Born and raised in Tasmania, Janet is the CEO of the Hobart Women’s Shelter, which under her guidance has become a trailblazer for innovative, trauma-informed housing solutions. Having spent over 9 years specialising in the Family Violence and Homelessness sector – Janet believes empathy and understanding are key to creating lasting change.
I grew up in Tasmania, and my earliest reflections on giving are from high school. I went to an all-girls school, which was quite powerful in itself. I can remember getting ready for the school fair and making cakes and doing various fundraising. That was really quite powerful, because you had a group of young girls coming together making a product and then selling that product and seeing the return of that.
For me, I need to have some sort of emotional connection to my giving. So, it really needs to be something that aligns with my values and what I stand for. Transparency is also really important for me. I want to hear the stories behind what I'm giving too and the impact that I’m actually having. That then encourages me to give more, and that's certainly been my experience at the Shelter too.
When you've got 31% of women across Australia experiencing sexual or family violence, that means almost one in three women in any room you are standing in have their own lived experience. Often what we find at the Shelter is that women give because they have had their own experiences or they have a family member or loved one that has experienced something similar. That's what motivates them to give. Or it is someone that hasn't had that experience and they don't want other women to have those experiences. So again, it's that emotional connection and wanting to have an impact.
And for the women at the shelter, when they know where the giving has come from, we see that it gives them power back and gives them real agency. If they see there are women out there giving to them, it makes them feel better about their situation and that they're not being judged for needing support. So, it's really quite powerful.
I believe I give through the work that I do every day, in my leadership and as a role model. Sometimes it can be the little things we do. It doesn't have to be giving money; it can be time. It can be listening to someone's story. It can be having empathy for what they're going through, not judging someone for what's happening for them and really trying to support them. Even when sometimes people don't get it quite right the first time, it’s making sure that you go back again and continue that support
We recently built two beautiful, architectural homes that followed Sam Donnelly's Trauma Informed Design Principles, and when we showed women through those homes, they were just so overwhelmed. Those houses were built through fundraising, philanthropy, individual giving and businesses giving, and represented the community really coming together.
One woman that moved in shared with us that a friend had come to visit and said, “ I brought one of these bricks!” We had this Buy a Brick fundraising campaign, and she had actually bought one of the bricks in this house her friend was living in. It meant so much to her, but it also meant so much to the woman that was living in the home. That’s what really hit me hard; to think that it had such an impact for the woman that was living there, but also for the woman that had purchased one brick.
I've certainly learned a lot from the women at the Shelter. They come in with such hesitation and fear, and what I see is that giving provides them with hope and safety. It’s absolutely life changing for them.
It’s not just about the giving of money. It can be the local bakery donating fresh bread, it can be many, many different things. It’s those little things that can make such a difference.
We once had a high school make these beautiful little red velvet hearts for the children at the shelter. The children were told that if they're ever feeling anxious they could put their hand in their pocket and just feel that heart and know that someone's with them. It was just such a small thing, but it had the power to make them feel better about their situation.
Many charities are funded by government, and often that comes with contractual requirements and certain things you need to do. I think philanthropy creates flexibility. It's about bridging those funding gaps and allowing you to be responsive and tailor your services to the needs of those seeking or currently in your service. And the need is so high, we are turning away 8 out of 10 women and children seeking our services.
We are trying to set a new standard for social housing for women here in Tasmania and really create an environment where women can heal and recover, and do so in homes that are sustainable, so they can afford to live in them.
Janet’s career in the not-for-profit sector spans more than 30 years, including 21 years in leadership and management roles. Over the past decade, she has dedicated her work to the family violence and homelessness sector and currently serves on the Tasmanian Government’s Family and Sexual Violence Consultative Steering Committee.
Janet is passionate about creating lasting change that prevents violence against women and strengthening pathways to safety, stability, and independence. She is particularly focused on improving housing options and long-term pathways for women and children, ensuring access to secure, trauma-informed and affordable homes that support recovery and wellbeing.
Her experience is complemented by a Master of Business Administration and a Diploma in Human Resource Management, which underpin her strategic, collaborative, and people-centred approach to leadership and service development.
