For nearly 100 years the YWCA has advocated for the rights of the fairer sex in our capital. Continuing with that tradition Canberra region women and non-binary people are being invited to participate in the Our Lives: women in the ACT survey.

The biennial survey aims to create a more accurate picture of what life is like for women and non-binary people in Canberra. YWCA Canberra CEO, Frances Crimmins, says they saw the need for the survey after noticing the census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which painted a picture they didn’t think represented everyone.

“Canberra women look like we’re affluent, have the most leisure time and the most highly educated but what YWCA Canberra and our homelessness services, domestic violence services, our support for women for trying to return to work, that picture doesn’t really show what it’s like for all women,” says Ms Crimmins.

The CEO says they want to ask women what their lives are like, the questions included help to build this data while also keeping anonymity. They ask women over the age of 16 about living situations, employment or income, financial security, safety and future aspirations.

Running for the third time the Our Lives survey identifies areas of community needs, Ms Crimmins says they use the data from the service to help inform their policy and advocacy work. It can also help policy makers in different sectors.  

“People who are making decisions whether it’s in the ACT government, other community services or even the Federal Government it helps to inform where we need support and the type of services women need and are asking for,” she says.

Their last survey, conducted in 2021, came back with some statistics that did indeed combat the idea of women Ms Crimmins felt the census portrayed. These included more than a quarter (26 per cent) of renters who claimed they would be unable to meet one payment cycle if they were to lose employment or income. While nearly half (44 per cent) of single parents had experienced domestic, family, or interpersonal violence in the 12 months before completing the survey.

Conducted during the pandemic, the previous survey also shows the social and economic toll it was taking on Canberrans. The age bracket who felt generally negative toward the future were those between 16 and 19, with 34 per cent of respondents feeling generally negative towards the future.

This year they have expanded the possible reach by offering the survey in additional languages, women and non-binary people can now participate in English, Mandarin, Nepali and Arabic. They were able to add these languages after previous instalments identified these as commonly spoken in our region.

The survey doesn’t yet have a strict closure date but it has been advised the polling will be closed sometime in September with the report available in November. Ms Crimmins says they hope to get more respondents than in previous years.

“Last year, we had every postcode represented in the ACT with a minimum 100 responses from each postcode. This year, we’re really trying to get over 1500 responses,” says Ms Crimmins “We really encourage anybody who could spare 15 minutes to tell us what their lives are like in the region.”

All Canberra region women and non-binary people are invited to take the Our Lives: women in the ACT survey; ywca-canberra.org.au

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