24 March 2022 Today’s release of the National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) 2021 findings shows a slight improvement in student safety between 2016 and 2021. One in 5 students said they had experienced sexual harassment since commencing studies in 2016, compared to 1 in 6 in 2021. The rate of sexual assault dropped from [...]
9 April 2021 The Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) and Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) strongly oppose the Department of Home Affairs’ proposed imposition of an English language requirement, on both sponsors and applicants, for a partner visa. The Department of Home Affairs suggest in their consultation that passing an English test will make partner [...]
26 February 2021 Financial abuse and domestic violence advocates will give evidence to the Senate Committee today about the harm women will face if the Government’s Supporting Economic Recovery Bill is passed. Spokesperson for the Economic Abuse Reference Group Laura Bianchi said its 20 member organisations, which assist people experiencing financial abuse, have [...]
18 February 2021 The passage of the Government’s flawed merger bill by the barest of margins is a disappointing outcome for Australian children and families and tasks Australian judges with an impossible task, a coalition of stakeholders said today. The Law Council of Australia, Women’s Legal Services Australia, Community Legal Centres Australia, the [...]
Following last Tuesday’s budget announcement, there is a growing consensus that the federal budget needs fundamental change. Seventeen organisations have come together to call for a new approach to budgeting which will bring women’s needs into sharper focus. “The Minister for Women, Marise Payne, has made it clear that she understands that women will [...]
Violence prevention advocates, sexual and reproductive health advocates and legal experts have today released a paper that underlines the importance of safe access zones as a key violence prevention measure in Australia. Safe access zones are allocated ‘bubbles’ of safety around facilities that provide abortion care that prohibit harassment and intimidation of patients and staff. [...]
Joint AWAVA and Fair Agenda media release 8 May 2020 Key domestic violence experts are issuing a joint warning that the impacts of COVID-19 on women’s safety are only just beginning to be felt, and will compound the risks women face from abusive partners or family members for months and potentially years after isolation measures [...]
29 March 2020 The national alliance of organisations working to end all forms of violence against women has welcomed the announcement today of $150 million of Federal government funding to support women and children subjected to violence through the coronavirus pandemic, and noted more will be needed to manage this emerging crisis. “This funding is [...]
For immediate release 13 March 2020 Key women’s safety advocates have denounced the woeful outcomes from today’s COAG meeting in relation to women's and children’s safety. The groups say that the lack of action coming out of today's COAG meeting shows an absence of leadership; and a decision to abandon the women and [...]
5 March 2020 Dear Women’s Safety Ministers, As specialists with years of experience working with and for women and children subjected to violence, we know that long-term, major reforms are needed over the coming months and years to achieve lasting improvements to safety and justice. We also know there are key changes your [...]