ASPIRE Photovoice Project - Multicultural Centre For Women's Health

A black and white image of the side of an older style police station. We see the side of a brick building with a recessed doorway leading to a heavy looking door and a large window with eight panes, all of which are either mirrored or opaque. A sign hangs above the doorway that read 'Police.' In the bottom of the frame, we can see part of a car dashboard the and windscreen wipers of the car in which the image has been taken. The whole image has been filtered to appear painted or cartoonish. — 'Comedy cops' by Kelly
When I created this image I was thinking about how for me, police protection at times can be a bit of a joke.” I had been physically abused on a main road and my sons father then ran of with my son in his pram. When I called the police they told me to call back when it gets dark as it was his child too and he would more than likely come back.

In a suburban loungeroom, we see the back of an infant with soft dark hair, in a onesie and knitted cardigan, being pulled in opposite directions by two figures, both mostly out of view. We can see one figure is wearing a bright pink cardigan and is moving out of the frame towards the right, while holding the infant. The other figure is wearing plain clothes and is grasping the arm of the infant and moving in the other direction, towards another room in which we can see a large television playing a kid's animation. — 'Tug of War' by Atarjit
What I want to show with this photograph is that children are the victims of family violence.

Very close to the camera a woman is holding her head in one hand and holding her mobile phone in the other. We cannot see her face. — ‘Truly Listening’ by Ruby
Speaking out against Family Violence/Abuse is like trying to get through to a mobile phone provider. Speaking out takes a sense of strength that is inconceivable, to listen takes an inconceivable sense of understanding. The ones who are brave to speak out are usually met with contempt. So is it any surprise that many suffer in silence. Who among us have not been affected by family violence/abuse? I wager not many. So perhaps we can take off our beautifully constructed masks and tell the truth and maybe then we might start Truly Listening.

A figure stands alone at the end of a corridor of full bookshelves, in a modern public library. She is wearing all black and facing away from the camera, looking out of a floor to ceiling window, just wide enough to frame her whole body. She is wearing a tiara or crown. — ‘The Power of Knowledge’ by Ruby
I once lived in a world in which women and education were not valued. Women usually had two choices marry by choice or by force. The tiara worn back to front symbolises my bravery at standing strong against arranged marriage. I wore black as a symbol of duality. Black is the colour of mourning and I mourned all the lost opportunities education could offer me. But black is also the colour of graduation. I never stopped believing in the ‘Power of Knowledge’. Eventually I went back to school and got my diploma. I stand in a public library because books were once denied me. ‘Women should not be smart,’ I was told. But I would go to the library in spite of such beliefs and travel to the past to find my ancient female ancestors and have a conversation. Hypatia of Alexandria my favourite. Their spirit gave me strength, the opportunity to access knowledge and courage.

We see the edge of a concrete walking path, which leads down an incline to a leafy bush landscape of eucalypts, grasses and shrubs. In the middle distance we see a foot bridge, which is possibly spanning a river, which we can only just see. In the right corner of the image we see the path cuts back out of frame. We cannot see what is on the right side of the path, but the left slopes down into the bushland. — 'The Path' by Georgina
I took this photo after I came out from the social worker’s office. I just needed to focus on the view to feel some sense of peace and happiness. I know that I need to tell them what had happened so they can help but each time I relate to the incidents, it is emotionally draining. Seeing the nature's beauty is a way of forgetting lots of stuff that is going on or is about to happen. It can be overwhelming with two kids and doing everything on my own. It is also an emotional struggle to go through the system. But I guess everyone has to go through a path – whether it'd be smooth or rocky you still have to persevere and go through it taking one step at a time.

