Australia was galvanised against violence against women in 2021 … what’s happened since then? Photo: March4Justice.
When Tania* first called the Women’s Legal Centre ACT, she had experienced significant physical, emotional and financial violence from her then-husband. He had threatened if she left him, he would make sure her visa was cancelled and she would never see their child again.
Tania found us through a local health service. She worked with the team of lawyers and social workers to prepare and plan to leave as safely as possible. The team wrapped round her, provided legal expertise to obtain an Interim Family Violence Order and started preparations for legal proceedings for separation, ensuring the division of their assets would be fair and the ongoing care arrangements for their child would prioritise safety.
Throughout the whole process, a social worker helped with safety planning and supporting her during the traumatic process. It streamlined her path through the legal system, protected her young child and helped to free her from a life of abuse. It may even have saved her life.
Every day, women contact the Women’s Legal Centre, some in distress, some at immediate risk of harm, and many in urgent need of specialist legal support relating to domestic and family violence and sexual violence.
As reporting rates of gender-based violence rise, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and other factors, demand for our services continues to grow. Requests for assistance have increased by almost 50 per cent in the last three years.
As the numbers rise, we urgently need the ACT Government to make sure we can meet demand and women affected by gender-based violence can access the specialist legal help they need.
Legal assistance is critical to the ACT Government’s commitments to delivering gender equality, increased domestic and family violence support, and Closing the Gap.
The centre is helping to realise these goals. We provide support to some of the Territory’s residents most at risk of harm through a service model that brings together a team of family lawyers, migration agents, employment, discrimination and sexual harassment lawyers, criminal lawyers and social workers to support a client and their family. This gives them the best chance of resolving all their issues at once.
That’s because violence affects many aspects of a woman’s life and its impacts are felt throughout society and the economy.
Australian research shows people who have experienced domestic and family violence in the previous 12 months are 16 times more likely to experience family law problems.
Without legal assistance, women will choose to leave with nothing, agree to manifestly unsafe and unfair arrangements for care and property, or in many circumstances won’t leave at all.
Women affected by violence, like Tania, are more likely to make safe arrangements for the care of their children and for the fair division of property – both assets and liabilities – if they access legal assistance through their separation.
Apart from supporting women’s safety and financial independence post separation, it also significantly reduces the call on government services and supports, including emergency accommodation, housing, education, and health and mental health services.
Investing in frontline services actively invests in women’s safety and equality, which is our core business. It also saves governments money downstream, which we know is part of their core business.
Yet, despite the quality of assistance provided to women and the rhetoric of governments assuring us that tackling gender-based violence and ensuring gender equality are their priorities, as the ACT Budget looms, the centre and many frontline domestic and family violence services find themselves again on the edge of a funding cliff.
The modest investment the ACT Government makes in our core services expire in a little under eight weeks. Additionally, the funding provided by the ACT Government to the specialist First Nations women’s program, Mulleun Mura, halves on 30 June.
On 1 July, the women who need our help will still be there.
Without urgent assistance through the ACT Budget, the centre will lose many professionals currently dedicated to providing expert assistance to the women in our community who are most at risk of violence and discrimination.
At a time of greatest need and unprecedented political attention, we will be scaling down our services and leaving more women on their own at the point when our politicians have promised we will be there to help.
*Name changed to protect identity.
Elena Rosenman is the CEO of the Women’s Legal Centre ACT. She has a strong background in human rights advocacy, advising on sex discrimination and LGBTIQ issues and holding leadership roles in organisations focussed on social justice and gender equality. The Women’s Legal Centre ACT provides free legal assistance to women, trans and gender–diverse people in the ACT. The centre’s legal practice areas include Family Law, Employment, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, Migration and the Sexual Violence Legal Service. The centre also includes the specialist Mulleun Mura Access to Justice Program for First Nations women led and delivered by First Nations women.
