A key organisation supporting women facing legal issues due to family violence has been using a wide range of discounted and donated technology products and services available through Connecting Up to maximise its impact.
Since 2007, Women’s Legal Service Victoria has accessed Microsoft licenses, server software, upgrades to existing Microsoft licenses, Adobe Acrobat, webinars, and other training programs.
This technology and training have significantly boosted Women’s Legal Service’s ability to provide integrated socio-legal support for women, a third of whom are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and face additional barriers to accessing justice and support.
Around 12% of Women’s Legal clients are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“Without access to Connecting Up’s programs we would have struggled to find the money in our budget to purchase the software we require,” says Women’s Legal Service Victoria’s Director of Operations Dr Nuzhat Lotia.
“We have saved more than $60,000 by utilising Connecting Up’s discounts, and this makes it possible for us to provide more efficient services to women experiencing violence.
“We would not be able access these products, at the volume we require, without the discounted price.” The team says programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe allow its lawyers, educators and administrators to connect efficiently with its stakeholders.
“As a for-purpose change organisation, we actively advocate for laws and policies that respect and promote the rights of all women,” says Dr Lotia . “We are also leading efforts in the legal and justice sector to prevent gender inequality and violence against women in the workplace.
” Women’s Legal Service Victoria has found Connecting Up program’s even more important in the past year and a half as it has relied heavily on technology to deliver its services during lockdowns. “Access to better technology means we can easily get in touch with our clients - women experiencing violence - and provide them with the support they need,” says Dr Lotia .
“Our education team has also been able to pivot to offering webinars and online training programs because of access to Connecting Up products.”
Importantly, the Women’s Legal Service Victoria team says Connecting Up’s programs are also convenient and tailored to their needs.
“We did not hesitate to partner with Connecting Up to help service our IT requirements,” says Dr Lotia . “As a fellow not-for-profit organisation, they uniquely understand how important access to technology is for organisations who support disadvantaged or at-risk communities.”
Find out more about our donated and discounted products and services here.