Marg D'Arcy

For decades Marg D'Arcy has developed and implemented policies and methods of supporting and empowering women who have experienced abuse.

Inducted:
2003
Category:
Honour Roll

Born in the western district town of Hamilton in 1950, Marg moved to Melbourne with her family as a teenager and left school at 16. In her late 20s, she did a Bachelor of Arts at Latrobe University and became interested in feminist politics.

In 1981, Marg started work at Southern Halfway House, a women's refuge in metropolitan Melbourne. The experience opened her eyes to the horrific violence and harassment that some men perpetrate on a daily basis against women. Marg has been responsible for a huge variety of projects and actions that have set the agenda in the continuing struggle to reduce violence against women. Marg was the coordinator of the Southern Halfway House collective for two and half years. She then conducted an evaluation of Victorian women's refuges for the Victorian Women's Refuge Action Group and coordinated the Women's Emergency Services Program for the Department of Community Welfare.

Victoria Police employed Marg as Coordinator of the Family Violence Project Office from 1988 until 1991 where she developed policy and provided strategic advice regarding the role of police in family violence. From 1991-93, she was the Women's Policy Officer for the Office of Corrections. For four years (1993-97) Marg worked for the Victorian Community Council Against Violence during which time stalking legislation was introduced. In 1998, Marg was a research officer at the Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA House) at the Royal Women's Hospital where she managed the Sexual Assault Incidence and Prevalence Project.

Marg is currently Senior Program Manager, Royal Women's Hospital with responsibility for the management of CASA House and the statewide, after hours Sexual Assault Crisis Line. The services provide telephone counselling, support, information and advocacy, 24-hour crisis care and ongoing counselling, support and advocacy for women and men following sexual assault. Until November 2002 she was convenor of the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence and a member of the board of the National Women's Justice Coalition.

"My commitment is to work towards a world where women can exercise their right to live free from fear of violence, whether it is as victims of war and torture or whether it is in their homes or workplaces."

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