A woman in an aqua top with long black hair reaches up to the high edge of what looks like a a white door set into a white wall. Bright light shines on the top part of the door, where she is reaching. Both the door and wall look unfinished, as if they are still being constructed, and we can see that there is no ceiling, as if the wall were free standing or part of a theatre set. Above the wall, we see a grey brick rendering of a wall that disappears into profound darkness. — ‘What is on the other side?’ by Yan
I took this photograph while I was thinking about what women go through when they are seeking help. They are trapped in their situations, trapped behind locked doors sometimes, and they reach up to get out, but they can’t see what’s on the other side, they don’t know what they are reaching for. Will it be better? Will it be worse? And then when they do get out, they might find themselves in front of another door. Each time they find a door, they have to start over. They have to tell their story to different people each time, and it’s a struggle. You have to go through so many doors to get out. And you don’t really know where they are leading.

A large rusted metal sculpture of a bird is mounted on a wooden post wrapped with rusted barbed wire. The viewer looks up to the statue, which is set against trees and light blue sky. — 'Rising' by Manasi Wagh-Nikam
The chained eagle with its wings in full spread represents the story of women's survival, strength, resilience and ability to rise above all odds. Women may be bruised physically and emotionally but they still have this strong soul which, with the right nurturing, makes them rise stronger and better. This Eagle standing tall with all the barbed wire at its feet, with its feathers ruffled and yet wings spread strong gives a message of hope to the community and to women to find the strength in their wings, to fly high in the face of adversity and to rise from the ashes to stand up for themselves, their children and for humanity.

A patch of bright golden light appears between the silhouette of a leafy tree, set against a dark, almost green, sky. The bottom third of the image is dark shadow. — 'Ray of Hope' by Reeta Verma
I was woken up one morning with the sound of storm and strong winds, as they battered my bedroom window. The wind was blowing and trees were violently swaying. I visualized the lives of many women who are going through family violence. The intense feeling took me to my balcony to witness the commotion. Amid all the turmoil and chaos, a golden ray of sun trickled through the trees. It was the first light – new beginning, a new day and a golden life after a storm. Among the darkness and turbulence, comes a “ray of hope.” How else I should put it except in the words of Jill Eisnaugle: “Through each moment, indecisive Is a glimpse of what can be When our rays of hope, incisive Shine their light, eternally So that we may all continue To thrive with the means to cope Regardless of life’s harshest venue Bound within our rays of hope”.

We see part of a bronze outdoor statue, that appears to be outside a tall modern building. We can see three or four figures sculpted in bronze, but only one is facing the viewer. The figure is abstract, but clearly striding forward. On either side of this figure, similar figures seem to stride in the opposite direction and we can see the inside imprint of the bronze cast, as if the figures were only shells or moulds. — ‘Out of the Shell’ by Reeta Verma
This photograph was taken by me when I was passing the Royal Women's Hospital for my meeting at the Red Cross. I was thinking: "Your mind games, slurs, put-downs and insults made me a shell of a person. I was broken into two pieces- one which 'you think I am' and the other which I think "I am". I doubted my existence, questioned my worth and wondered my place in this world. Then one day I asked myself, "who am I?" Out of the two shells emerged a strong, powerful and elegant woman. That is what I am".

In the front right edge of the image, a Karen woman is standing on a cliff face with her back to a vast ocean. The cliff extends behind her and curves around to become a large hill jutting into the water. The woman wears a bright pink and blue beanie, a cream scarf and a black jacket. She is an older woman. She is not smiling and she is looking out of frame. — 'Ocean' by Paw Htoo Lei
I’ve been here seven years, but this island is still new to me. It’s the same with our rights and laws. Even though there are laws protecting women, we don’t always know about them.

A woman stands with her back to the camera, in front of a window with lace curtains. She is showing the viewer her long dark hair, which spills down her back to below her waist. Her hair has golden brown highlights. She has her hands on her hips and she is wearing a long sleeved teal top or dress. — 'My hair' by Somyata
He was always threatening to cut off my hair. Other people complimented me. But he always complained and put me down about it. I started seeing myself the way he wanted me to see myself. But I also really was clinging to my hair. I took this image before I cut my hair. I never wanted to sacrifice the length. Later on, once I had left, I decided to cut my hair for myself. When I cut the hair, when I let go, I felt better. I had to let it go for myself.

