The post Rise Together Initiative 2026 first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

In early June, twelve women from across Australia gathered in Sydney for a five-day leadership and career confidence workshop — the final stage of our Rise Together Initiative. Designed for defence and veteran partners, including war widows, the program focused on building confidence, strengthening leadership skills, and fostering meaningful connection among women with shared lived experience.

This marks a milestone moment in a journey that began with a legacy.

From one woman’s gift to a national program

Rise Together officially launched at Parliament House in March 2025, supported by Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women, and funded through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Wellbeing Grants Program. But the seeds of this initiative were sown years earlier.

Over the past three years, one war widow privately funded six veteran partners to take part in the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program. Her motivation was simple but profound: to offer others the opportunity she never had. Her act of generosity became the foundation for Rise Together: a national program that this year supported twelve more women to step into their strengths and shape their futures.

Leadership development for defence and veteran families

The WILD program equips participants with practical skills in personal leadership, resilience, communication, and purpose-driven decision-making. Through this proven framework, the Rise Together cohort was invited to reconnect with their strengths, reflect on their journey, and set a path for what comes next — both professionally and personally.

The group was made up of war widows, current serving partners, and veteran spouses from every state and territory. For many, this was their first time stepping away from the demands of caring for others to focus on their own growth.

As one participant shared:

“This reminded me that I still have things to offer. That I’m more than what I’ve sacrificed.”

Safe spaces and strong connections

Feedback from the workshop highlighted the quality of facilitation, the warmth of peer support, and the respectful, inclusive environment. Participants appreciated the space to connect with like-minded women, share challenges openly, and be part of something that recognised and valued their experiences.

Beyond individual development, the initiative offered something deeper: recognition of the unique challenges faced by defence and veteran families, including career disruption, frequent relocations, and the often invisible emotional labour of supporting someone who serves.

A legacy that continues

At its heart, Rise Together is a story of one generation of women supporting the next. What began with the generosity and vision of one woman has now grown into has now grown into a national program creating real, lasting impact.

As these twelve women return to their homes, workplaces and communities, they carry with them new skills, confidence, and connections — and the knowledge that they’re not alone.

The post Rise Together: empowering defence and veteran partners through leadership and connection first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

We are proud to announce the launch of our resource hub, a living library built to empower war widows, defence and veteran families with numerous information sheets, webinar recordings, articles, videos and media interviews from us. This hub is a great place for veteran families to find the information they need, when they need it. Whether it’s a practical guide supporting your physical and emotional wellbeing, information on your entitlements and services available, important updates in an article or an interview, the resource hub is here to empower war widows, defence and veteran families by providing them the information, tips and tools so they can look after their wellbeing and stay connected and informed.

Why is this important for war widows and veteran families?

Veteran families are often navigating incredibly complex systems, where finding the information that is relevant to them takes time, research and is extremely complex and at times confusing. Whether they need to understand entitlements available to them, accessing support services, managing care responsibilities, staying informed on what is new in the veteran space, veteran families need to have a place where they can find the information and build their knowledge so they can navigate this system with less difficulty.

Navigating a complex system can be different depending on where families are in their journey: whether it is during service, after service or after the passing of their veteran, the information they need will be different at every stage. By bringing all this content together, we are making it easier for veteran families to find the information they need and we are supporting their physical and emotional wellbeing, every step of the way. 

What is the resource hub?

The resource hub is a location available through our website, all in the one place and easy to navigate. It contains information sheets that include practical information on entitlements, services, as well as practical tips on how to manage different situations veteran families may be exposed to along the way. The hub also includes our media appearances, videos and articles so veteran families can stay inform on important changes and issues affecting them and their families. The resource hub will continue to expand, with new content and media being uploaded on a regular basis.

Explore the resource hub here.

Something isn’t there? We encourage you to share what you’d like to see in the resource hub by emailing guild@fov.org.au

The post Introducing our resource hub for veteran and defence families first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.