Invest in a Disability Action Plan to end violence against women and children with disability
The recent Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Against People with Disability highlighted that women and children with disability are significantly more at risk of experiencing all forms of violence (including but not limited to physical, emotional, sexual, financial, institutional forms of violence) in a range of private and public settings. The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 echoed these findings, recognising women with disability as a group particularly at risk of violence.
Violence may present in ways that are not traditionally understood as ‘violence’ including reproductive coercion, forced sterilisation and forced medical interventions. Violence may be perpetrated by a range of people including intimate partners, family members and peers, as well as by paid professionals. Data from the ABS (2021)1 paints a grim picture. People with disability reported that over the previous two years they had experienced:
- Sexual violence (4 per cent compared to 2.5 percent without disability).
- Emotional abuse by partner (7.0 per cent compared to 4.6 percent without disability).
- Economic abuse by partner (4.6 per cent compared with 2.4 per cent without disability).
- Physical violence (5.8 per cent compared with 4.2 percent without disability).
In terms of support for survivors of violence, JFA Purple Orange hears too often that women and children with disability fall through the cracks. Professionals within the NDIS may not recognise or address support needs related to violence. Meanwhile broader services such as homelessness services, domestic/sexual assault (and other) services tasked with intervention, recovery and support are poorly equipped to respond to the needs of people with disability. This results in women and children with disability going without timely, adequate support.
While the National Plan is a significant step forward in addressing the widespread violence against women and children in Australia, it falls short for women and children with disability. The Final Report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability noted that the National Plan ‘does not identify specific actions to address the drivers of violence against women and girls with disability, the specific experiences of violence against women and girls with disability, or the dearth of accessible supports’.
In response2 to the DRC, the Federal Government committed to ‘applying a disability lens’ as part of implementing the National Plan and to developing a disability lens framework in 2025. This falls short and ignores repeated calls for a targeted five-year Action Plan. Such an approach is underwhelming given the magnitude and urgency required to address the epidemic of violence against women and children with disability.
We desperately need a funded Disability Action Plan, similar to the dedicated ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025’ (also a very welcome step). It is essential for this Disability Action Plan to be co-designed with the disability community.
In summary, JFA Purple Orange is calling on all political parties and candidates in this election to commit to:
- Prioritising the prevention of violence against women and girls with disability as well as the provision of support for those who experience violence.
- Co-designing and adequately resourcing a five-year, national action plan to address the prevalence of violence against women and children with disability. This should focus on the following (but is not limited to):
- A holistic approach aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and girls with disability;
- The promotion of autonomy and supported decision-making;
- Addressing the specific and unique factors that expose women and girls with disability to violence;
- Addressing the barriers preventing women and girls with disability to access mainstream services and justice;
- Targeted actions specific to addressing violence against First Nations, CALD and LGBTIQ+ women and girls with disability;
- Reducing the prevalence of violence against women and girls with disability by ensuring their representation at the table of any policy planning and commissioning related to women’s safety and wellbeing;
- Investing in implementing policy that will improve accessibility of mainstream support services for women and girls living with disability; and
- Significant and sustained investment in independent individual and systemic advocacy services across Australia.
Key Question
Will you commit to investing in the co-design and implementation of a targeted, properly resourced, five-year Action Plan to address the prevalence of violence against women and children with disability?