A dressmaker mannequin, on a wooden stand, is positioned in the centre of the image, in front of a kitchen sink in an older style kitchen. The mannequin has been dressed in a pastel floral printed dress or apron, and decorated with several necklaces of light pink beads. On either side of the mannequin, the kitchen sink and benches are piled with of bright pastel crockery and cook books stacked high. The kitchen sink is full of a cloud of soap suds. The large pastel pink floral curtain above the kitchen sink is fully closed. The kitchen cupboards below the sink and benches are a bright lime green. — 'Mannequin' by Ruby
Family violence is not always ugly. It can be packaged beautifully like a mannequin. The victims have no voice, as long as they look good then they must be ok. I took this photo because I was once like the mannequin. All my hurt hidden behind an image that suited society. Like the mannequin I had no voice. My mother before me had no voice. In her generation women were told, ‘it is a sin to speak against your husband’. As a consequence, women took their secrets to their graves exposing another generation of women to abuse.

A woman stands with her back to the camera and her head resting on the shoulder of a dressmaker mannequin, positioned in front of a kitchen sink. The woman and the mannequin are both in bright floral aprons and the kitchen sink and benches are piled with pastel crockery and stacks of brightly coloured cook books. The soft pink floral curtain above the kitchen sink is fully closed. The kitchen cupboards below the sink and benches are a bright lime green. In the far right corner of the kitchen bench, is a knife block and other hanging cooking utensils. — 'Mannequin 2' by Ruby
My mother before me had no voice. In her generation women were told, “it is a sin to speak against your husband”. As a consequence, women took their secrets to their graves exposing another generation of women to abuse.

One hand clasps another smaller hand. In contrast to the first hand, the image is in black and white, so that the smaller hand is a pale grey. — ‘Let go’ by Kelly
In this image, my son’s hand looks dead because when I was going through the court system I felt like I was being forced to let him go. The advocates were telling me that I had to let go. The cold hand represents how you feel walking through the system with your child. And knowing that any time my ex could decide he wants to have a crack at being a dad again, and I just have to let my son go. You are made to feel like you are making trouble and being uncooperative by not wanting them to see their kid, but it wasn’t like that. It was because I was scared.

A silhouetted figure stands in a dark room, in front of a window with a drawn muslin curtain. The light that comes through the curtain casts a cool blue light. The figure appears to have their arms crossed in front of their body. — 'Isolation' by Ruby
When you do not have security, it is not easy to trust. You withdraw and your world reduces considerably. What Services and the Police do not take into consideration is how this impacts on the individual and exposes them to vulnerability causing anxiety and fear. Imagine you are the person in this image. You are looking at the world behind a sheer curtain. Can you see clearly or is the curtain blurring your vision? Add to this a fear of the outside world that has been imposed on you by an abuser, who controls you with phrases like, ‘Where do you think you are going to go?’ or ‘Who do you think is going to listen to you?’ Now be honest and don’t say you would get yourself out of there because homelessness is a reality when you have no money, no contacts, no food security, your self-esteem has been totally crushed and you cannot speak the English language. Who would YOU trust?

A woman wearing black stands with her back to the camera, at the edge of a lake. She is on a wooden platform that juts out onto the lake and is framed by a simple wooden log railing. The lake is full of tall green and brown grasses and the far side of the lake is thick bushland. The platform on which the figure stands looks damp and the figure wears a thick black jacket. The sky is white. The scene looks cold but perfectly still. Some trees and branches lean into the right of the frame and fill the top of the image. — ‘Inescapable Loneliness’ by Ruby
Service providers associate loneliness with depression. I had no time for depression I needed to survive. For me loneliness is expressed perfectly by Kim Culbertson, ‘People think being alone makes you lonely but I don’t think that’s true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world.’ I remember once thinking how could I express my situation to a service provider who had limited or no cultural understanding. Things have not changed much in country areas today.

