South West Sydney Domestic Violence Conference 2026
Description
The South West Sydney Domestic Violence Committee is pleased to announce the 9th Annual South West Sydney Domestic & Family Violence Conference, taking place on Thursday 19 November 2026 at Western Sydney University, Parramatta South Campus.
This year’s theme:
WHO CONTROLS THE STORY?
Power, Discourse & Accountability
How do the language we use, the narratives we create and the systems we work within shape our understanding of domestic and family violence?
And who gets to tell the story?
Join us as we bring together leading voices, frontline workers, community leaders, advocates and others from across the DV sector to explore these questions, challenge perspectives and consider what accountability can look like in practice.
We’re excited to announce our mc - Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis - along with our first confirmed speakers: Sherele Moody, Dr Latoya Rule, Nour Haydar, Jennifer Burn, Arlia Flemming, Monique Moffa and Elly Desmarchelier, with more speakers to be announced.
Bonnie Support Services is proud to be the Gold Sponsor of this year’s conference, working alongside CORE Community Services and Services Australia to bring this important event to the South West Sydney community.
Lineup
Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis - Master of Ceremonies
Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis is a health and social researcher, policy leader and community advocate working at the intersection of public health, human rights and public policy.
Monique Moffa
Dr Monique Moffa is a Lecturer in Criminology & Justice Studies at RMIT University, and an assistant manager of the Bridge of Hope Innocence Initiative.
Dr Latoya Rule
Mel Daley
Mel Daley is a proud Wiradjuri woman with more than 25 years of professional experience in the community and non-profit sectors, including working as a counsellor, advocate, educator, mentor, and activist.
Jennifer Burn
Professor Jennifer Burn is the Director of Anti-Slavery Australia, a university-based law and research centre dedicated to advancing the rights of people who have experienced all forms of modern slavery.
Sherele Moody
Sherele Moody is an anti-violence activist, award-winning journalist, femicide and child death researcher and the creator of Australia's only memorial to women and children lost to violence.
Arlia Flemming
Arlia Flemming is the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre and has experience across generalist community legal centres, Women’s Legal Services and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services.
Nour Haydar
Elly Desmarchelier
Uncle Bruce Gale - Welcome to Country
Sara Muzamil
Sara Muzamil is the Finding Safety Project Manager at Jesuit Refugee Service Australia and an Executive Member of the National Advocacy Group for Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Violence.
Session Information
Session 1 – The language of violence: The power behind the words
This panel will feature industry leaders, advocates, researchers, and journalists who will explore the role language plays in maintaining a culture of violence. The panel will discuss the notion that how we write about and speak about violence affects how we feel about and respond to violence.
Session 2 – Misidentified Victim-Survivors, Guilty Pleas and Criminal Consequences
This session will explore the issue of victim-survivors of domestic and family violence being misidentified as ‘predominant aggressors’ and the subsequent snowball effect this has on their lives. The aim of this session is to highlight the role the legal system plays in creating justice vs injustice, empowerment vs oppression, and safety vs lasting harm.
Session 3 – First Nations voices: Challenging narratives & demanding accountability
This panel will feature First Nations researchers, advocates, frontline workers and policy makers reflecting on the theme of the conference ‘Who Controls the Story? Power, Discourse and Accountability’. Centring First Nations perspectives when examining how systems and language play a huge role in perpetuating violence against women, especially First Nations women, is critical.
Session 4 – Forced Marriage
This session will provide insight into the workings of ‘My Blue Sky’, a national forced marriage service run by Anti-Slavery Australia at the University of Technology Sydney. The aim of this session is to help audience members gain a better understanding of what forced marriage is and guidance about how to support someone experiencing forced marriage.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
