Warrior Woman Foundation

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Our Story

Our Purpose and Impact

The Warrior Woman network was formed to bring like-minded women together to identify and create ways to support the young women of Australia who are our future, ensuring they are seen, heard, and valued. We are a strong and active national women’s support movement of positive women who are mothers, business owners, community leaders, as well as advocates for the advancement of women in Australia.

OUR STORY

The Warrior Woman Foundation was created in 2020 by social entrepreneur and previous NSW Woman of the Year winner Jessica Brown. As a former high school teacher working in South Western Sydney for over a decade, Jessica’s passion has always been assisting the students at risk of falling through the cracks of the education and welfare systems. For over 28 years Jessica has been an advocate for the protection of children and is driven to do all she can to advance young Australian women in all areas of their lives.

This is Jessica’s second social empire after founding the Life-Changing Experiences Foundation in 2003, which she led as CEO for 17 years. Through its multi-award winning SISTER2sister program, Jessica helped change the lives of hundreds of teenage girls in NSW and VIC.

Jessica’s newest venture, the Warrior Woman Foundation is a national holistic support model assisting under-represented vulnerable young Australian women to become resilient, independent, and capable of taking their place in the world. Her goal is for every Australian woman to achieve independence through financial wellbeing, and to increase the financial literacy rates of young women in Australia so that they have the confidence to take charge of earning and managing their own money, plan for future economic security, and protect themselves from financial abuse.

The Warrior Woman network was formed to bring like-minded women together to identify and create ways to support the young women of Australia who are our future, ensuring they are seen, heard, and valued. We are a strong and active national women’s support movement of positive women who are mothers, business owners, community leaders, as well as advocates for the advancement of women in Australia. We are kind and caring women who genuinely want to create positive change for the female population. By empowering marginalised young women to become strong independent warriors capable of taking their place in the world, we are strengthening Australian communities at large.

So, you might be wondering why we chose the word “warrior” for our foundation. Historically “warrior” means “a brave or experienced soldier or fighter”. For us this represents the brave young women who put their hands up for help, and the life experience of caring women who put their hands up to fight for their advancement. Today, the word warrior is frequently used to describe a person who is very strong and does not give up easily. Coincidentally, “tenacity” is one of our foundation’s values, as we simply do not give up on the young women who need our help.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The Warrior Woman Foundation is a socially inclusive organisation welcoming young women from all nationalities and religions to join a network of women passionate about helping other women.

We are a registered Australian charity which contributes to the health and well-being of the Australian community and the advancement of women at large. We are not affiliated with any religious or political organisations.

We have a three-tiered holistic approach to our program delivery focusing on connection, support, and education. This is based on the three principles of the “Self Determination Theory”. Self-Determination Theory emphasises the importance of fulfilling three simultaneous needs: relatedness (connection), autonomy (life skills education), and competence (support). The Warrior Woman Foundation also uses a theory driven approach and evidence-based practice based on the Model of Youth Mentoring (Rhodes 2005) “Close, enduring mentoring relationships influence youth outcomes through social/emotional, cognitive, and identity development.”

OUR VALUES

CARE

We are sincere,
compassionate and kind.

integrity

We are authentic, accountable and transparent.

respect

We believe in acceptance and equality.

excellence

We are evidence based, trauma informed and experts in our sector.

tenacity

We are continuously driven to advance women in the Australian community and we do not give up.

hope

Is what we have for every young woman who comes into our care.

WHY we do what we do

When young women develop resilience, independence and capacity, they are better able to take their place in the world as economically secure, confident individuals. Their reliance on social welfare decreases, as does their risk of poverty later in life.

Women age 55+ are the fastest growing vulnerable group in Australia due to a lack of economic security. By addressing this issue as early as possible by providing young vulnerable and under-represented women with better employment pathways, as well as financial literacy education and mental resilience coaching, we can break this destructive cycle.

The transition from adolescence to adulthood – emerging adulthood – is now recognised as a significant stage in the life cycle in developmental, emotional and social terms.

Unfortunately, many young people face the transition to adulthood without the same family safety net or social support systems as their peers. They may also have other challenges to deal with, too: poor mental health, intellectual and physical disabilities, developmental delays, plus a lack of affordable or appropriate housing and inadequate employment opportunities.

This is why we are committed to help as many young women in Australia as possible.

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WHO WE HELP

We are dedicated to empowering all young women who need support, guidance, and a safe space to thrive. As a socially inclusive, non-religious organisation, we embrace diversity and welcome young women from all backgrounds.  
  
We offer help to young women facing various challenges, including:  
 
  • Those seeking a female Mentor to guide and support them.  
  • Young women without family support during their final years of high school.  
  • Individuals overcoming past or present trauma.  
  • Young women in foster care, state care, or transitioning from the out-of-home care system (OOHC). 
  • Those with lived experiences involving family and community services.  
  • Young women at high risk of homelessness.  
  • Survivors of domestic violence.  
  • Individuals with mental health needs who require extra support.  
  • Young women without a natural support network, at risk of falling through the cracks.  
 
We Celebrate Diversity … Australia’s female population is diverse, and so are we. We strongly encourage applications from:  
 
  • Young migrant women building connections in the community.  
  • Young women living with disabilities.  
  • Members of the LGBTQIA+ community.  
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women.  
  • Socially isolated young women.  
  • Anyone simply in need of a helping hand. 
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OUR GOVERNANCE

REGISTRATION

The Warrior Woman Foundation is an Australian charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission at www.acnc.gov.au.

It is a Public Company Limited by Guarantee and Public Benevolent Institution.

TAX DEDUCTIBILITY

The Foundation is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient and a Tax Concession Charity by the Australian Taxation Office. All donations $2.00 and over are tax-deductible.

The Warrior Woman Foundation holds an authority to fundraise under section 13A of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 with the NEW and QLD Department of Fair Trading CFN/25631 and CH4666644.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Warrior Woman Foundation is accountable to its donors and subject to a constitution. It is governed by a volunteer board of community leaders representing a cross-section of society.

ACN 639603071

ABN 39639603071

We provide a safe and welcoming space for young women to share, learn, heal and grow. Each young woman is connected with a mentor as well as a network of diverse community-minded women who provide ongoing support and share their life experiences, resources and opportunities:

  • Connection to a safe, stable, and socially inclusive network of female role models to turn to for advice and ongoing support for the duration of the six-month program.
  • Connection to a non-judgmental group of young women who are facing similar challenges.
  • Connection to Kindred Warrior Peers, young women who have experienced challenges in life and have gone on to achieve life success.
  • Weekly one-to-one mentoring sessions with a safe mentor.

We teach young women the life skills they need to succeed in everyday life. Our “teach a young woman to fish” approach gives them support and guidance at every step, knowing that true empowerment comes from them learning to do things for themselves. In particular, we focus on financial literacy and job readiness:

  • Life-skills workshops to build self-reliance.
  • A six-week Financial Literacy program (in partnership with MoneyGirl).
  • A four-week Job Readiness program.
  • Assistance in gaining and retaining meaningful employment.
  • Access to a range of vocational skills scholarships (e.g., Code Like a Girl) and internships.

Many young women experience trauma which negatively impacts their confidence, self-esteem and self-worth. We support and nurture the trauma healing process in safe psycho-educational workshops facilitated by experts. In these sessions, young women learn to engage with self-compassion, and to soften and contain threat-based emotions, such as fear and anxiety, anger, shame and self-criticism.