Client
Women’s Health West
Melbourne’s western region
Key Services
Theory of change | Outcomes framework | Evaluation
Women’s Health West (WHW) is a women’s health service that offers health promotion, primary prevention and family violence programs and services to women in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. One of its programs, Lead On Again supports young women in the region to become leaders.
Empowering young women to lead
Lead On Again is a strengths-based leadership program that provides a safe space for young women from refugee and migrant backgrounds to recognise their strengths, develop new skills and connections, and become active community participants and leaders. Each year, Lead On Again aims to support 10 to 15 young women from refugee and migrant backgrounds who live, work or study in Melbourne’s western metropolitan region through a six-day tailored leadership program.
‘In my community all the leaders are men, and LOA made me see that women can be leaders too … I was empowered to take a leadership role in my community and in school’ – workshop participant
The evaluation sought to measure the impact of Lead On Again on the young women who participate. Focusing on the 2019 and 2020 cohorts, WHW wanted to understand:
The evaluation involved mapping the Lead On Again theory of change and refining the program’s outcomes framework. We engaged with stakeholders through a three-hour online evaluation workshop and an anonymous survey that generated both qualitative and quantitative data on the program.
Young women from refugee and migrant background are highly capable yet face societal barriers to realising their dreams and aspirations. WHW has taken a holistic approach in supporting young women to overcome those societal barriers. Our evaluation found that Lead On Again supports young women to gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, increases their understanding of health and wellbeing topics and connects them with partners who mentor and support pathways to employment.
‘If I have confidence, I can achieve goals. If I don’t back myself who's going to trust me. Through LOA I was able to develop that strength’ – workshop participant
‘I have applied for CMY mentoring program and got a mentor. I now have a great CV and cover letter with her help. Now we're starting to apply for part-time jobs online. She's very helpful. I’m getting ongoing support and finding more things I could do. My mentor is showing me the range of opportunities and I’m more open to doing other things now’ – workshop participant
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