Eva’s story: “I could finally breathe again”

For women experiencing family violence, employment can represent much more than financial stability – often, it is the first step towards regaining power and control over their life.

As a Senior Quality Engineer for a global construction company, Eva* is financially independent and able to provide stability and opportunity for her two daughters. But just eight years ago, this kind of future felt impossible for her to imagine.

In 2018, Eva had recently left her husband who was violent towards her and was sole carer for her two daughters. She had no job and no source of income and was left with a large business debt. As a migrant, she had no family in Australia, and no safety net to fall back on.

“It was very difficult because I had no support,” Eva said. “I blamed myself for everything that happened to me and my girls.”

Still, Eva knew that a job was her best chance at creating a stable future for herself and her daughters. She reached out to a family violence organisation who referred her to McAuley Works, an employment support program for women who had experienced family violence or homelessness.

Between 2011 and 2023, McAuley Works provided personalised, trauma-informed support to help women who experience family violence find and maintain meaningful employment. Traditional employment services were largely unable to meet the ongoing, individualised level of support these women needed.

Eva was matched with a case manager, who understood that employment was only one aspect of financial security.

“I couldn’t think about anything else other than the debt,” Eva said. “I was so worried about it. I didn’t know how I was going to pay it off.”

For Eva’s case manager, this was a familiar story. “So many of our clients were in this position when they first came to us,” she said. “When you have a large debt hanging over your head, it’s impossible to focus on finding a new job.”

McAuley connected Eva with local community legal centre Westjustice through the Restoring Financial Safety program. The partnership is a core pillar of McAuley’s approach, comprised of an integrated, multidisciplinary team offering legal advice, casework and representation, financial counselling and advocacy to women who have experienced economic abuse.

Much to Eva’s surprise, Westjustice worked to have the entire debt wiped, allowing her to focus her attention on the future. “I can’t even describe the relief I felt,” Eva said.

After learning Eva’s work history, her case manager immediately recognised Eva’s potential, describing her as a “golden egg” in the industry.

With a bachelor’s degree in engineering and industrial management, Eva had nearly a decade of experience in quality assurance in the construction sector in Iran.

After moving to Australia though, she struggled to re-establish her career. Eva searched for more than a year before finding a role as a manufacturing process worker, before a move into a quality role.

After five years she left to open a hospitality business with her husband. Unfortunately, the abuse continued and the business accrued thousands of dollars of debt until it closed and they divorced. “This was such a difficult time for me,” Eva said.

Family violence affects women in many ways – emotional and psychological abuse often leave scars in the shape of a sense of worthlessness, shame and lack of confidence.

For Eva, it took a profound toll on her mental health. Just before connecting with McAuley Works, she was admitted to hospital for mental health treatment, overwhelmed with anxiety and had lost all self-confidence. “I was done,” Eva said. “I didn’t know if I could even find just a basic job, because I had nothing left to give. I was in such a bad state.”

A trusting and supportive relationship with a case manager is often the first step in rebuilding self-confidence, so Eva’s case manager wasted no time. “Helping women regain their self-esteem and self-confidence is a huge part of this job,” she said. “I wanted Eva to see her own strengths and recognise what she could do.”

And it worked – “It was the biggest support for me,” Eva said of the confidence she gained back with her case manager’s support. “I had friends who told me everything would be okay, but I couldn’t believe it.

“When my case manager pointed to my CV and told me the value of my experience, it gave me confidence. When she said it, I accepted it, because she is a professional and she could see my potential. That was very important for me.”

The extended support period McAuley Works could provide was essential. Unlike traditional employment services, McAuley Works support continued until women achieved long-term, sustainable employment and even extended to post-placement support.

“Having the time and ability to sit and listen and work with Eva in her own time was absolutely key,” her case manager said.

When Eva felt ready to start searching for work, McAuley supported her through every step of the way. “My case manager helped me through the entire journey,” Eva said. “It made a big difference to have someone on my side.”

One of the difficulties Eva faced in finding employment was a lack of connections or networks. “When I was in Iran, I knew lots of other people in the industry. If you have networks, you can find a job. But when I moved to Australia, I didn’t have any connections. It’s very hard to get into this industry, and I didn’t know anyone who could help me.”

This is not unusual for women who have experienced family violence, who may have limited work experience, job skills or qualifications – all factors that affect their ability to search for long-term, secure employment.

Eva was introduced to John Holland and was invited for an interview.

“I was so excited because they are one of the biggest and best construction companies in Australia. I was nervous, but my case manager helped me prepare and gave me tips for the interview.”

Putting the mentoring and coaching to good use, Eva excelled in the interview and the team at John Holland quickly offered her the job.

“They were amazing,” Eva said. “I started in a training administration role, and then because of my experience I was able to move into a position as a Quality Engineer.”

Since then, Eva has continued to thrive in her career, working on some of Victoria’s most significant infrastructure projects.

This comes as no surprise to her case manager, who saw Eva’s potential from the beginning. “She did a lot of it herself,” she said. “I just helped her along the way.”

For many, employment represents more than just the financial stability it brings. The same is true for Eva. “It’s a huge part of healing,” she said. “Getting the job at John Holland gave me hope. It was like the start of a new chapter for me and my daughters. I felt like I could finally breathe again.”

“The salary was good, and I could start doing things we hadn’t been able to do for a while,” Eva said. “I could afford to send my older daughter to violin class again, and my little one was able to start gymnastics,” Eva said.

When Eva first connected with McAuley Works, her eldest daughter was in Year 12. As a result of Eva finding stable employment and improving her mental health and wellbeing, her eldest daughter finished high school, went on to tertiary education and is thriving. She too is grateful for the type of support her mother was given.

Eva’s younger daughter is now completing her secondary education. Eva says that without McAuley Works and the Restoring Financial Safety program, she may never have gained meaningful employment and her daughters may not have the futures they now have.

“It was life-changing,” Eva said. “For me and my daughters.”

*Name changed to protect identity

About McAuley Works

McAuley Works was developed in 2010 in direct response to clients asking for help to find jobs after being turned away from commonwealth employment services, who deemed them ‘not ready’ to work.

McAuley’s experience is that by offering an avenue to employment, women experiencing family violence find a possible way out of their violent relationship and hope for their futures.

The program was philanthropically funded until mid-2015, when McAuley’s ongoing evidence-based advocacy led to the inclusion of family violence as a barrier to employment in subsequent State Government contracts.

McAuley Works was then funded by Jobs Victoria from 2016 to June 2023, after which the Victorian Government scaled back funding for employment programs.

Women’s economic independence through employment is critical for the prevention of violence, and individualised support for training and employment remains crucial to achieving this goal. McAuley continues to advocate for job services to better support women who have experienced family violence or homelessness to find work.