Petition calls on government to fully fund sexual
violence support
services
Tuesday 24
November 2015 - for immediate release
On Wednesday
25 November ActionStation members will deliver a petition to
Parliament calling on the Government to fully fund
specialist sexual violence support services. Female MPs who
recently stood in Parliament to disclose that they are
survivors of sexual violence will meet ActionStation members
to receive the petition.
This Wednesday is
the International Day for the Elimination of Violence
Against Women and around the world, people will be
calling on governments to do more to prevent violence
against women and to support women and girls who survive
sexual and other violence. “It is the perfect day on which
to deliver our message to to Parliament,” says
ActionStation Director, Marianne Elliott.
“When
female MPs recently stood up in Parliament to disclose they
were survivors of sexual violence, some people claimed they
were exaggerating to make a political point. But the cold,
hard reality is that these women represent the statistical
norm for women and girls in New Zealand, who are amongst the
worst off in the world when it comes to sexual violence,”
says Elliott, “that’s why we are calling on the
Government to fully fund specialist sexual violence support
services.”
Last year New Zealand was ranked
below only sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia, South Africa and
Zimbabwe when it comes to rates of sexual violence. [1] One
in three women in New Zealand experience physical or sexual
violence from a partner in their lifetime. Three in four
teenage girls in New Zealand reported at least one incident
of unwanted sexual activity. Police are called to a family
violence situation in our country every seven
minutes.[2]
“There is no reason to be surprised
therefore, though every reason to be appalled, that of the
40 women MPs in New Zealand at least seven of them have
survived sexual violence.” says Elliott, “That is why we
started this campaign, to stand in solidarity with all
survivors of sexual violence in our country and call on the
Prime Minister to put his money where his mouth is: If he
claims to stand with the survivors rather than the
perpetrators of sexual violence, then he must fully fund the
sector that provides essential support to survivors, a
sector that this Government has systematically defunded.”
[3]
References:
[1] Radio NZ, 'Sexual assault high in New Zealand - Lancet', 14 February 2014
[2] Women's Refuge 'Face the Facts' - www.womensrefuge.org.nz/
[3] Key's abysmal track record backing sexual violence survivors, http://www.actionstation.org.nz/key_s_abysmal_track_record_backing_sexual_violence_survivors
Petition
link: http://www.actionstation.org.nz/itsnotok
Delivery
details:
Date: Wednesday 25 November
(International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women)
Time: 1pm
Place: Parliament steps, Wellington
ends