Australian Human Rights Commission
Information for LOI – Australia, 29 August 2016
domestic violence on their work.63 Leave and other entitlements have been
made available through agreements or award conditions for over one million
Australians (as at 2013).64 Existing federal, state and territory legislative
frameworks provide limited protection for women experiencing domestic and
family violence from further discrimination.
76.
Women and girls with disability face significant issues in relation to violence,
particularly violence and abuse in institutional settings, violence in care
settings and other forms of gendered disability violence including forced
sterilisation and forced treatment.65
77.
An estimated 935,600 adult women first experienced physical abuse, and an
estimated 1,092,200 first experienced sexual abuse, as a child aged between
0 to 14 years.66 It is also estimated that family and domestic violence is
present in 55% of physical abuses and 40% of sexual abuses against
children.67
78.
The Commission commends the Government’s National Plan to Reduce
Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22 (National Plan).68 The
Commission remains concerned at the under-resourcing of accommodation
and support services and the inadequate levels of support for women in rural
and remote areas, women from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with
disabilities, older women, and lesbian, trans and intersex women.69 Cuts to
community legal centres and Aboriginal legal services can impact on access
to legal services for women affected by violence.
79.
The Commission also acknowledges the $5.1 million dedicated to the
implementation of the Third Action Plan of the National Framework for
Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020, which will help support early
intervention and child safe approaches.70 However, the Commission is
concerned that this funding is inadequate to achieve the objectives of the
Plan. In August 2016, the Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs
re-affirmed the Commonwealth Government’s strong support for the National
Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020, especially the Third
Action Plan with its emphasis on the First Thousand Days for a Child.71
80.
Australia lacks a coherent national system of death reviews to ensure
accurate monitoring to address systemic issues from deaths associated with
domestic violence. The Commission is conducting an inquiry into Enhancing
domestic and family violence death review processes.
81.
The Commission notes that the Australian and New Zealand Child Death
Review and Prevention Group (ANZCDR&PG) has continued its valuable work
to establish a national child death and injury data base as per the
recommendation of the National Children’s Commissioner in her 2014
Children’s Rights Report.72
82.
Issues for consideration in the LOI:
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