Intersectional Financial Wellbeing Project
Improving access to essential services through an intersectional approach
Financial wellbeing in Australia is gendered. Women face more cultural and systemic barriers to financial security than men. The experiences of gender-diverse people are also often overlooked in research and data.
Since WIRE began in 1984, we have seen ongoing financial inequality affecting women and gender-diverse people across financial systems, workplaces, government services, cultural assumptions and norms, and everyday life. These barriers can contribute to poverty, homelessness and violence.
WIRE has worked in the gendered financial wellbeing space for decades. This project builds on that legacy by applying an intersectional feminist lens, recognising that multiple systems create barriers to financial wellbeing and privilege different cohorts within Australia.
About the project
The Intersectional Financial Wellbeing Project, funded by the Ecstra Foundation, explores how essential service providers — such as banks, utilities, telecommunications, health and legal services — impact women and gender diverse people’s financial wellbeing and access to essential services.
Based on what we learned, we developed resources to support more inclusive service delivery and improve how essential services respond to people’s needs. These resources help organisations embed intersectional approaches into their policies and practices to better support the whole community.
Research and approach
Between 2021 and 2023, WIRE collected nearly 1,000 stories from women and gender-diverse people from diverse backgrounds (based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, religion, class, socioeconomic status, gender identity, ability or age) through focus groups and diary studies. Participants shared their experiences interacting with essential services, revealing common challenges and systemic gaps in service delivery.
“I ended up asking my friend for help (white, man, Australian citizen).
We went to the real estate agency together and the way the agent interacted with my friend was very different to how he previously interacted with me.”
— Diary participant
Essential services — such as education, financial services, Centrelink and utilities — are part of everyday life. People often have no choice but to use them, whether to enrol in a course, access support, open an account or update their details.
Improving how these services respond to people’s diverse needs can make a significant difference to their experience and outcomes, and contribute to greater equity and financial wellbeing.
Project resources
WIRE developed two key resources based on the research:
- Practice Guide for Essential Service Providers: A practical guide to support more inclusive service delivery and improve access for people facing barriers. Includes universal design and safety-by-design approaches. | Download the Practice Guide for Essential Service Providers
- Essential Equitable Service Delivery with Co-design Report: Outlines how intersectional and co-design approaches were applied, with recommendations for creating more inclusive and equitable service systems. | Download the Essential Equitable Service Delivery with Co-design Report
Getting Support
Our trained support workers can talk through what’s happening and help you understand your options, at your own pace.
You can call WIRE on 1300 134 130, start a web chat, or book an appointment.
Emergency Support
| Emergency Services | Call 000 if you or someone is in immediate danger |
Legal Support
WIRE recognises that women and gender diverse people can face barriers to accessing legal support and can help connect you with trusted services that understand family violence.
| Nicholes Law | Website: https://nicholeslaw.com.au/ Phone: 03 9670 4122 |
| Victoria Legal Aid | Website: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/ Phone: 1300 792 387 |
Family & Violence Support
| WIRE | Website: https://www.wire.org.au/ Phone: 1300 134 130 |
| The Orange Door (Family violence & child support) | Website: https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/ |
| Family Relationship Advice Line (Help with relationships & separation) | Website: https://www.familyrelationships.gov.au/talk-someone/advice-line Phone: 1800 050 321 |
| 1800RESPECT (24/7 family violence counselling) | Website: https://1800respect.org.au/ Phone: 1800 737 732 |
| SafeSteps Family Violence Response Centre (Vic) | Website: https://safesteps.org.au/our-services/ Phone: 1800 015 188 |
| Raising Children Network (Parenting strategies, behaviour tips, and relationship resources) | Website: https://raisingchildren.net.au/ |
| The Line (Resources for young people and parents around respectful relationships and changing harmful behaviour) | Website: https://www.theline.org.au/ |
| Kids Helpline | Website: https://kidshelpline.com.au/ Phone: 1800 55 1800 |
| Victorian Sexual Assault Crisis Line | Phone: 1800 806 292 (after hours) / 03 8345 3494 (police/emergency) |
| CASA (Centre Against Sexual Assault) | Website: https://www.casahouse.com.au/contact-us Phone: 1800 806 292 |
| Victims of Crime Helpline (Vic) | Phone: 1800 819 817 |
Online Support
| eSafety Commissioner (Help with cyberstalking, image-based abuse, and online safety) | Website: esafety.gov.au |
| Wesnet (Provides free smartphone and tech safety training to women experiencing violence) | Website: https://wesnet.org.au/ Phone: 1800 937 638 |
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support
| Yarning Safe’N’Strong Helpline (24/7 cultural wellbeing support) | Website: https://www.vahs.org.au/yarning-safenstrong/ Phone: 1800 959 563 (24/7) |
| 13YARN (Crisis support for mob) | Website: https://www.13yarn.org.au/ Phone: 13 92 76 (24/7) |
| Djirra (Support for Aboriginal women) | Website: https://djirra.org.au/ Phone: 1800 105 303 |
LGBTQIA+ Support
| QLife (LGBTQIA+ peer counselling) | Website: https://qlife.org.au/ Phone: 1800 184 527 |
Mental Health Support
| Australian Psychological Society (Find a registered psychologist) | Website: https://psychology.org.au/ Phone: 03 8662 3300 |
| Lifeline (24/7 crisis counselling) | Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7) |
| Beyond Blue (Support for anxiety & depression) | Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ Phone: 1300 22 4636 |
| Better Place Australia (Counselling & family support) | Website: https://www.betterplaceaustralia.com.au/ Phone: 1800 639 523 |
Multicultural & Migration Support
| InTouch (Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence) | Website: https://intouch.org.au/ Phone: 1800 755 988 |
| My Blue Sky (Forced Marriage & Migration Exploitation) | Website: https://mybluesky.org.au/ Phone: 02 9514 8115 |
| Immigration Advice & Rights Centre | Website: https://iarc.org.au/ Phone: 02 8234 0700 |
| Australian Red Cross (Support for Trafficked People Program) | Website: https://www.redcross.org.au/migration/support-for-people-impacted-by-modern-slavery/ Phone: 03 9345 1800 |
| Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights | Website: https://amwchr.org.au/ Phone: 03 9481 3000 |
Financial Support
| Financial Independence Hub | Website: https://goodshep.org.au/services/fih/ Phone: 1300 050 150 |
| National Debt Helpline | Website: https://ndh.org.au/ Phone: 1800 007 007 |
| Centrelink Financial Information Service Officers | Website: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/financial-information-service-officers?context=21836 Phone: 132 300 |
Elder Support
| National Elder Abuse Helpline | Phone: 1800 353 374 |