Southside Women Publicity Campaign is the newest support group run by Diversity ACT. The goal of the group is to provide regular social activities for lesbian women living in South Canberra, and Canberra more broadly. Southside Women exists for lesbian women to attend, participate, make new friends and have fun. The group received a grant from Lesbians Incorporated in round two if 2019 to produce, create and print information flyers about Southside Women. With the goal of providing the flyer to be electronically available in Arabic and Vietnamese online on their new website for Southside Women.
Diversity ACT and Southside Women are working together to ensure that vulnerable lesbian women are receiving appropriate physical, mental and social support to access services, activities and opportunities. Some of the events organized by Southside Women are private, but many of them are public events. They work to make it possible for lesbian women isolated by a lack of transport or social anxiety to attend public events. We encourage the members of Southside Women to engage with art and support other vulnerable groups within our community. Their goals for 2020 include bi-monthly meetings at the Diversity Hub to explore issues such as finances, relationships, well-being, employment (including retraining/retrenchment), nutrition, self-care, mediation, and mindfulness. They are keen to invite guest speakers, and hope to incorporate a weekend retreat into the program at a later stage.
COVID UPDATE 2020 – the Diversity HUB was closed due to social restrictions in March 2020 and all programs have been put on hold. Diversity ACT volunteers continue to provide client and community support, while practising social distancing and looking after their own health and well-being. The email is be being monitored, and the phone is being answered. They are looking forward to the day when they can re-open our doors and meet with their community members again.