What began as a tribute to one young woman’s life, has now grown into a powerful movement helping women across Aotearoa who have also fallen victims to domestic violence.

The Love Grace Handbag Appeal, created in memory of Grace Millane, a young British traveller who tragically lost her life whilst backpacking around New Zealand in 2018, combines Grace’s love of handbags with helping women in need. Grace’s family in the UK launched the initiative to honour her memory in a way that would bring light from tragedy, by providing handbags filled with essential items to women escaping domestic violence.

The handbags serve a dual purpose:

Providing Immediate Dignity and Essentials – Many women and children arrive at Refuges with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. Each handbag, filled with new toiletries and hygiene items, helps bridge that gap, offering immediate relief and restoring dignity in an unimaginably difficult moment.

Offering a Message of Love and Empowerment – The bags are more than just a collection of items, they are a tangible symbol of community care. Each bag serves as a welcoming gift that reminds the wāhine they are valued, not judged, and that their community supports their journey to safety and recovery.

Now in its fifth year in New Zealand, the appeal is driven entirely by dedicated Kiwi volunteers committed to honouring Grace’s legacy whilst supporting women in their local communities.

Each year, between Valentine’s Day (14 February) and International Women’s Day (8 March), people across the country donate handbags filled with essential items that are distributed to Women’s Refuges nationwide. These bags are then gifted directly to women who have fled violent homes, offering comfort, dignity, and a reminder that they are not alone.

To date, more than 15,000 handbags have been gifted to women in Aoteoroa who have come through the doors of Women’s Refuge services.

A team member from Women’s Refuge said:

“Providing clients a handbag that they get to choose themselves has been a vital step in our safety planning. When we offer a client the handbag, we always touch on Grace Millane’s story to explain how and why this appeal came about. Clients often become emotional, it truly touches them. When they choose a handbag of their choice, their eyes light up. Often, they say ‘I’ve never owned a handbag before’ or ‘I’ve never been able to choose something just for me’. It’s a small moment that restores a sense of dignity and control.”

Another team member shared:

“While we focus on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our clients, receiving those beautiful bags brings a spark of joy during very tough times. These small acts of kindness mean so much to the women we support, especially when they’re experiencing trauma.”

Across Aotearoa, Women’s Refuges, including those serving Māori and Pasifika communities, distribute these handbags as part of their crisis intervention and community support work. While the initiative began in Grace’s name, the lives it touches are Kiwi women.

Domestic violence affects every community in New Zealand. According to Women’s Refuge NZ, the country has one of the highest rates of family violence in the OECD countries, with an average of 71 crisis calls made each day and around 50,000 women and children referred to Refuge services each year.

This year’s Love Grace Handbag Appeal will run from 14 February to 8 March 2026.

You can find more information and updates, including drop-off locations (to be announced just before the appeal begins) on the official Facebook page: facebook.com/lovegracenz.

To donate a handbag with new essential items for one of our beautiful wahine to receive. A handbag checklist can be found here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b3hNCKj_-Wfjl5wiQmbA7UEYi5iMuq9Y/view?usp=sharing

Every handbag is more than a gift, it’s a message of hope, unity, and love from one kiwi to another.

© Scoop Media