b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum COVID-19 Pandemic Project for Southern Womens Safety Service: Australia SI Southern District of AdelaideEnsuringthatwomenareabletoaccessthatwomenwerestrugglingtoaffordthetravel essentialservices,includingshelters,bycosts to get to the centre. Transport in the southern supportingtheirabilitytousesafeareas surrounding the centre can be expensive and transportation contributes to SDG5 on genderwithwomenoftenhavingtofleeabusewithout equality,SDG11onsustainablecitiesanddocumentation, theyre unable to get the transport communities,SDG16forpeace,justiceandconcessionswhichmightmakethetransport strong institutions and SDG17 on partnershipsaffordable.for sustainable development. Recognisingthatpublicserviceshavearolein With the COVID-19 pandemic came rising levels ofwomensprotection,SISouthernDistrictof domestic and intimate partner violence, and withAdelaidecontactedtheSouthernAdelaide that violence came a corresponding need for accessTransport Department, asking that they donate the to services such as womens shelters. However, thecosts of each transit card that the SI club would then COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary limitationsadd funds to. This joined-up approach across public totravelandmovementalsocreatedadditionalservicesisessentialtoensurewomencansafely barriers to accessing those services, especially foraccessthesupporttheyneedwhenescaping women in rural areas without their own means ofviolence.By providing pre-paid metro cards to the transport. For some, this could mean they wouldcentre, SI Southern District of Adelaide were able to remain trapped in abusive and violent situations orensure that women needing to access the Southern face homelessness. Womens Safety Service could do so by train or by bus. By ensuring that all the cards had a reasonable SISouthernDistrictofAdelaide,wantingtodoamount of money on them, SI Southern District of something to support women needing to use theAdelaide could also ensure that the women could SouthernWomensSafetyServiceusedtheirpre- attend other appointments for medical, legal, social existing relationship with the organisation to findandotherservicestheyandtheirchildrenmay outwhatformsofassistancewouldbemostneed.effective. Through these discussions it became clear Infographic: UN Women'