Australian Greens: Greens pledge $40 million for culturally inclusive women’s refuges

As Victoria marks the start of the Week Without Violence (WWV), the Victorian Greens have launched their plans to establish Victoria’s first culturally-specific women’s refuges for women escaping family violence.

As part of their election platform the Greens are pledging $40 million dollars towards the establishment of these refuges.

While NSW has several and QLD recently set up its first, Victoria currently has no culturally specific women’s refuges for women from culturally diverse communities escaping family violence.

This is despite the fact that women from multicultural communities in Victoria are experiencing family violence at alarming rates and require tailored support.

In 2020 there was a Whittlesea cluster of suicides linked to migrant women who were experiencing family violence and isolation, and just this year we heard the tragic news that a mother and her daughter were murdered in Mill Park in an act of family violence.

However, despite the Victorian Coroner recommending improved support services for South Asian women following the cluster of suicides, very little has happened.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, said despite evidence that culturally appropriate services could save lives, it was disappointing that Victoria still didn’t have a culturally-specific refuge for women trying to escape life-threatening situations.

She said that by following the lead of NSW and QLD and establishing a refuge, Victoria could help to support and protect women from multicultural communities facing rising levels of family violence. 

Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC: 

“Victorian multicultural communities are experiencing violence against women at alarming levels.

“Without culturally-specific women’s refuges, communities are not able to access the tailored support they need.

“We know that women from multicultural communities face specific issues that require specific support, from immigration abuse to isolation and post-conflict trauma.

“Funding Victoria’s first network of culturally-specific refuges would provide them with these communities with the support they need.”