National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children

Executive, 28 July 2008-08-20

Report adopted

On 26 May the federal government established a National Council who were given the responsibility of drafting a National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children.

Amnesty International submitted a report titled Setting the Standard - International good practise to inform an Australian National Plan of Action to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

Many Community organisations have endorsed Amnesty's submission. Amnesty has invited the PSA and Unions in general to endorse the submission.

There is a focus on an integrated approach to eliminating violence against women that could involve unions as domestic violence usually impacts the workplace (including stalking, decreased productivity and absenteeism) and violence against women can also occur in the workplace (e.g. aggressive client behaviour against carers).

Internationally Unions have played an active role in educating and providing support for their membership and by influencing employers to provide resources to eliminate violence against women.

Amnesty will be briefing the Unions NSW Women's Committee on 28 July 2008 to progress this matter.

The National Council's web pages are at The National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.