Balancing the scales: Why employment matters for justice 

For many women rebuilding their lives after violence or disadvantage, meaningful work is more than income. Supported by strong employment services and community partnerships, it can be a pathway to stability, independence and justice. 

By Nyssa de Waard, Executive General Manager – Employment and Training, CoAct 

When I started my career in employment services more than 20 years ago, I thought my job was simple: help people find work. Over time, working alongside thousands of jobseekers and the organisations that support them, I’ve come to understand something much deeper: employment is rarely just about employment. 

For many women, particularly those facing vulnerability or disadvantage, work represents something far more profound. It can mean stability after crisis. Independence after years of financial control. A chance to rebuild confidence, identity and hope. It can mean a future to look forward to – for women now and the generations that follow. 

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is Balance the Scales. As UN Women Australia states, it highlights the urgent need for fair, inclusive and accessible justice for every woman and girl.  

“Balance the Scales is a promise for every woman and girl to be safe, heard, and free to shape her own future. In 2026, unjust laws, policies, and ingrained barriers still stand in the way of fair and inclusive communities. This International Women’s Day, we are calling on Australians to join a movement for real action – to transform our justice systems, amplify marginalised voices, and ensure equality is not the exception, but the rule.” 

 – Simone Clarke, CEO – UN Women Australia 

It’s a powerful reminder that justice does not begin and end in the courtroom. Justice is about ensuring women can live safe, valued and meaningful lives – and that the systems around them support that, rather than stand in the way. 

The scale of the challenge 

Globally, violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights issues. According to UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.  

Despite growing awareness, many survivors never seek formal help or justice through legal systems. Even when they do, the pathway can be long, complex and uncertain. Research by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has shown that only 7% of sexual assaults reported to NSW Police end in a guilty outcome in court. This highlights the gap that can exist between legal protections and the outcomes survivors actually experience.  

While legal justice is essential, the reality is that many women continue to rebuild their lives outside of courtrooms and legal proceedings. 

And this is where other sectors – including employment services – play an important role. 

The hidden impact on women’s working lives 

Across the employment services sector, we see every day how violence, trauma and systemic disadvantage affect women’s participation in work. For many women, the challenge is not simply finding a job – it is gaining stability during and after crisis. 

A woman escaping domestic and family violence may be navigating housing instability, financial hardship and ongoing trauma. Another may have years of interrupted work history due to caregiving responsibilities or coercive control. Others may face stigma or discrimination when trying to re-enter the workforce. 

First Nations women are also disproportionately affected by family violence. According to UN Women Australia, First Nations women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-Indigenous women, highlighting the urgent need for community-led responses and culturally-grounded support. 

Women with disability also face heightened and often overlooked barriers. Evidence from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that women with disability experience significantly higher rates of violence than women without disability, and the impacts can be long-lasting across many aspects of life, including employment. Barriers such as inaccessible workplaces, discrimination, gaps in support services and fewer opportunities to build stable work histories can make entering or re-entering the workforce particularly challenging.  

These challenges are often compounded and intersecting, meaning that employment pathways for vulnerable women are rarely straightforward. They require patience, understanding and coordinated support across multiple services – something the employment services sector is uniquely positioned to help facilitate. 

Employment as a pathway from survival to stability 

Secure employment can play a transformative role in helping women regain control over their lives. 

Income provides independence and financial security. Work can reconnect women with their communities and restore confidence that may have been eroded through years of disadvantage or trauma. Over time, stable employment can help break cycles of poverty, instability and dependence. 

In this sense, employment becomes part of a broader pathway to justice, not just an economic outcome. 

Throughout my career, I’ve seen countless examples of women rebuilding their lives when the right support systems come together. Sometimes it starts with a small step: a short course, a conversation with an employment consultant, or an employer willing to provide flexibility and understanding. 

But those steps can create ripple effects that extend far beyond the workplace. 

The role of the employment services sector 

Employment services organisations often work with people facing some of the most complex barriers to employment. 

Many women we support are navigating intersecting challenges, including domestic and family violence, homelessness, disability, mental ill-health, justice system involvement, or long periods out of the workforce. 

This places the sector in a unique position. We sit at the intersection of employment, community services and local employers. We see both the structural barriers women face and the opportunities that can emerge when systems work together. 

At CoAct, we partner with community services organisations and employers across Australia. Through these partnerships, we regularly see the impact that collaborative, locally led approaches can have. 

When employment services are connected with housing providers, domestic and family violence services, health supports and culturally safe organisations, the outcomes for women are far stronger and more sustainable. 

No single organisation can solve these challenges alone. But together, we can create pathways that support women not just into work, but into long-term stability.

What balancing the scales looks like in practice 

For the employment services sector, balancing the scales means designing services that recognise the realities women face. 

First, support must be trauma-informed and survivor-centred. This means recognising that rebuilding stability takes time, trust and flexibility. 

Second, services must be culturally safe and community-led. For First Nations women in particular, solutions must centre self-determination, cultural connection and local leadership. 

Third, employers are critical partners in this work. Safe, flexible and inclusive workplaces can make a profound difference for all women, but especially those rebuilding their lives. 

Across the sector, there are many examples of organisations working creatively to achieve this – from partnerships with domestic and family violence services to employer education programs and wraparound support models. 

These approaches recognise that sustainable employment outcomes often require a holistic response. 

Transforming systems together 

Over the past two decades, I’ve seen significant progress in how our sector understands and responds to complex disadvantage. But we also know there is more work to do. 

Many systems – including employment, justice and social services – were not originally designed around the realities vulnerable women face. As a result, people can and often do fall through the gaps between services. 

Balancing the scales means continuing to strengthen collaboration across these systems. It means ensuring that support services are flexible enough to respond to real lives and real circumstances. 

And it means recognising that long-term stability, safety and wellbeing are just as important as short-term outcomes. 

Justice beyond the courtroom 

International Women’s Day reminds us that justice must be fair, inclusive and accessible for every woman and girl. 

For some women, justice will come through legal outcomes and systemic reform. For others, it may come through the ability to secure safe housing, rebuild financial independence, or step back into meaningful work. 

Across the employment services sector, we have the privilege of walking alongside women as they build their futures. 

By continuing to work together – across communities, services and employers – we can help ensure that more women move from survival to stability.  

Because each of us has a role to play in helping to balance the scales.