight against DFV.
Our values
We stand in support and love with our community including Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
The Place of Courage will be a landmark to inspire all generations to foster a non-violent family culture.
We stand together, hand in hand, to reduce domestic and family violence.
The Place of Courage will epitomise the community spirit that lies at the core of all social change.
The Place of Courage will be a public space to share, listen and build trust through honouring and listening to survivors.
About our name
The name ‘Spirit of Woman’ expresses the spirit and strength of those affected by DFV. It seeks to empower, mobilise, and recognise the spirit that all women have to face up to DFV. In addition, it pays respects to those women who are no longer with us due to DFV, but who fight with us in spirit.
Focussing on human rights is critical to resolving social issues, therefore it is important that we touch the younger generation and stop them from blindly following the same path as earlier generations. We will only make progress in society when women have equal rights – and are not subservient to men.
For many, the arts can assist in healing wounds that go beyond the physical. These emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds can be the hardest to heal, and this can be a common experience for domestic violence victims. The artwork designed for The Place of Courage have been carefully chosen to assist with healing the mind and the spirit.
