A Perth woman is stepping into the ring to raise awareness of violence against women, as support services warn growing demand is outpacing funding across the country.

Courtney Sewell says boxing helped her to rebuild confidence during a tough time.

“I started boxing at the same time I was going through a sexual harassment case at my workplace,” she says.

“Boxing really helped me to bring back a sense of strength in myself and self-belief.”

The commission found she was effectively forced to leave her job because of how the complaint was handled.

Ms Sewell this week started an eight-week boxing camp at a Perth gym, using the experience to raise money for Full Stop Australia, a national organisation providing 24-hour support for people impacted by domestic and family violence and sexual assault.

“I really want to fight for those who don’t necessarily have the strength or the self-belief to fight for themselves,” she says.

Full Stop Australia chief executive officer Karen Bevan says demand for the service had grown significantly in recent years.

“This is a national crisis and governments across the country really need to step up,” she says.

Women’s Legal Service WA lawyer Jasmine Pavan says demand for legal support for cases involving violence are increasing each year.

“There’s a greater need for government funding; there aren’t enough services and there aren’t enough supports,” she says.

Ms Bevan says cases are becoming more complex and there are barriers to accessing support, particularly in regional and remote areas of Western Australia.

“It’s very rare we have a client who only has one legal issue,” she says.

“Women are constantly getting abused by people they love and trust, as well as harassed by people they don’t know.”

Ms Sewell wants her boxing fundraiser to encourage more women to seek help.