Stop cuts to this vital service for women affected by family violence

VICTORY! After months of campaigning by Fair Agenda members, in partnership with Community legal workers, domestic violence groups, survivor advocates and others - the Turnbull Government announced on the 24th April a full reversal to the three years of scheduled cuts to Community Legal Centres! 

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Community Legal Centres are a critical, potentially life-saving, service for many women trying to escape an abusive partner. 

In order to escape, many women will first need to know how they can access shared funds or property, if they'll be able to keep their children safe, and if they'll be able to untangle themselves from any financial abuse and debt that might have been used to try and trap them.

Right now, family violence and family law are the two biggest areas of work for Community Legal Centres in Australia. And inadequate funding is already limiting their work so much that Centres are forced to turn away 160,000 people a year - many of them women trying to escape violence. 

Now the Government is about to make things even worse. The Turnbull Government has just confirmed that from 1 July 2017 it plans to cut a whopping 30% of Community Legal Centres' funding. These cuts will cripple Community Legal Centres, and leave thousands more women each year without this essential lifeline they need to escape family violence.

Will you sign and share the petition against the cuts, and help stop this cruel cut to this vital community service? 

*If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, you can call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 support. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

Find out more (click to view)

Australia is in the midst of a family violence crisis. The statistics are stark. 81,900 women say they have wanted to escape their current violent partner, but never have. Further 1 in 12 women have indicated they have been forced to return to their abusive partner because they had nowhere else to go. At the same time, the funding for services women need to live free from danger are being cut by governments; leaving thousands of women in danger. 

Community Legal Centres:

  • name the top two areas of work as family law and family-violence related matters
  • are currently forced to turn away 160,000 people annually because of under-funding (including but not limited to those affected by family violence)
  • are facing cuts of $12.1 million (30% of funding) due to take effect from 1 July 2017
  • Actually need an *extra* $14.4 million to meet existing demand 

Can you join the campaign to reverse these cuts, and fully fund, Community Legal Centres?

-References-

"This budget is devastating and dangerous for women experiencing family violence", Mamamia, 4 May 2016. 
"Thousands of women in danger" without billions more in funding to tackle domestic violence, advocates say, BuzzFeed News, 19 May 2016.

Help us get to 7,500 signatures

5,496 SIGNATURES

Dear Malcolm Turnbull and the Federal Government,

We are calling on you to reverse your devastating funding cuts to Community Legal Centres, and commit to fully funding them instead, so that no more women in Australia are left unable to escape from family violence.

Signed,

Fair Agenda will email petition signers from time to time with important updates

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Latest activity

Jake , 4810  /  signed 2017-04-11 14:53:36 +1000
Cathy , 5048  /  signed 2017-04-11 13:00:42 +1000
"In light of a supposed commitment by the Turnbull government to reduce domestic violence, these cuts do not make sense. They are cruel and irrational."
Sandra , 0851  /  signed 2017-04-10 23:21:15 +1000
"Community Legal Centres save lives. They provide crucial services to the most disadvantaged in our communities. We cannot lose our CLCs.

Women and children that live in communities like Katherine quiet often have no other access to legal services other than our CLCs. If you want to ‘close the gap’ then stop cutting funds to essential services such as CLCs."
Maree , 4560  /  signed 2017-04-10 22:03:10 +1000
"Family has been through it"
Carol , 3153  /  signed 2017-04-10 18:50:58 +1000
"This funding is too important to victims, it could be life saving…please do not reduce this funding"
Jelena , 3931  /  signed 2017-04-10 16:35:09 +1000
"All people should be TREATED EQUALLY under the law and that includes ACCESS to legal advice and representation."
Marie Anne , 3071  /  signed 2017-04-10 16:05:29 +1000
"Without this funding i am certain more women experiencing family violence will remain in abusive relationships and this will have significant impact on them as individuals, and for children. Not knowing your rights or having the ability to access the law will severely impact on their safety and capcity to reach their full potential."
Megan , 3204  /  signed 2017-04-09 19:12:11 +1000
Krystal , 3377  /  signed 2017-04-07 18:49:47 +1000
"I’m a survivor of domestic violence"
Jessie , 4814  /  signed 2017-04-07 16:52:40 +1000
"Truely believe that the work that North Queensland Legal Service (NQWLS) is doing is significant in the community, however their funding has been cut substantially and has become critical"
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