A woman squats down beside a medium size black and white dog on an outdoor paved area, that could be a driveway. The woman is facing away from camera, but has a long thick braid of black hair and a simple teal dress. The dog is looking directly into the camera and is wearing a bright red leash. The end of the leash is lying loosely on the ground. The dog has greying whiskers and its eyes have been caught by the camera and are shining. — 'How we treat a dog' by Somyata
Letting go of my pet to my husband was really hard for me. Once I was so upset and the marriage was going so badly, she just stayed there in my lap, she didn’t let me go. Dogs can have empathy, why can’t some men? This is my friend’s dog. I am sitting beside the dog to symbolise how I was treated…not even as well as a dog. With the leash I wanted to show how my husband tried to control me. I was on the same level as the dog.

A woman sits in a rich looking home, leaning forward with her hands covering her face. She is wearing a teal top or dress, which is richly embroidered down the front with red, gold and olive flowers. Directly in front of the woman, large wooden mirrored letters that spell the word HOME have been arranged to fill the bottom of the image. The letters sit on a bench tiled with an ornate gold floral print, which is reflected in the letters, and makes them appear gold. Behind the woman we can see a staircase and decorations. — 'Home' by Reeta Verma
We say “Home Sweet Home”. Why? Because home is a place where love is shared, warmth is felt, safety is experienced and welcome is made. How infinitely cruel it is when your own home denies all this (love, warmth, safety and peace)! Abuse associated with family violence, loneliness and isolation experienced by women turns the sweetness of their home to the shroud of sadness. When I took this photo, I was thinking of millions of women across the globe, who cry behind closed doors – unable to share their story with the outside world due to family pressures and for the fear of being judged by the community.

We see a person sleeping on the hard concrete sidewalk, in front of what look like unused shop fronts. It is daylight, but the person is almost hidden to the viewer, apart from their black wavy hair. Their bed is made up of many layers of blankets on top of a cardboard base, and their pillow is a brightly crocheted blanket folded up. Two or three paper Australian flags lay beside them, as well as a pair of worn leather shoes that look like they are made for women, and a plastic bottle of water. Behind the person, we see a large bag. The sidewalk looks scuffed and dusty. — 'Homelessness' by Georgina
I took this image when I was in the city one day. The thought of homelessness really scared me. When one in a family violence situation, there would always be fear that one could end up being homeless. It can be an overwhelming stress. And when you have children with disabilities like I do, it is unthinkable. These pressures are very difficult to deal with when you’re in a bad situation. It would be easier to say you will just leave but in reality, it is very far from it.

A black and white image of a public housing high rise on a cloudy day. The image is blurry and the angle of the image seems slightly tilted. — 'High rise' by Kelly
When I went back to take photos I was surprised by how afraid I was and I couldn’t stop the car, so the image is blurred. It’s hard realising that it has been so many years, but the feelings are still there.

An image of a green tree trunk with many circular knots, that almost look like eyes. — 'Healing Process' by Reeta Verma
I took this shot while coming back from work one day after a long and tiring journey contemplating on life. Then I saw a lush green tree, strong but scarred. It reminded me of a life that had no scars to begin with but one day some ‘idiot’ came along and scarred her. Never mind, she is rejuvenating and she is healing. She will be alright. Look, she is being supported by another tree. Her scars will heal with care, compassion and love. She is going to be stronger for it. As they say ‘part of the healing process is sharing with others who care’. Of course, she will be alright.

Three women stand huddled in a circle, so that we cannot see their faces. They each have their hands lifted to their faces, as if whispering to one another. One of them holds a mobile phone as well. — 'Gossip' by Paw Htoo Lei
Family violence is more than physical violence. There is also emotional and financial violence. In my community, everyone knows that if someone is physically violent to their wife, it’s wrong. People are not afraid to say straight away, “no, in this country we can’t hurt each other”. But these other types of violence stay hidden. No one talks about it and the women are still suffering. People don’t take action with other forms of violence, they just gossip.

A roller door with graffiti — 'F**k off' by Kelly
I had just gotten off the phone to child support after finding out I had to pay pack money as the others party "under estimated income" this is after we used the money for a holiday, but then I thought about it and realised all my sons school books and uniform and pocket money cost more than the amount I was given and I had to pay HIM back.... this is pretty much what I wanted to scream!!

