Australia's inaugural Conference on
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault held last week in Queensland expressed strong concern
that the Federal coalition government is ignoring the voices of experts in the field.
The conference, attended by more than 450 participants from across Australia (mainly
workers in domestic violence and sexual assault services), demanded that the government
provide operational funding for the two peak women's organisations representing women's
domestic and family violence and sexual assault services across Australia - WESNET
(Women's Services Network and NASASAV (National Association of Services Against Sexual
Violence).
Ms. Julie Oberin, National Chairperson of WESNET (Women's Services Network), the domestic
and family violence peak body said: "By refusing to provide operational funding for
these peak organisations the government has effectively excluded the advice of experts in
the field who are working with these issues on a daily basis".
"The government's spending on domestic violence and sexual assault cannot be
effective without proper consultation with the domestic violence and sexual assault
sectors though their peaks" said Ms. Oberin.
Ms. Oberin stated that participants at the conference expressed grave concern that this
government is failing to listen to those workers in the field who are advocates for the
thousands of women and children who experience violence each year.
She said "this is of particular concern because the Federal government is about to
spend $25 million on domestic violence and $16.5 million on sexual assault without being
informed by those who work with these issues on a daily basis. This will jeopardise any
attempt to improve responses to violence against women, and brings into question the
meaningfulness of this expenditure".
The delegates at the conference endorsed the following conference statement:
"Women's domestic and family violence services, and sexual assault services are the
advocates for the thousands of women and children who experience male violence in
Australia. This conference demands that the Federal government acknowledges the expertise
and experience of women's domestic and family violence services, and services against
sexual violence through operational funding for WESNET (Women's Services Network) and
NASASV (National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence) to provide informed
advice to government".
Contact:
Marg D'Arcy, National Convenor, NASASAV, 0409 859046
Julie Oberin, National Chairperson, WESNET, 0419 539346.