Women's Resilience Centre: Paint it Forward

Leadership Means Visible Action: CEOs Called to ‘Paint It Forward’ for Domestic Violence Recovery

This November, Australian business leaders are being asked to show that leadership isn’t just about words; it’s about visible action.

Les Wingham, Board Director of the Women’s Resilience Centre (WRC) and COO at Industry Partners Australia, is calling on CEOs across the country to join Paint It Forward, a bold workplace campaign raising awareness and funds for survivors of domestic violence.

“Great leaders model the change they want to see,” says Wingham. “When CEOs paint their nails alongside their teams, it sends a powerful message: this company takes action on important social issues.”

What Is Paint It Forward?

Running during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December), Paint It Forward invites individuals and teams to paint four yellow nails (symbolising hope) and one black nail (honouring the one in four Australian women affected by domestic violence).

The goal? To raise $30,000 for evidence-based recovery programs through the Women’s Resilience Centre.

“On 25 November, I’ll be painting my nails with my team,” says Wingham. “It’s a small gesture with profound impact: it starts conversations, builds unity, and directly funds programs that change lives.”

Why Businesses Are Getting Involved

Beyond the social impact, Paint It Forward delivers measurable business value.

“Ninety-four percent of employees want their employer to lead on domestic violence response,” Wingham explains. “Paint It Forward gives companies a tangible, positive way to meet that expectation. This is ESG in action: quantifiable, visible, and impactful.”

Professional nail technicians from Purely Polished are bringing the initiative straight to offices across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, and Adelaide, making participation as easy as booking a mobile session.

📅 Book a session: purelypolished.com.au/paint-it-forward

Recovery: The Missing Piece

While awareness is essential, Wingham stresses that long-term recovery is the true key to breaking the cycle.

Operating in more than 178 communities nationwide, the Women’s Resilience Centre provides trauma-informed counselling, resilience programs, peer mentoring, and employment pathways — all with less than 1% government funding.

“Paint It Forward helps fund the programs that rebuild lives,” says Wingham. “It’s recovery that breaks generational cycles.”

The Challenge

Wingham’s challenge to corporate Australia is simple but powerful:

“I’m inviting everyone to join us. Paint with your peers. Show your support by taking action. Imagine if 100 Australian companies participated. That’s thousands of conversations, hundreds of thousands in donations, and a nationwide statement that corporate Australia funds recovery, not just awareness.”

How You Can Get Involved

💅 Book a workplace session: purelypolished.com.au/paint-it-forward
💛 Donate directly: chuffed.org/project/wrc-paint-it-forward
📸 Share your support: #PaintItForward #WRC #16Days #EndDomesticViolence #1in4 #WomensResilienceCentre

Your Impact

Every dollar helps women rebuild their lives:

• $50 → Recovery resources for one woman
• $100 → Personalised recovery assessment
• $250 → Trauma-informed counselling session
• $500 → One month of structured support
• $1,000 → 12 weeks of comprehensive recovery

Leadership means visible action. This November, join the movement: one nail, one conversation, one recovery at a time.