Ed’s Letter & Your Say

osie Batty inspires me because of the work she does in domestic violence. She gets up and speaks about her son’s death and her experience. She’s incredibly brave,” writes Suzie, who works in The Big Issue’s Women’s Subscription Enterprise in Melbourne, in a response to our call-out for ideas for our annual International Women’s Day edition.

“I know how difficult that is because of my own experience. International Women’s Day is about celebrating brave and incredible women like Rosie Batty.”

Indeed. Rosie Batty’s courage and strength in the aftermath of great personal tragedy, the murder of her 11-year-old son Luke at the hands of his father, changed the way we speak about domestic violence in this country. By sharing her story, Rosie gave a voice to many other victim-survivors of family

Rviolence. She gave people confidence to reach out and get support. As the 2015 Australian of the Year, she put domestic violence on the national agenda. She’s helped make a tangible difference. Yet, as she says, we have a way to go. In Australia, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner, and almost 20 people are hospitalised each day for injuries sustained by domestic violence. One in six women, and one in 16 men, have experienced physical abuse from a partner. Family violence is the leading cause of homelessness, especially for women and children. It’s why we need systemic change. It’s why Rosie’s voice is vital. In this edition, she talks to Anastasia Safioleas about her family, the joys of being a mum to Luke, and the importance of reaching the next generation in order to prevent domestic violence and make a real and lasting change.

The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit magazine sold on the streets around Australia. It was created as a social enterprise 25 years ago to provide both a voice and a work opportunity for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. Your purchase of this magazine has directly benefited the person who sold it to you. Big Issue vendors buy each copy for $4.50 and sell it to you for $9, keeping the profits. But The Big Issue is more than a magazine.

• Our Women’s Subscription Enterprise provides employment and training for women through the sale of magazine subscriptions as well as social procurement work. • The Community Street Soccer Program promotes social inclusion and good health at weekly soccer games at 23 locations around the country. • The Vendor Support Fund will offset the cost price of products for vendors, allowing them to earn a larger margin on their own street sales. • The Big Issue Education workshops provide school, tertiary and corporate groups with insights into homelessness and disadvantage, and provide work opportunities for people experiencing marginalisation.

A special coincidence happened when I bought my Summer Fiction (Ed#654) copy of The Big Issue from Savey at Mitcham, in South Australia: a first for me to buy a Big Issue from the vendor featured in Meet Your Vendor. We shared a joke as he was wearing black-rimmed glasses, but he hastened to show me the blue glasses that he was wearing in the photo. Savey’s story is an inspiration. What a special organisation is The Big Issue. Keep up the great work.

ALISON HEMER LOWER MITCHAM I SA

I am one of those people who got to know Shane a little over the years in Geelong CBD, and I just read his Streetsheet message ‘So Much Love’ (Ed#654), announcing his retirement. I would be very grateful if you would pass on my very best wishes to Shane and Tanya. I really enjoyed having a chat when I saw Shane to buy The Big Issue. What a courageous thing it is to do, to put yourself out there. And he helped other people do that too. Take care of yourselves.

ROS PATERSON GEELONG I VIC

Alison wins a copy of Sally Wise’s delicious new cookbook The Comfort Bake. You can check out Sally’s recipe for Nectarine Crumble Tray Bake on page 42. We’d also love to hear your thoughts, feedback and suggestions: