Local female activists reflect on a powerful feminist moment in the city’s past as we mark International Women’s Day
Image: Elsie Women's Refuge, Glebe, 1974
50 years ago in Glebe, a movement began that would reshape the landscape for women and children facing domestic and family violence in Australia.
On 16 March 1974, a group of Sydney feminists led by Dr Anne Summers AO alongside Jennifer Dakers, Carole Baker, Margaret Power, Lina Clayton and Bessie Guthrie claimed squatter's rights in 2 vacant houses named 'Elsie' and 'Minnie'. They changed the locks and created Elsie Women’s Refuge – the first women’s refuge and a symbolic moment destined to save thousands of lives.
These activist beginnings contributed to gender equality today by providing women with safety and refuge.
Mothers and their infants in the kitchen of Elsie Women's Refuge, mid 1970's. Image: courtesy National Library of Australia, PIC Box #PIC/20681/3
As we mark International Women's Day and celebrate, it's timely that we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Elsie Women’s Refuge—a pillar of safety and empowerment for women and children fleeing domestic violence in our community," Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
Image: Elsie pioneers visit the Glebe laneway in 2014. From left to right: Annie Bickford, Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore, Anne Summers, Margaret Power, Jozefa Sobszki and Sue Wills. Margaret Power, one of the founding mothers of Elsie and who is pictured above, passed away on 10th February 2024.
This milestone reminds us that the foundation of a progressive city is the safety and inclusion of everyone. Elsie's legacy is a testament to the courage and resilience of those who fight for our values, shaping a future where every woman's voice is heard, the Lord Mayor said.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Count her in: Invest in women. Accelerate progress.’
While women’s economic empowerment is an important topic, Summers spoke to us and shared another aspect of empowerment through the work of refuges.
“Often, those women have not been in the workforce for some years and require help in the form of training, regaining confidence and so on. There's a lot of effort put into helping women regain, or sometimes gain for the first time, the skills and the confidence necessary to enter the workforce and to remain there.”
Mother's and their children outside the Elsie Women's Refuge, mid-1970's. “We got a huge amount of media coverage. John Laws was on commercial radio in Sydney in those days and had me on his program, and we talked for a long time. He kept repeating the Eslie’s phone number, and it was amazing the number of women who came to us who had heard that broadcast and had written down the phone number as a result. He kept repeating the phone number even after I left the studio, that kind of support got it out to the right audience." Prof Summers talks of the word spreading about Elsie Refuge in the first few days. Image: courtesy of National Library of Australia, PIC Box #PIC/20681/2
The dawn of the women’s refuge movement
The day that 50 women moved towards the empty houses, they didn’t recall thinking they were making history, saying they were more focused on securing a safe space for women and children who urgently needed it.
In Summers' book Ducks on the Pond, she wrote, "It is not always obvious at the time that history is being made ... It was one of those rare moments when the right idea leads to an important social change."
She told us that all they were concerned about on the day was ensuring only their small group knew about it.
"We were terrified that when we turned up at the house, the police would be waiting for us and that would be the end of it. Fortunately, that didn't happen,” Summers said.
Once residency was established and the house was in shape – cleaned, painted, bunk beds built, back fence secured – the group turned to raising awareness about the refuge.
Most refuges since then try to keep their locations secret to protect the safety of the residents, but we were in a different situation. We wanted the world to know about it because we wanted to broadcast the fact that the first women's refuge had been opened,” Summers said.
“So, we broadcast it far and wide. All we were hoping for was that we were doing the right thing and that women in need would show up. It took 3 days before the first woman arrived, and we were a bit nervous, thinking, 'Maybe we were wrong about this’. But we weren't."
Summers reflected on stories of how the shelter went on to help families years after it was setup.
"A friend and her mother came to the refuge in the early 80s from the western suburbs in their pyjamas."
“They got into a taxi and asked the driver to take them to Elsie's and he knew where it was. It was a $70 cab ride, a lot of money,” Summers said.
“But they got to Elsie's, Elsie paid for the cab and took them in. To me, that strikes me as an incredibly brave thing for everyone involved.”
Image: 50 years of the Elsie Women's Refuge at a glance, courtesy of Elsie Conference, UTS
One house grew to shelter women nationwide
From those first steps taken by Summers and her fellow activists, Elsie Women's Refuge started a national movement, leading to more than 800 shelters in place today. While the grassroots action provided safe spaces, it also highlighted the need to address domestic and family violence.
“What Elsie's did was spark recognition in other cities and communities. Deep down, we all knew from our own experiences that domestic violence was a huge problem in Australia and here were a group of women doing something about it,” Summers said.
“That act of doing became a demonstration that inspired other groups of women, feminists and members of the women's movement throughout Australia to say, 'If they can do it, so can we,' and they did.
“What we were doing was recognising and saying out loud what we all knew in our hearts was true.”
Elsie Women's Refuge, 1975. Image: Courtesy of National Library of Australia, PIC Box PIC/20681
The fight for gender equality continues
As we reflect on Elsie's legacy, we're reminded of the ongoing fight against domestic and family violence and the push for gender equality to create a safer future for all.
On this International Women’s Day, Summers said the fight is far from over.
“We need to rethink our approach to domestic violence. We've had a 10-year plan, and we're 2 years into the next 10 years, but violence hasn't decreased. It's expanding.
“What are we doing wrong? We need to re-examine our assumptions about how we're approaching this issue …examine causes and prevention, and what we can do to end violence.”
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shared by Domestic Violence NSW reveals a continuous need for safety and housing for women and gender minorities today.
1 in 3 Australian women (30.5%) experiencing physical violence since age 15 (ABS, 2017)
1 in 5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged 15 and over facing physical violence in a year (ABS, 2016)
Even higher violence rates against women with disability (ABS, 2018)
Lesbian, bisexual and heteroflexible women being twice as likely to experience partner violence compared to heterosexual, cisgender women (AIHW, 2019).
Domestic Violence NSW CEO Delia Donovan shared the organisation’s vision, which has identified 4 priorities to eliminate violence against women and children.
Safe and affordable housing
Reform legal and justice responses so they’re accessible and respond appropriately to trauma
Invest in domestic and family violence responses including accessible and inclusive early intervention and recovery services
Keep working towards gender equity
Safe and affordable housing is essential. Before crisis refuges and shelters were established in 1974, there was nowhere for women and children to go. Fifty years later, some women are able to access accommodation in a crisis, but there are still not enough places to meet demand.
“We’re now also in a housing crisis which means we don’t have safe and affordable housing for people escaping violence to move into when they are ready to leave the crisis refuge and rebuild their lives. Even today there are many women and children who are forced to remain in abusive homes or live in their cars,” Donovan said.
“We know that we need to redistribute power, address disrespectful attitudes and provide equal opportunities for women if we are going to eliminate violence.”
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact the National Sexual Assault Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service, 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Or this guide is a resource for people who have experienced or are supporting someone who is experiencing domestic and family violence.
