A report on the status of women’s human rights and violence against women, released in SYDNEY today (fri) condemns state and national policies in several key areas.
The report, titled “Our Rights, Our Voices”, says AUSTRALIA faces a lack of domestic violence and sexual assault services, increasing homelessness, pay inequities and unaffordable childcare.
But the one thing that impressed NEW SOUTH WALES Council of Social Services (NCOSS: en-koss) Deputy Director, (ms) MICHELLE BURRELL, is that women were keen to publicly share their experiences… with the aim of effecting change.
She says it’s hoped that through bringing these problems to light, governments will take notice and support victim services.
F224-a BURRELL 11 secs
What we hope to do is give some real women’s voices into that process and to connect up the reality on the ground with what the government is saying or not saying about the state of women’s rights in Australia.
According to the report, in AUSTRALIA, as worldwide, one in three women are victims of domestic violence, with the situation for Indigenous women even worse.
In some areas, Indigenous women are 45 times more likely to experience domestic violence than non-Indigenous women, and 10 times more likely to die as a result.
Ms BURRELL says support groups that band together with scant resources in some areas need continuing government support.
F224-b BURRELL 29 secs
I think there was a very clear message from the women involved in the consultations here in New South Wales that Indigenous women are working very hard in their communities to tackle violence in ways that are culturally appropriate. There’s obviously the issue about male perpetrator programmes, connections between violence, alcohol and other forms of substance abuse. I suppose the message I heard from those women was let those communities sort that out, but support them, and give them the resources they need to be able to do that in a meaningful way. And then maybe we’ll be able to make some progress.
The document released in SYDNEY is part of a larger report that human rights group Amnesty International is helping to compile, across AUSTRALIA and worldwide, which will be eventually taken to the UNITED NATIONS.
The project manager of the Stop Violence Against Women campaign for Amnesty International in AUSTRALIA, (mss) KATE LAPPIN, says that these issues are truly international in scope.
She says that governments have to be fundamentally clear that violence against women is a human rights scandal — locally as well as globally.
F224-c LAPPIN 29 secs
There’s an increased level of violence for Indigenous women, are much more likely to be killed through homicide than non-Indigenous women. There’s also issues for Indigenous women geographically, so their access to remedies like intervention orders and also things like refuges are much lower in most circumstances than Indigenous women. So there are other obligations that some people don’t realise they are human rights obligations of governments.
Ms LAPPIN says recently-arrived migrants, like their Indigenous counterparts in remote areas, do not get the range of protective services they require.
She says that their unique problems in getting help in a crisis, such as problems with language or anxiety in asking for help, are issues that governments must cater for.
F224-d LAPPIN 18 secs
I guess part of the reports that we’re launching is also to demonstrate when women come to Australia from these environments we need to recognise what they have most likely been through, and those effects of violence on them, and their children. So that we offer the appropriate services when they arrive in Australia. I think that’s very important.
The Council of Social Services’ MICHELLE BURRELL, in helping compile the report, has also found that state and federal governments are lacking when it comes to providing for migrant women in trouble.
F224-e BURRELL 23 secs
Migrant women spoke particularly about problems with access to interpreters. In health services and sometimes in homelessness services, the Federal Government is planning to withdraw free interpreting out of refuges next year. Obviously that’s a huge problem and women are going to remain in violent situations if they can’t communicate with places of safety in order to get away from the violence. So there’s a very clear message to the Commonwealth Government to sort out the issue of interpreters in refuges.
Ms BURRELL says the report recommends several actions to be undertaken by governments, starting with increased resources for refuges and support services.
F224 saap BURRELL 24 secs
70 per cent of women in homeless services have experienced violence. So there’s a very clear and obvious connection between violence and homelessness. And refuges are doing their best all over the state to deal with those issues every day and support women every day. But we need more money for our refuges if they are to keep their doors open and to deliver the services that are particularly needed for women, and particularly for children who have experienced violence.
