Jan Milne is a media advocate with the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service.
Her personal experience of family violence drives her passion to advocate on behalf of all women and children affected by violence and abuse.
Like more than one third of Australian women, Jan has lived with family violence. She grew up in a close and loving family and had never been exposed to family violence. As a young woman, Jan was headstrong, intelligent and independent. She met her former husband, five years her senior, through friends. He was everything she could ask for: handsome, smart and a hard worker.
Cracks started to form early in the relationship, but because Jan did not understand family violence she made excuses for his behaviour. Despite serious physical and psychological violence and abuse, Jan knew that if her marriage ended in divorce she would feel like a failure. Jan told herself she had to give it her best shot. She did this for 11 years before Jan made the courageous decision to leave.
Thirty years on and Jan is now happily married to her soul mate. They own and operate a successful business. Jan is also an accomplished author.
Jan is now an ambassador for White Ribbon, has spoken at many conferences and appeared on Channel 10 and Channel 7 supporting this cause.
Jan, like other Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service media advocates, has a powerful message to share with the greater community. Her story makes change possible so that every woman can live without constraint, in complete safety and to reach their full potential.