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Media Release: Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022: Moving Ahead

MEDIA RELEASE

Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022 

Moving Ahead

The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance commends the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments for their release of the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children on June 27, 2014. The impact of Violence against women for Australian women, their families and their communities is devastating. Across the country one in three women experience physical violence and one in five experience sexual violence since the age of 15. Almost one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner each week.

AWAVA applauds the Governments’ prioritisation of reducing violence against women and their leadership in strengthening our mechanisms to prevent and respond to this violence. We recognize the particular vulnerability of women from marginalised communities to violence and are pleased that the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 specifically targets high risk communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and women with a disability.

Julie Oberin, the Chair of AWAVA, said today that she “welcomes the Action Plan’s focus on improving support services for women and children who are experiencing violence, whilst also addressing the root causes of violence against women such as gender inequality and community attitudes supporting and enabling violence to continue.” Ms. Oberin states that “it is a key strategy to engage with the media and key community institutions.”

AWAVA also welcomes the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence.

AWAVA looks forward to supporting the implementation of the Second Action Plan over the next 3 years. In particular, AWAVA is excited to be facilitating an International Conference on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children in collaboration with The Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and Children in late 2015/early 2016.

 

For comment: Julie Oberin, Chair (email or 0419539346) Sophie Hardefeldt, Program Manager (email or 0418574018)

A pdf version of this media release is available here.

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Launch of the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022

On Friday 27 June, 2014, the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 was launched. More information about the Second Action Plan is available on the Department of Social Services website, or click here for a pdf version.

Also available are shorter fact sheets to explain different aspects of the Plan:

 

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Budget Review 2013-14: Stronger, Smarter, Fairer…?

The budget announcements under personal safety of women and children (National Plan) for 2013-14 include $44 million:

  • $5.2 million over 5 years for the establishment and operation of the Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children
  • $7.6 million over 3 years to continue and extend DV-Alert training program
  • $28.5 million to June 2017 to continue and expand 1800RESPECT, enabling an increase in the number of counsellors for the service, translation of online materials and online community for workers to access specialist professional support
  • $3 million over 3 years to dedicated research stream on perpetrator interventions through the National Centre of Excellence to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children

Other funding announcements that relate or could potential have an impact on preventing violence against women and their children include:

  • $434.1 million over 4 years for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.  This includes $45 million to provide expert services to help support survivors
  • $0.5 million  between 2012-13 in grants for advocacy, research, training, and service provision for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
  • $10.3 million over 4 years, for Community Legal Centres and $42 million over 2 years for Legal Assistance Services
  • $21.4 million, over 4 years to the Fair Work Commission to provide a legal remedy for victims of workplace bullying
  • $4.6 million over four years to establish the Andrew Fisher Applied Policy Institute for Ageing
  • Funding between 2012-2013 for sexual assault counselling in remote NT areas as part of the “mobile outreach services plus”
  •  Major internet service providers (ISPs) will be required to block child abuse websites on the INTERPOL ‘worst of’ child abuse list

Read more in AWAVA’s full media release on the positives and areas to strengthen or focus on for addressing all forms of violence against women and girls: AWAVA 2013-14 Budget Media Release

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First Progress Report on National Plan

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) have announced the online publication of the first Progress Report to the Council of Australian Governments on the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

Comments from FaHCSIA:

“This report is the first in a series of progress reports to the Council of Australian Governments and the general public on our efforts to reduce violence against women and their children.  It details the actions taken and progress made by Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the non-government sector during the National Plan’s first two years of implementation, from 2010 – 2012. 

The report shows that, although there is more to be done, we have made a significant amount of progress in the past two years.  Your commitment to this work and your input to the development of this report are very much appreciated.

We look forward to continuing to work with you to build on these achievements”

 

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Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence against Women and Children Published

The Victorian Government published  its State Action Plan: Action Plan To Address Violence against Women & Children 2012-15: Everyone has a Responsibility to Act  in support of  the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, on 9 October.

$90 million over 3 years is committed to its implementation.  Its strengths are:

  • Promotion of gender equity
  • Focus on primary prevention: inclusion in school curriculum, teacher training and responsible media reporting
  • Everyone has a responsibility: engaging communities to challenge behaviour and attitudes, including workplaces
  • Investing in service response for women experiencing violence
  • Response specifically for women with disabilities experiencing violence
The Victoria Government press release includes more information.
The sector cautions that the funding for implementing the Action Plan – both primary prevention, service response, including justice response – will be crucial, and are key to see the  plan put into action.

Read the press releases below from AWAVA Advisory Group Members and Friends & Supporters:

 

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Latest National Plan Update

Information on progress against the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-22 and the National Priorities is now available following the first National Plan Implementation Panel (NPIP) in April 2012.  The update is provided from the National Plan Secretariat, Safety Taskforce Branch, FaHCSIA and can be accessed here

Some of the highlights:

Primary prevention activities during 2012-13 include:

  • inclusion of respectful relationship education in the national curriculum: the draft curriculum is due to be developed by the end of 2012, followed by national consultation in the first half of 2013 for finalisation by the end of 2013
  • development of primary prevention benchmarks; and
  • working with media to help guide and shape the broader conversation about violence against women

Keep an eye out for:

  • National standards for telephone and/or online counselling services report: due by October 2012 with recommendations
  • Expansion of 1800RESPECT to support frontline workers: work has started on an online portal
  • Women with Disability: Women with Disability Australia is undertaking broad consultations to analyse service delivery barriers, identify and develop resources and possible areas for structural reform to improve access for women with disability who experience or are at risk of violence
  • Building the Evidence Base: Work is well progressed with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to conduct the Personal Safety Survey in 2012.  Reporting from the survey is currently on track to be available in the second half of 2013
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Katherine Community Engagement Event

The AWAVA team are back from the first of our Community Engagement events which was held in Katherine last week.  The event was designed to bring together local organisations and people interested in learning more about the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children and what they can do in their own communities.

There were 25 participants from 15 organisations ranging from Katherine Police, health and hospital, local government, community organisations and a range of specialist sexual assault and family violence services. Most of the participants were already undertaking significant work in their area of prevention of violence against women, but still found the event very useful and went away with more information about the National Plan.

Many of the participants were able to talk about what they are currently doing and share this with other locals. There was much networking and sharing of contact details and a realisation by some that they have been working alone when there are others just around the corner they can be teaming up with on prevention activities.  One group left saying ‘We have a plan!’

 

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AWAVA recieves funding for two new projects

AWAVA is pleased to announce that we have received Australian Government funding for two new projects to assist in the elimination of violence against women. Both projects focus on violence prevention in regional and remote communities.

  1. The Bridging the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children to Community Social Change Action – Engagement Project will see AWAVA develop and deliver a series of events in regional and remote locations to promote the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (“the Plan”) and discuss how organisations can take action at a local level.
  2. AWAVA will also be working with the National Rural Women’s Coalition and Network (NWRC) to develop a toolkit and guide to support women to implement the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The resources will focus on preventing violence before it occurs by working to change underlying causes.
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