Encouraging Women encourages women from all walks of life. Dr
Caroline Taylor comes to Nhill
Encouraging Women of Nhill Victoria Australia, in partnership
with the Salvation Army and Wimmera Family Violence Prevention
Network is proud to have Dr Caroline Taylor speak at their
upcoming function on November 3rd 2004. Encouraging Women is a
non party political and non profit group aiming to provide high
profile guest speakers to encourage, stimulate and motivate
women in our community. Encouraging Women was developed in
response to an identified need within the community to
facilitate and support women from all walks of life and
experiences. Encouraging Women is a subcommittee of the Nhill
Neighbourhood House Learning Centre
Former Encouraging Women guest speakers include Mrs Lila
Hensley; Dr Judith Slocombe - Telstra Australian Businesswoman
of the Year 2002; Ms Dur-e Dara - Restauranteur; The Hon. Joan
Kirner - Former Victorian Premier; Christine Nixon - Chief
Commissioner of Victoria Police and Ms Jenny Buckland - CEO
Australian Children's Television Foundation. Encouraging Women
has forged strong links within the Nhill community and speakers
often attend the Nhill College to talk to students and staff.
Dr Caroline Taylor is a University of Ballarat Post Doctoral
Fellow. Dr Taylor was awarded the 2001 Jean Martin Award by the
Australian Sociological Association for her groundbreaking
research into the way Victorian courts deal with rape within the
family and she is also included in the 2002 Who's who of notable
Australians. Dr Taylor has also successfully secured a
criminology research grant of $55,905, with Dr Beverly Blaskett,
also from the University of Ballarat.
Dr Taylor is herself a victim/survivor of sexual abuse and
studied more than 17,000 pages of transcripts from every
Victorian trial dealing with intrafamilial sexual abuse during
1995 for her PhD thesis.
Dr Taylor's internationally acclaimed thesis has been published
by the American publisher Peter Lang entitled "Court Licensed
Abuse" in a format that takes the reader on a voyage of
discovery into six different trials where every piece of
evidence is revealed, even the evidence withheld from the jury.
A second book, "Surviving The Legal System," launched recently
at the national Home Truths conference on sexual assault, is an
insiders view of what it is to be a victim-witness in a rape
trial in Victoria.
Leaving school at 15 to work in menial jobs, Dr Taylor finally
left home in her early twenties having been sexually abused by
her father from the age of 6 until her early twenties. Enduring
the trauma of two trials after her father was released on a
technicality, Dr Taylor is only too familiar with the treatment
handed out to victims/survivors of child sexual abuse.
"The deeply entrenched and historical suspicion and bias
directed at victim/survivors of child sexual abuse was directed
at me with all its fury. My lack of formal education as a child;
my preference to turn inwards in response to the trauma, my deep
love of animals and my lack of social skills and social life
were used to portray me in a cruel way.
The price for speaking out also included complete rejection by
my family and other relatives. I experienced homelessness and
the many levels of distress and fear that accompany this abuse.
But I was determined to survive and rebuild. I am proud of what
I have achieved and the processes I developed, nurtured and put
in place to achieve this." (extract from Dr Caroline Taylor's
Speech, Heather Osland Fundraiser April 20, 2004)
Encouraging Women encourages all women to come and hear Dr
Taylor speak and to meet this extraordinary woman to find out
first hand the processes she developed, nurtured and put in
place to allow her to survive and rebuild her life. Bookings for
the night are encouraged but not essential. For bookings please
contact Joan Bennett 5391 1206.
Where: Nhill Bowling Club, Railway Street, Nhill Date: Wednesday
November 3rd 2004 Time: 7.15 Cost: $5.00
Media Interviews Contact: Karen Werner Community Health Nurse
A/H 5389 9210 B/H 5389 1301 Mob 0407 526 780
Bookings and General Enquiries Contact: Cr Joan Bennett
Hindmarsh Shire 5391 1206
Press Release Ends
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