7. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WOMEN? 1
Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women, with an average of one woman a week killed by her partner or former partner in Australia, and one in four women experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Women are also subject to other forms of violence. Every year in Australia, over 300,000 women experience violence – often sexual violence – from someone other than a partner. Young women (18-24 years) experience significantly higher rates of physical and sexual violence than women in older age groups, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience both far higher rates and more severe forms of violence compared to other women. There is growing evidence that women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence. The cost of violence against women and their children to the Australian economy in 2009 was $13.6 billion. It is calculated to rise to $15.6 billion by 2012-22 without the right preventive action.
DATA AND CURRENT POLICY SETTINGS
The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2010–22) (‘the National Plan’) is the primary mechanism for addressing violence against women at the national level. It is a twelve year plan agreed by all governments (federal and state/territory), and is supported by Action Plans. The Second Action Plan is currently in effect, and the Third Action Plan is in development. On 1 April 2016, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) issued a communiqué, responding to the final report of the Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children, and outlining support for the six areas identified by the Panel for further joint action: national leadership to challenge gender inequality and transform community attitudes; empowering women who experience violence to make informed choices; recognising children and young people as victims of violence against women; holding perpetrators to account for their actions and supporting them to change; providing trauma-informed responses to violence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and providing integrated responses to keep women and their children safe.
AREAS OF CONTENTION
All main parties support the continuation of the National Plan which is a positive outcome but, for the ALP and Greens, the National Plan would not necessarily continue as the primary and sole vehicle for making progress. The Greens have promised a ‘comprehensive plan’ for primary prevention, a new peak body, and a new ten-year $5 billion National Partnership Agreement with states and territories. The ALP has promised a national crisis summit with a view to the creation of a ‘new deal’. Funding patterns also show clear differences in emphases between the parties. While this is outlined to some extent in the table below, the repercussions and impact of family violence is so significant
1 All statistics sourced from http://www.ourwatch.org.au/Understanding-Violence/Facts-and-figures and so far-reaching that it is difficult to isolate measures. Broad housing and homelessness, and legal services platforms, for example, are critically important. Continuously for forty years the Commonwealth Government has co-funded (with the states) women’s refuges and other front line domestic violence services. This funding is coming to an end on 30 June 2017. Led by Women’s Electoral Lobby and strongly supported by NFAW, over 30 women’s and community organisations representing thousands of supporters, and ten thousand individual women and men have been campaigning for eighteen months for long term and securely funded Commonwealth/state national program (Women and Children’s Safety Program: Women’s Refuges and Housing Program, 2015) funding for 24-hour accessible women’s refuges, frontline outreach services and transitional accommodation. The program would be separated from the current homelessness programs which do not serve the specific needs of women and children escaping violence. Escaping domestic violence is vastly different in character from general homelessness and requires specialised programs. It is a crisis situation, which with the specialist help provided by refuges may eventually see women and their children returning to their home and community. The cost to the Commonwealth would be $1 billion over 5 years, with $200m a year matched by the states.
AVAILABLE PARTY POLICIES
Coalition Labor (ALP) Greens Overarching The 2016-17 Budget $88 m over 2 years for a new The Greens have announced a pre-election provided for $100m over Safe Housing for Women $2.2 billion plan over four position three years for Program (SHWP) to increase years as part of a ten year, $5 implementation of the the number of refuges, billion commitment to Second Action Plan. An provide transitional housing properly fund front line additional one-off options for women and services.2 $100m package was children escaping domestic announced in September and family violence, and to 2015. support programs that enable women to stay safe in their own homes. Institutional Continued support of Continued support of the The National Plan is ‘a good framework the National Plan, with National Plan. start’ but more is needed. development of the Following the National Crisis Creation of a ten year $5 Third Action Plan Summit, Labor will seek a new billion National Partnership currently underway. deal on coordinated judicial Agreement with states and and social services reform to territories. better respond to and prevent A new national peak body for family violence Labor will specialist domestic violence provide funding certainty (up services ($8m over 4 years). to 2021-22) to the family violence peak organisations delivering the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, 1800 RESPECT, Our WATCH and ANROWS. Primary $30m attitudinal-change Promised a comprehensive
2 http://greens.org.au/domestic-violence prevention campaign (jointly funded plan for primary prevention. by Commonwealth, states and territories). Safety and $15m in grants to community security organisations, local government and other providers to make infrastructure improvements in homes, including through locks, lighting, CCTV and alarm systems. Front-line On 21 June 2016 there $88 m over 2 years in new Ten year $5 billion National services was a Liberal media Safe Housing for Women Partnership Agreement (NPA) release saying, ‘The Program (SHWP) to increase on domestic violence and Turnbull Coalition is transitional housing options violence against women to resolute in its for women and children specialist services such as commitment to ensure escaping domestic and family crisis phone services, women and children are violence and to support women’s shelters, training for safe in their homes, safe programs that enable women service providers, and on the streets and safe to stay safe in their own counselling. online.’3 homes. This $15m SHWP will increase the announcement was part number of refuges specifically of the $33.3 m ($100m available for women and over 3 years) already children fleeing domestic announced in the 2016- violence and will fill a gap 17 Budget. It will go to between crisis housing and the 1800RESPECT longer term arrangements. helpline; a housing innovation fund to provide safe accommodation for women and children; financial counselling and capacity building and access to microfinance; and innovative and collaborative service delivery between specialist family violence service providers and health and social services providers. Holding $8.4m to improve perpetrator $128m over 4 years (included perpetrators interaction mapping. in the NPA) for men’s to account behaviour change early intervention program, national standards for perpetrator accountability, and national perpetrator
3 https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2016/06/21/coalition-boost-domestic-violence-frontline-services accountability summits. Workplace Five days paid domestic and Ten days paid domestic support family violence leave in the violence leave as a right for National Employment every worker. Standards. Extend protection against The National Employment discrimination at work to Standards provide statutory cover discrimination on the minimum conditions. basis of domestic violence. Those who have access to the leave entitlement will retain their job and income, which gives women choice, reduces isolation, helps them to care for their children and provides them with a safe home environment
Housing The Greens have committed [See section 9 to a doubling Federal funding Housing] to a total of $1.1 billion per year, including a boost of $827 million per year, for homelessness services under the Homelessness Has No Place In Australia initiative.4 $100m over 2 years on capital works for crisis accommodation. Build 14,500 affordable dwellings, funded by scrapping negative gearing which would generate $42 billion over ten years.5 Legal $47.4m for targeted legal Immediately increase assistance services, including $4.5m in combined federal and state and justice Family Violence Prevention funding to legal assistance by [See section Legal Services to support at least $200 million per year, 10 Legal Aid] Aboriginal and Torres Strait as recommended by the Islander women and their Productivity Commission with children. further increases to meet growing demand. This would mean a federal funding boost of $716 million over 4 years including:
$144m over four years for Family Violence Prevention Legal Services
4 http://greens.org.au/homeless
5 http://greens.org.au/housing to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children.6
$92 million for Community Legal Centres
$290 million for Legal Aid Commissions
$183 million for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and
$7 million for legal services peak bodies.
The Greens would invest $8 million over 4 years in a national survey of legal need and development of a needs- based funding mechanism.
Implement the Women’s Legal Services Australia Safety First in Family Law campaign with a $60m package.
Support states and territories which choose to roll out specialist domestic violence courts with $5m over two years.
Lower Federal Court fees, building on the Greens success in blocking the “divorce tax” by investing $143 million over 4 years.
6 http://greens.org.au/access-to-justice