How Ceri is fighting gender-based abuse

Chisholm alumni Ceri Espeut has big dreams of making a difference in the family violence sector and she’s achieving them.

Having experienced family violence herself, Ceri was inspired to study the Diploma of Community Services and the Graduate Certificate of Family Violence at Chisholm because she wanted to “work with women and make changes”.

She’s now working at The Orange Door as a specialist family violence practitioner and she says the knowledge she gained studying at Chisholm helps her on the job, while the qualification has opened doors in the sector. “To have that qualification and the understanding of everything behind it is really beneficial,” Ceri says.

Over the past few years Ceri has spoken at a variety of events and conferences and has led the Annual Walk Against Family Violence from Federation Square. She has also advocated for survivors through Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre. “I am working with women every day and building up a powerful sisterhood army to help me conquer gender-based systemic abuse,” Ceri says.

Ceri says her teachers at Chisholm were knowledgeable and “amazing” and she particularly appreciated the guidance of course coordinator and teacher Dr Ilsa Evans. “All the information and the passion she has, she just makes it really relatable,” Ceri says.

So what does Ceri hope to achieve in future? “I’d like to do all kinds of things really, I want to have my own little not-for-profit providing some housing or something for people leaving family violence, I’d like to provide training for men who perpetrate and be involved with policy changes.”