Fair Agenda | For immediate release
“International Women’s Day should be a time of celebration – to focus on everything women
around our country and community are contributing and achieving. But it should be a national
shame that so many women around our country are not only being abused and assaulted – but
also left without the service support they need to be safe and supported to heal.” said Renee
Carr, Fair Agenda.
The alliance representing domestic, family and sexual violence services around the country is
calling for federal and state governments to increase investment in frontline women’s safety
services. They say the fact women reaching out for support can’t access it when they ask for it
is a national disgrace.
They’re calling on the Albanese Government to lead the way, with additional commitments
ahead of Melbourne hosting the world’s biggest civil-society led convening on gender equality in
April.
“We’re preparing to welcome 6,500 gender equality leaders from around the world to
Melbourne. When Australia’s representatives step onto the stage and talk about how we’re
doing here at home – there are some things to celebrate; but the rates and responses to
domestic and sexual violence around our country are still a national shame.” added Renee Carr,
Fair Agenda.
Sue Webeck, Domestic Violence Crisis Service, said:
“People experiencing domestic and family violence need and deserve a world where
frontline services are responsive and available when and where they need them – no
matter what time of day it is, or how many other people need help.
Violence in our country is not going away. However, the possibility of specialist services
being able to respond to those in our community experiencing violence is rapidly
diminishing, as we are simply left asking ‘where is the funding?’.
Sadly, frontline response services are using resources to continually advocate and plead
with governments to maintain what funding they have. The prospect of meeting the rising
demand for assistance feels remote.
Our National Plan talks about a focus on early intervention — we can’t have a serious
conversation about early intervention if services aren’t funded to respond to people
reaching out the first time they seek help.”
Elise Phillips, CEO of Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre said:
“Most of us recognise the critical role of supported recovery and healing after a major
physical injury. The same kind of support is critical when we’re supporting people
through trauma and the impacts of domestic and sexual assault.
In the Illawarra we’ve now established the nation’s first trauma recovery centre for
survivors – and we’ve supported more than 300 women in our first 18 months. This
support can make such a big difference.
But it shouldn’t just be limited to Illawarra – wherever they live, survivors should be able
to access trauma recovery services to heal and rebuild their lives.”
Malini Raj, Executive Director of the Australian Multicultural Women’s Alliance:
“Escaping domestic or sexual violence is already difficult, terrifying and dangerous. For a
woman on a temporary visa, that risk is even greater because leaving can mean
uncertainty about her visa, her housing, her inability to access Medicare and income
support.
“That’s why investment in guaranteed access to Medicare, social security and safe
housing for temporary visa holders experiencing violence is so critical. And it’s also why
culturally responsive, community-led and co-designed specialist services are so
important and must be sustainably funded so women can access support they trust, in a
way that recognises the complexity of their circumstances.”
No woman should be forced to choose between her safety and her right to stay in
Australia.”
Tiffany Karlsson, Secretary of NASASV and CEO of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre said:
“A woman in Australia today has a 1 in 3 chance of having experienced child sexual
abuse and a 1 in 5 chance of experiencing sexual violence as an adult. Sexual violence
is widespread, underreported and rising.
Every survivor deserves access to expert, specialist support. Yet the services that provide this
vital care are not funded sufficiently by governments to reach everyone who needs them.
It is time to fund specialist sexual violence services at the level this national crisis demands.”
“The fact that women who are trying to escape abuse, or to begin healing after they’ve been
sexually assaulted – and our services aren’t funded to provide them with every support they
need in those critical moments – I think most people would agree they deserve better.” Ms Carr
added.
Media contact: Renee Carr, Fair Agenda, 0435 597 976