Campaign Launch: Family violence with nowhere to turn? Help Fund The Answer
October 30, 2011: The ‘Help Fund The Answer’ campaign is the result of a landmark decision by Women’s Legal Service to say women under threat of family violence in Queensland should no longer be turned away.
After 20 years of chronic underfunding, Women’s Legal Service are – for the first time in their history – publicly speaking out against unacceptable levels of funding; funding that does not meet the legal needs of women experiencing family violence.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more women are killed by their partners in Queensland than in any other state; sexual violence affects almost 1 in 5 Australian women; and physical violence affects at least 1 in 3 Australian women.
Women’s Legal Service Coordinator Rosslyn Monro said the Service had to regularly turn women away because the need was so great and the funding was so poor.
“Recently, we had to reduce many of our services. This means more women will be turned away than ever before. The crisis is about to get worse.
“We believe that each of us – in government, business and the community – has a responsibility to ensure that vulnerable women and children have access to legal protection that will keep them safe from harm. It’s a question of justice.
“Urgent action is needed to fix this long-term funding crisis. No woman should be turned away,” she said.
Women’s Legal Service Principal Solicitor Tamara DeKretser said that, given confidentiality, safety risks and trauma experienced by their clients, it was difficult for the Service to run a public campaign.
“These vulnerable women have been or are part of family violence, domestic violence and/or child protection legal proceedings.
“We have clients who have experienced years of violent abuse at the hands of their husband and then might contact us when they discover their daughter has been sexuality abused by him.
“We might support a client who is left hospitalised as a result of assault who not only needs legal support, but needs access to ongoing counselling and social support.
“A woman in this situation is often too fearful and traumatised to step into court.
“We might support a client whose ex partner is hacking into her email account then intercepting and sending mail to friends, family and employers; or calling her at work with threats which affect her ability to do her job effectively; or habitually sitting in his car outside her home so she has to wear a wig in order to go out.
“We even hear of ex partners who have been convicted and are still sending death threats from jail,’ she said.
Women’s Legal Service assists women through a statewide legal advice line, face to face legal advice appointments, evening advice sessions, outreach and social work support. Each year thousands of women are assisted by the service.
Women’s Legal Service adopts a multi-disciplinary approach which involves legal staff closely collaborating with social workers and domestic violence workers to ensure better outcomes for our clients.
Ms Monro said Women’s Legal Service needed an additional $750,000 a year to boost current contacts with women by more than 70%, add new services and support public awareness activities.
“We are calling on both the Queensland and the Commonwealth Government to each increase their recurrent funding of Women’s Legal Service by $250,000 per year for at least 3 years.
“We are calling on businesses to become involved in genuine, practical, long-term corporate/community partnerships with us and inviting members of the community to help fundraise for us as well,” she said.
Together we can help keep Queensland women and children safe from harm.
Join the campaign online at www.helpfundtheanswer.com.au.
Media Contact: To arrange an *interview call Elissa Jenkins 0418 786 986, 3217 2196, elissa.jenkins@essentialmedia.com.au.
*Unfortunately, interviews with past or current clients are not available. These vulnerable women have been or are part of family violence, domestic violence and/or child protection legal proceedings which means – for their own safety and the safety of their children – appropriate legal and confidentiality care is required alongside compassion for wellbeing and understanding of risk. All interviews regarding clients and client stories will need to be conducted with lawyers from the Women’s Legal Service.
