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Removing Barriers to Safety for Victims/Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence who are on Temporary Visas

Violence against women is a grave violation of human rights. The National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children envisions an Australia free from all forms of violence and abuse against women and their children.
 

On the international stage, Australia is leading the way in efforts to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and uphold human rights bodies such as the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
 

Victims/survivors should be empowered to make decisions which promote their safety, well-being and recovery through access to specialist services including housing, health, legal, social security, education and stable visa status. Victims/survivors and their dependants should have a right to determine their place of residence without impediment from the perpetrator.
 

In 2018 the National Advocacy Group on Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Violence produced a Path to Nowhere report that examined the issues for women on temporary visas experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants. Report findings highlighted a national crisis, affirmed by evidence and reviews nationally, which requires immediate law and policy reform by the Australian and State and Territory governments.

 
Women and their children have the right to be safe from all forms of violence in Australia, regardless of their visa status. This Blueprint sets out necessary reforms to achieve safety for all women.

To improve women’s and children’s access to safety and justice, we call on the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to implement the following three steps:
 
1. Improve the migration system so that all women on temporary visas who experience domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants can access protections, services and justice.
2. Ensure eligibility and access to services and government support are based on women’s needs for safety and recovery, regardless of their migration status.

3. Ensure that women on temporary visas who have experienced domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants have immediate and full access to safety, protection, justice and fully funded specialist support with demonstrated gender expertise and cultural competency.

Download Blueprint for Reform here: 

26 September 2019

Primary prevention is an approach to address the underlying gendered and other intersecting drivers of violence to stop violence before it occurs. Primary prevention of violence against women encompasses activities to build respectful relationships and increase gender equality to reduce and ultimately end violence against women. It also includes activities to counter other forms of discrimination that combine with gender inequality and can contribute to increased severity or prevalence of violence against women experiencing these multiple forms of discrimination.

Between December 2018 and February 2019 AWAVA conducted a survey of prevention activities, led by our Violence Prevention Working Group. This was the first attempt to map primary prevention activities across Australia. The survey aimed to create a picture of activities to inform policy, practice and advocacy, and to identify key enablers as well as barriers and challenges to prevention work.

Read the report on the survey here:

The Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children has been announced and endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments.
AWAVA has prepared an analysis of the Fourth Action Plan mapping it against our earlier submission during the consultations.

In summary, the Fourth Action Plan is positive in articulating some strong principles for addressing violence against women and their children in a holistic way and is to be welcomed for giving attention to diverse groups of women previously marginalised in policy development. Challenges remain in embedding an intersectional lens in policy, resourcing (in particular to specialist women’s services), and systems improvements in key areas including migration, family law, and social security. AWAVA looks forward to working closely with the government towards the development of a robust implementation plan for the Fourth Action Plan that addresses measures of prevention and response to VAW in a holistic manner.

Download the full analysis here: