One in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of a live-in partner, while almost one in four have been subjected to emotional abuse.
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By that calculation, nearly 44,000 Canberra women over the age of 15 are affected by, or have survived, domestic violence - and that doesn't include the ones who've experienced it at the hands of a parent, carer, or family member.
"Like everywhere, Canberra has an underbelly," Adamas Nexus co-founder Keron Beath said.
"We've got 50 people on our database ... so we're [390 people away from reaching 1 per cent] with one meeting. Wouldn't it be nice to help 10 per cent?"
Adamas Nexus, the product of Ms Beath and Kristine Hewett, is a Canberra-based post-crisis domestic violence support group, which has just marked 12 months since its first meeting.
The idea, modeled loosely on Alcoholics Anonymous' format, came about to fill a gap in services.
Women were still in need of support in the days, months, and years after domestic violence trauma, Ms Hewett said. The group gave them "solace" through shared experience and validation.
"[If we can] stop people cycling back into crisis again, then those in-crisis support agencies can be helping the people who actually are in crisis for the very first time," she said.
"It's a big goal I guess you could say, but if we can help a tiny per cent not go back, that's great.
"Then they become women who get out there into the world and do amazing things."
Both Ms Beath and Ms Hewett have lived experience of domestic violence. They envision Adamas Nexus, which forms part of their larger company Philanthropize, will eventually be a self-sufficient meeting model with national, or even global, scope.
"You've got the script and people turn up, then somebody reads it, you have your meeting, you go home, and then the next week you do it again," Ms Hewett said.
"That way, when people are travelling, they don't feel ... stressed. They can just look up ... the next Adamas meeting in Sydney.
"We'd love people to have that continuity of support."
The pair work four days a week in other jobs and manage to independently fund the meetings once a month, but plans for additional meetings - including for male survivors of domestic violence, different cultures, and LGBTIQ+ people - would ultimately require financial help.
"There's always talk about the ongoing sustainability for us, so we have to be aware of that," Ms Hewett said.
"It might be that we look to partner with organisations if we're looking to expand into other places."
Canberran women who were looking to attend the meetings, which were held in undisclosed locations in the ACT, could complete a registration survey on the Adamas Nexus website.
Those who were in crisis situations, rather than post-crisis, would be referred to the appropriate services.
"I think in both instances [where that has happened], they went towards the in-crisis as opposed to coming to us," Ms Hewett said.
- If you are in a domestic violence crisis situation, you can contact the Domestic Violence Crisis Service in Canberra or 1800 RESPECT for help.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
