GALs stick together and share support

Girls Against Limitations is proof girl power is alive and well for women with disabilities in Rockingham.

The group of 20 meet once a month at the city’s South Coastal Women’s Health Service, providing each other with support and advice on tasks regularly presented to them during their everyday lives.

Facilitator Marija Nelson said the group was all about supporting one another and showing disabled women in the community there was someone who understood the different challenges they faced.

“GALs is all about improving the lifestyle of disabled women within our community through different activities like visits from motivational speakers, life coaches, alternative therapists and things like that,” she said.

“For instance, some of the younger girls were working in jobs where they were being paid just $3 per hour and we want to fight to change that.”

South Coastal nurse educator Marina Burns said a $3000 donation from the State Government’s Grants for Women program would help to provide more outings and more social events for the group.

“The group is completely self-directed since Marija took the helm,” she said. “Our main focus is to look after the physical and mental health of the group — they will decide themselves exactly what the money should be spent on.”

Women’s Interests Minister Liza Harvey said the Government was pleased to contribute to programs which supported women’s wellbeing, mentally, physically and economically.

“Creating opportunities and better outcomes for women leads to a positive effect to families and the community in general,” she said.

Projects funded ranged from agriculture to Aboriginal health.