
women in social enterprise
WISE: Women in Social Enterprise runs projects and initiatives that empower women in the region, improve their well-being, advance economic and social equality, and work to remove disadvantage that women still face.
Please note this service is not currently running as the premises was effected by the February 2022 flood event.
For updates you can follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/NORWACS
About Us
WISE is an innovative, sustainable social enterprise for women in Lismore and the Northern Rivers. WISE runs projects and initiatives that empower women in the region, improve their well-being, advance economic and social equality, and work to remove disadvantage that women still face.
WISE supports the empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised Northern Rivers women to overcome barriers to economic participation, employment, entrepreneurial opportunities and to achieving financial self-agency. Our projects increase confidence, improve financial literacy and business skills in a safe and inclusive environment with ongoing support and mentoring.
WISE is a service of Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services Incorporated (NORWACS), a feminist, community-based charity that provides health and wellbeing services for the diversity of women, and their children, in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.
Women in Social Enterprise acknowledge the people of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work today. We pay respect to their elders past and present and emerging leaders, as well as all other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. This country was never ceded and always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
We endorse the ‘Uluru Statement From the Heart’ to call for the establishment of a ‘First Nations Voice’ in the Australian Constitution and a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise a process of ‘agreement-making’ and ‘truth telling’ between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Our Initiatives
Adaptive Foodscapes
An innovative food adaptation and resilience building project for women in Lismore included 4 half-day workshops on topics such as drought and flood gardening, bush tucker and indigenous ways and creative backyard gardens. This project was piloted by WISE in...
Social Impact! Lismore
The first WISE initiative, Social Impact! Lismore, was held on Thursday 29th August 2019, at the Lismore Regional Gallery. It was a networking event bringing together business, organisations, service providers, professionals and community members who care about our...
Profit for Purpose
WISE is currently exploring developing a profit-for-purpose business that will create employment and training opportunities for local women and an independent income stream to support further service provision for women.