A front doorknob. The doorknob is a bronze colour, and the key hole above it is silver. The door is wooden and looks worn and chipped. — 'Door' by Kelly
Everyone knows my door. But the thing that worries me most is that he knows my door – he knows where I live. I tried to keep it from him but through the court process and stuff he found out. Behind my door I would like to feel safe with my family. I like the colours of my bricks because they feel very warm. Even though I don’t like living there.

A figure with long black hair stands with their back to the camera, looking up at a yellow wall. There are four pieces of paper on the wall. The first reads ‘Child Protection’, the second ‘FVO’, the third ‘lawyer’ and the fourth ‘mediation. Two pieces of paper below with question marks sit just above the head of the figure, as if they were cartoon thought bubbles. — ‘Confusion’ by Paw Htoo Lei
Women who are going through the system find it so overwhelming. Even people who grew up here would find it confusing but for us, it’s so hard. Even when they get to family court they often have no idea what’s happening. Mediation. What’s mediation? Lawyer. What’s lawyer? They think everything that is offered to them must be to help them so they accept it. But they don’t necessarily understand it.

A candid image of eight Karen community members posing for a different picture, looking just out of frame to the right. The group includes men and women of range f ages, some smiling and others not. They are all wearing warm clothing and many have beanies. Behind them, a large grassy field stretches towards a mountainous looking background. We can see other people around in the background, enjoying the view. One woman in the front is making a peace sign for the photograph. — 'Community' by Paw Htoo Lei
This is a photograph of members of the Karen community in Hobart. We want to send a message that in the Karen community we want to be free from violence. We want to be as happy as we are in this picture.

An infant sits in front of a mirror, looking down. She is wearing a little long sleeved dress.The image is filtered to appear blue and painterly. — 'Blue Maddie' by Kelly
It represents the sadness you can see in your kids but it seems like no one else in the system can see it.

A young boy looks out of a window through transparent curtains decorated with circles. The boy is on a couch, holding a balloon in one hand, which sits in the middle of the image and is the only part of the image that is not black and white. It is pink. The boy's other hand is pressed against the window. Apart from the light from the window, most of the image is in shadow. — 'Balloon' by Kelly
My son helped me to create this image. He wanted to be part of the photo voice process with me. It’s about waiting. We’ve spent so much time waiting… waiting for things to change, waiting to go through courts, waiting to hear an outcome, waiting for his dad to pick him up, waiting for him to one day decide to come back and do it all again.

A black and white image of an empty concrete undercover brightly lit sidewalk. On the left side of the image, the silhouetted figure of a young person appears to be walking toward the camera. We cannot make out any features. — '3am' by Kelly
When my son was little and he would be crying and his dad would be shitty I’d go for walks at 3am around the inner city. Even though it was dark it was safe – safer than being at home.

1of29

Collective statement of the artists

“We are all women from different backgrounds. Most of us were not born in Australia, some of us grew up here, or have lived here for many years. All of us want to speak out about family violence.

We want to see ourselves and have our own experiences reflected in images about preventing violence and raising awareness. This exhibition is about us. But it’s also about all women and children who are experiencing family violence, have experienced family violence or work with families who experience family violence.

Using this opportunity to share our experiences and have our voices heard shows people that women who experience violence are not just silent victims and we want to create/lead change. It shows what women working to stop violence can achieve with support and opportunities. It shows that we are finding ways to move on and that our abusers don’t win. We want to tell all women, from all backgrounds, that you deserve love and respect, that you can stand up for yourself.”

About the photovoice project

Family violence can affect all women and their children, but women’s experiences are not all the same.

The ASPIRE Photovoice project was part of a larger research partnership between Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, University of Melbourne and University of Tasmania, funded by ANROWS.

The project aimed to learn more about immigrant and refugee women’s experiences of family violence in Australia. You can read about the research and findings here.

Using a research method called Photovoice, we asked women we had met through the project, who had either experienced family violence, or supported other women experiencing violence, to express their views through images as well as words.

With mobile phones, cameras and courage, ten women worked together from July to December 2016 to produce this collection of photographs.