Women and Mentoring - WAM Limited

Happy Pride Month! This month we'll be sharing why Inclusive Mentoring Matters and how we put this into practice, not just in June, but always.

We’re excited to welcome Bonnie Loftgood and Caroline Gibson to the Women and Mentoring Board! 💜

Bonnie brings extensive experience in workplace reform, governance, human rights and culture change across the public and not-for-profit sectors, currently serving as a Director at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Caroline brings more than 25 years of experience across leadership, fundraising, strategic partnerships and coaching, alongside a deep commitment to ethical leadership and community impact.

We’re incredibly grateful to have both Bonnie and Caroline joining WAM and look forward to the knowledge, leadership and passion they will bring to our community.

The impacts of incarceration don’t end at release.

For many women, prison can mean losing housing, employment, connection and custody of children, creating barriers that continue long after a sentence ends.

Support, not stigma, changes lives. 💜

Last weekend was IDAHOBIT.

We stand with LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people impacted by the justice system and acknowledge the importance of creating safe, respectful and inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen and supported. There is no place for homophobia, biphobia or transphobia. 🏳️‍🌈💪

Our mentors are never doing this work alone.

With two full days of training, ongoing support from our Program Coordinator and regular peer mentor groups, we make sure mentors feel confident, connected and supported throughout their mentoring journey.

Here is what mentors shared about their experiences in our 2026 evaluation report.

Are you safe at home? It’s a question that matters every day. Today, we stand with victim survivors and raise awareness that everyone deserves to feel safe, supported and heard.

Yesterday at the VCOSS budget lunch, it was encouraging to hear the Treasurer acknowledge that a punitive-only approach is not enough when it comes to crime prevention and community safety.

We welcome investment in prevention and early intervention initiatives, including the new Violence Reduction Unit for young people caught up in the legal system.

We’re also incredibly grateful and relieved that WAM has secured a one-year funding extension to continue supporting women and girls at risk of or in contact with the criminal legal system.

But relationship-based programs like mentoring need long-term funding certainty to create lasting change.

If we want safer communities, we must continue investing in the evidence-based services already doing this work every day.

Read our full media statement on our website: https://loom.ly/MpKN9Xs

We were grateful to partner with Larita Academy to support several Women and Mentoring participants to attend their week-long program.

This was a fantastic opportunity for our Young Women's Program participants to build skills, confidence and connection. We sincerely thank Larita Academy for their partnership and for creating opportunities for our participants. 🤝

Our 2026 Evaluation Report showed that becoming a mentor at WAM helps deepen understanding of how the justice system impacts women 💬

Mentors shared that the experience gave them greater awareness, insight, and empathy. We are so grateful for their openness to learning and commitment to walking alongside participants 💛