In October 2023, the Magnolia Project was awarded an Augusta Zadow Award, by Safework SA.
(Source: Instagram)
Augusta Zadow was an advocate for women’s rights in the workplace and became South Australia’s ‘First Lady Inspector of Factories’ in 1895. She was a woman ahead of her time, with many of the working conditions women enjoy today attributable to her advocacy. She became an advocate for women working in clothing factories and was a major contributor to the establishment of the Working Women’s Trades Union in 1890. In recognition of her work, SafeWork SA established the Augusta Zadow Awards. The awards aim to support initiatives, research or further education that improves health and safety for women and young workers in South Australia.
Recruiting and retaining women in the CJS: A trauma informed approach.
This project will support early-career professionals in the criminal justice system (CJS) who have recently, or about to graduate and enter the workforce, with degrees such as criminology, law, and social work. Most graduates in these disciplines are female and young, and often end up working in the most stressful sectors.
This project will work with young workers and women who plan to enter the CJS workforce. We will do this by identifying their expectations and concerns and developing a set of support materials. These materials will help avoid, detect, and address psychosocial harms such as vicarious trauma in the workplace. But first, we shall use our academic research skills to conduct a scoping review.
Benefit for women or young workers in the workplace
The benefits of this project to women and young workers will be both direct and indirect. The manifestations of vicarious trauma can be the same as they are for victims of crime and people who have experienced direct adversity and include impacts on social and emotional well-being such as psychological distress, avoidance behaviours, hypervigilance, irritability, poor emotional regulation.[i] Early self-care strategies can help identify and avoid vicarious trauma.[ii]
The bespoke resource—designed to privilege the voices of women and young people entering the workforce in SA—will be provided at a formative stage in their careers. Through the Magnolia Project, they can also join a community of practice and collaborate with experienced professionals across the CJS. Indirect benefits relate to promoting awareness of the needs of women and young people entering the CJS.
Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project, between now and 1 October 2024.
[i] Duran & Woodhams, 2022.
[ii] Conn and Butterfield, 2013.