New funding to promote better relationships in Alice Springs

Women in Alice Springs will benefit from around $125,000 as part of the Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis and Minister for Indigenous Health and Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, today announced that the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter has received funding to promote better relationships and reduce violence against women in the community.

“We know that reducing violence is something that the Government cannot do alone, which is why it is so important that we work with community organisations on the ground to promote respectful relationships,” Ms Ellis said.

“One in three Australian women experiences violence in her lifetime and one in five experience sexual violence.

“We need to turn these harrowing statistics around so that all Australian women, no matter where they live and no matter what their culture, are able to lead lives that are safe and free from violence.

“The Australian Government recognises the need to support women who want to take a stronger role in working together with their communities for a better future,” Ms Ellis said.

Mr Snowdon said the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter had three decades experience in supporting victims of violence and has provided an important forum to discuss primary prevention of family violence against women in the community.

“The Alice Springs Women’s Shelter are to be congratulated on its Stitch In Time program, which with working with women to use quilt making and collective narrative to record and promote strategies to prevent violence against women,” Mr Snowdon said.

“This is giving women an opportunity to develop stories about primary prevention then share them and I’m pleased the quilt will be launched and exhibited this weekend in Alice Springs.

“This is yet another great initiative of the Women’s Shelter, which has also promoted a campaign called 16 Days, featuring 16 different events to raise awareness of women’s issues,” Mr Snowdon said.

“We have invested $125,000 to the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter to run this program, which will act as a forum to discuss primary prevention of domestic violence against all women in the community,” Mr Snowden said.

“Under the program the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter will develop stories about primary prevention then share them with the rest of the community.”

The Australian Government has committed $3.75 million for Community Action Grants, which will be distributed amongst 17 community and sporting organisations across the country.

Alice Springs Women’s Shelter Coordinator Dale Wakefield welcomed the grant saying, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support, strengthen and document these bonds through the innovative Stitch in Time project.”

“Working in Central Australia for over 30 years, Alice Springs Women’s Shelter knows the importance of women supporting women through difficult or violent relationships,” Mr Wakefield said.

Ms Ellis commended the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter for its commitment to addressing this serious issue in the community, and said that these grants would support them to lead and support social change.

“Changing community attitudes is a long-term challenge. By working together and challenging the attitudes and behaviours that allow violence to occur, all levels of government are saying a very loud “no” to violence,” Ms Ellis said.

The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children brings together the efforts of governments across the nation to make a real and sustained reduction in the levels of violence against women. The Australian Government has committed more than $86 million to support the implementation of the plan.

A copy of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 is available from www.fahcsia.gov.au