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wwcsa.org.auSTRATEGIC PLAN2025- 2027The Working Women’s Centre SA is a non-government organisation and community legal centre, operating out of Adelaide since 1979. We provide free advice, information, support and representation to vulnerable workers residing in South Australia about their rights at work.
Acknowledgement of Country The Working Women’s Centre SA acknowledges Kaurna People as the Traditional Owners and continuing custodians of the Adelaide Plains and Greater Adelaide region, the land upon which we predominately carry out our work. We pay our respects to Kaurna Elders past and present, and to the Kaurna Nation, recognising their spiritual relationship to this Country and that their sovereignty was never ceded. We extend these respects to the Traditional Owners of the 40+ Aboriginal Nations of South Australia and to all First Peoples of Australia. Note: We will primarily be using the terms ‘Aboriginal’ and ‘First Peoples’ throughout our RAP in referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Our vision Our vision is a gender-equal society in which all workers in South Australia to have equitable access to resources, opportunities and safety, regardless of their gender, race, disability, sexuality, age, or class background. Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 Our purpose Our purpose is to support and empower workers to advance gender equity and safety in South Australian workplaces and communities.
Who we are The Working Women's Centre was born from the union movement and women's movement of the 1970s. In acknowledgement of these beginnings, we remain strongly connected to our history of grassroots activism. Like the activists who came before us and fought for and won essential rights and conditions for workers, we also work towards a better future - including by building intergenerational solidarity and encouraging continuous learning. While our history and legacy will always guide our values, we are committed to growth and change. Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 What we do We address structural issues experienced on a personal level within and adjacent to workplaces, including sexual harassment and discrimination, gendered violence, exploitation, low pay, wage theft and insecure employment. We work to challenge inequitable economic outcomes in women’s employment and the impact of unequal power relations on marginalised workers in all levels of Australian workplaces, enterprises, industries, and society. Legal Services Education Advocacy Free and accessible legal services to support workers with workplace issues, specialising in gender- based workplace issues Education and training that propels change at the workplace level Advocacy to address and effect positive change on structural issues that perpetuate gender inequality and other forms of marginalisation in the workplace
Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 Our values Feminism Solidarity The Working Women’s Cent has strong feminist values. We challenge gender inequity, and call out sexism and sexual harassment in workplaces. We value women's work and leadership, which is typically undervalued in a patriarchal society. Our feminism is intersectional; we use analysis of gender, race and class to fight back against all forms of violence and discrimination experienced by women who are marginalised across multiple parts of their identities. The history of the Working Women’s Centre SA demonstrates that systemic change comes from collective, grassroots action, and that all struggles experienced by marginalised workers are connected. We continue to support the work of unions and aim to build relationships of solidarity across all the work that we do. This solidarity extends to workers with complex experiences of marginalisation, and we strive to be inclusive and accessible to all. Empowerment Courage We want workers to have greater power and autonomy in their lives and workplaces. We know that those who are impacted by workplace issues are also best placed to lead change. While we can provide information, tools and support, we should never take away the agency of workers to make their own choices. We operate with empathy, compassion and respect for lived experience. Our service continuously strives to be trauma-informed and to ‘meet people where they are at’, without judgement and with a willingness to understand. We are strong and determined to fight for what's right, even in the face of opposition. We are not afraid to confront the difficult issues facing workers and to hold employers accountable for creating safe, supportive and inclusive workplaces. Our ambition is focused on tangible improvements to the lives of workers, and we in turn hold ourselves accountable in courageously striving towards our goals.
Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 Context for this strategic plan In 2025, the Working Women's Centre SA navigated a period of consolidation after a period of significant growth in 2024. The organisation almost doubled in size due to new funding from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, which resulted in significant changes to our operations and how we work. Noting this context, this Strategic Plan aims to provide guidance on a new direction. It is a flagship document that will become the bedrock for new systems, processes and outcomes that better align with the size and structure of this organisation. We want to build on our 45-year history by fully realising our model of service and leaning into our unique gender lens in industrial relations, through the support of a highly skilled team. This includes by building upon the strong connections and partnerships nurtured throughout the Working Women’s Centre SA’s history. It also includes proactively addressing the opportunities that come with our expansion, including: • The establishment of a new education and advocacy team • The possible formation of new collaborative relationships with unions and other Working Women’s Centres interstate • New initiatives arising from State and Federal government reforms Noting these opportunities, we also recognise that the Working Women’s Centre SA has faced precarity in the past – and may do so again. This Strategic Plan aims to ensure that our organisation is cognisant of risks that could impact our operations, and has strong processes in place to mitigate these risks.
Priorities Prevent and address sexual harassment and gender discrimination and mitigate harm experienced by victim survivors. Become broadly recognised as the leading, trusted voice on gendered workplace issues. Build a strong, stable and sustainable organisation. Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 Our team has leading legal expertise in women and work. We are providing more strategic, targeted legal services to affect change. We have undertaken careful litigation that has built our capacity for more complex and strategic litigation into the future. Impacts Legal We have created a strong advocacy voice and community. We have influenced the way the legal profession views and use non- disclosure agreements. We have contributed to progressing stolen wages justice in South Australia. We have broadened and strengthened our relationships with First Nations people and communities; and made some meaningful impact towards reconciliation. Advocacy We deliver education programs that impact behavioural change. We are building knowledge and contributing to primary prevention. We deliver outreach that meaningfully empowers workers. Education
Enabling goals Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027 Sustainable Income We maintain secure and stable funding that aligns with our goals and capabilities. We maintain revenue from fee-for-service training. Strong Practices We are a prepared and robust organisation with strong risk management practices. We have strong, established, embedded, self-sustaining processes for compliance. We have strong systems and processes for our legal services. We have strong governance capacity which enables us to make decisions and form relationships. People and relationships There is a positive and unique team culture which enables staff to flourish through collaboration and support. We cultivate strong partnerships within our office with unions in South Australia. We are an organisation committed to diversity, including through our staffing, our stakeholder relationships and our engagements with marginalised communities. Solidarity and justice We have greater targeted awareness with workers who need to access our services. We are recognised by stakeholders as a reliable voice of solidarity and allyship. Reconciliation and ongoing learning regarding cultural safety and addressing colonization is embedded in the organisation for the long-term.
wwcsa.org.au (08) 8410 6499 | Toll Free: 1800 652 697 Level 2, 81 Flinders Street, Adelaide, SA, 5000 Working Women’s Centre SAStrategic Plan 2025-2027