Thread.

Why do we need a $1 bil pa investment in women's safety this #Budget2021?

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Intimate partner violence is the single biggest preventable driver of premature death, disability and illness in Australian women aged up to 45 years of age

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Domestic and sexual violence has devastating effects on children and is the leading cause of their homelessness and calls to child protection

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We’ve never really tried making domestic and sexual violence services universally available.

There are substantial gaps in these Australia-wide.

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Depending upon where you live and what the waiting lists are like in your area, Women’s Safety NSW estimates or understands:

* 9 out of 10 women experiencing violence who want to be supported to stay safe at home, with the abuser excluded, aren't able to access such services

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1 in 3 Australian women and girls seeking accommodation to escape violence are unable to be housed

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Women's legal services aren't available in half of our geographical locations

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Women's health centres aren't available in half of our geographical locations

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Child-focused domestic and family violence case management services aren't available in half of our geographical locations

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Accredited men’s behaviour change services aren't available in 1 in 5 of our geographical locations

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Family violence support in family courts (FASSs) isn't available in most regional, rural and remote locations

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Domestic Violence Units (DV Units) in Legal Aid Commissions aren't available in most regional, rural and remote locations

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Health Justice Partnerships in health-related settings aren't available in most regional, rural and remote locations

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Coordinated Family Dispute Resolution Services (safe and supported dispute resolution in family law matters involving family violence) aren't available in most regional, rural and remote locations

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Most communities are not resourced to implement @OurWatchAus's #ChangeTheStory #ChangingThePicture primary prevention frameworks to tackle the root causes of violence against women and stop violence before it starts

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It’s positive to see the Federal Govt recognise the urgent need to invest more in women safety

This is a good start and if invested in the right interventions, will significantly improve the safety of many Australian women & children experiencing domestic & sexual violence

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However, we still need to see a four-fold increase in this figure if we want to ensure all Australians can access the services they need to achieve safety in the face of domestic and sexual violence, and all communities equipped to prevent such violence in the first place.

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This is about recognising the magnitude of this problem and that domestic and sexual violence services are not a luxury, but an absolute necessity.

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