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! 

--

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

5,493 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

* required fields

Latest activity

Carl , 4127  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:39:43 +1100
Patricia , 3147  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:38:51 +1100
"Typical of this government – it announces more money to tackle violence, just after the election, now it takes away funding from another section."
Chris , 3912  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:38:35 +1100
"When desperate people in our society need help against violent partners only inhumane rogues would cut their support lines. $1 billion is scheduled to support a foreign billionaire, Adani, to build a railway to the coast, to ship out dirty coal, but we can’t support our own women and children. This is sick decision making. What’s happening to my country?"
Annette , 2530  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:36:57 +1100
Lee Ann , 3143  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:36:39 +1100
"Free and affordable legal advice provided by CLC’s is essential to combat family violence."
Penny , 3044  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:36:23 +1100
Sylvia , 4164  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:35:59 +1100
"Why are the vulnerable always the recipients of budget cuts and multinational corporations can escape paying normal tax rates?"
Hermann , 4552  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:35:53 +1100
"In a decent society we must protect women! We must do everything to make sure children growing up in violent relationships are not only absolutely safe but do not pick up and perpetuate the violence they witness. Financial cuts to any service that helps women and their young children are not on in a fair society."
Viviana , 3175  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:35:31 +1100
"Because I was one of them, without this support my children would have been un the streets , one of them was even abused by her father after the separation. Their and my safety was only achieved by this support, with the numbers alone it should show you how much help is needed. There are so many more that are pressured into staying, so much of our youth that will follow this example and carry on with violence if it is not stopped…but we cannit do it alone! We need our government’s financial and educational support! How do you change the future? You act today!"
Nicole , 2500  /  signed 2016-12-21 08:34:53 +1100
← Previous  1  2  …  58  59  60  61  62  63  64  65  66  …  153  154  Next →