Tell the govt: fully fund women’s safety
Men’s use of gender-based violence is a crisis across the country. Yet consecutive governments have chosen not to properly resource life-saving family, sexual and domestic violence services.
Every day violence services aren't fully funded is another day women are left in danger.
Enough is enough. We’re calling on the Federal Government to design a budget for a world where women can live, work and learn free from violence. A budget that ensures that a woman or girl who has been raped doesn’t wait months for trauma counselling support. A budget that ensures services have the capacity to respond to a man at risk of using violence. And importantly a budget that ensures any person subject to violence is supported to be safe and escape their abuser.
Experts have indicated that a federal budget that does these things and puts us on track for a safer future will require $1 billion annually of resourcing. This is far from current funding levels.
Join us by calling on the federal government to make women’s safety should be a non-negotiable at the heart of their next budget.
*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.
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There are gaping holes in the safety net that should be in place for women affected by sexual, domestic and family violence. Funding is urgently needed across every part of the system. Including:
1. Improving intervention with men who are at risk of using or continuing violence by:
- Increasing funding to services, so that instead of month-long waitlists, men at risk of using violence can immediately access behaviour change programs.
- And funding services to support the family and children of those men during behaviour change problems.
- Investment in the research needed to understand rates of men perpetrating violence so that we can measure and track the behaviour we are trying to reduce. As well funding to evaluate which interventions are working best, so we can focus on them in the future.
2. Supporting earlier intervention with those using and affected by violence by:
- Providing trauma-informed recovery support to support children affected by domestic and family violence and supporting them to choose respectful approaches to relationships.
- Ensuring key services in our communities are trained and resourced to recognise the signs that someone is experiencing or using domestic and family violence, and provide safety support earlier.
3. Properly resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations leading critical work to prevent gender-based violence and support safety outcomes of First Nations women affected by men’s violence. Right now, funding is needed for Family Violence Prevention Legal Services and Aboriginal family violence resource centres and Aboriginal Legal Services to assist everyone who needs them.
4. Supporting trauma-response and healing for rape survivors. So that women calling 1800 RESPECT for support after being raped aren’t put on months-long waiting lists for counselling support.
5. Ensuring women trying to build futures are provided the specialist support they need to be safe from a partner’s harmful behaviour. As well as specialist support to navigate the complicated police, Centrelink, victim services and other government processes that are often needed for their immediate safety and independence.
These are some of the ways that we can immediately improve women’s safety and recovery from violence - but they need resourcing.On top of this, previous governments have piloted safety services in places like our courts, hospitals, and service system. And experts have said they work, and should be scaled nationally. But previous governments have decided resourcing them wasn’t a priority.
Join the campaign to show the Albanese Government we want women’s safety to be at the core of their budgets; and we want these services fully funded.