Some of the women, who resided at women’s refuge Carrie’s Place at some time, have joined forces to put together a photographic exhibition to capture their past and symbolise their future.

Under the direction of professional photographer Simone Darcy, the women are also using the project, titled Photovoice, to break down barriers.

“The images can be symbolic of a social documentary and each will be a strong positive representation or maybe even a memory of a dark moment in time,” Ms Darcy said.

“It’s all about the women being able to express their own voice through images that will form a representation of how they feel now or how they felt in the past.”

Ms Darcy said the exhibition would consist of a series of images including strong portraits and symbolic images.

“This project is extremely empowering for the women involved because they feel strong in being able to express themselves in this way and they are also learning a skill,” she said.

“And they are also representing themselves in a new light.”

Photovoice will be shown at Wallsend District Library early next year.