TASC awarded $149,967 to help combat domestic violence

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                              6 July, 2023

 

TASC awarded $149,967 to help combat domestic violence on Western Downs

The Western Downs will be the focus for a new pilot project aimed at breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

TASC National, a legal and social justice centre which offers legal and advocacy services across southwest Queensland has been awarded $149,967 from the QLD Government to design, develop and implement the innovative program.

TASC CEO, Frances Klaassen OAM said they will initially work with mothers.

“The statistics around intimate partner violence are alarming,” she said.

“Nationally, more than one in three women over 18 have been subjected to violence or abuse in their relationships during their lifetime.”

A woman’s childbearing period has been identified as high-risk for domestic violence, with 22% of women who are pregnant being subjected to intimate partner violence.

“Of these women, for a quarter of them the first time they encounter violence in the relationship is during pregnancy,” Ms Klaassen said.

“What we’ve seen and what the research shows is that violence during and after pregnancy is not only an appalling denial of human rights, it also has a lasting, damaging impact across the entire community.”

TASC aims to break this cycle through an intervention and educational approach based on research showing the impact violence has on parent-child attachment and how that negatively affects children throughout their lives.

Fractured attachments impact the way children grow up to see themselves and the world around them.  Unfortunately, it carries into adolescence, impacting their early partner relationships, resulting in adults who may repeat the patterns they grew up with.

The pilot program will focus on increasing the agency of women who are of childbearing age.

“Society in general has tended to devalue the impact and work of mothers and caregivers, which in turn leads to increased vulnerability for those women when it comes to gender based violence,” Ms Klaassen said.

“We will combat this by increasing the agency and connectedness of women through group work, community connection and demonstrating the importance and impact of the mother – child relationship across a person’s life.”

This is a new approach to domestic violence and program design is still underway, with rollout expected in early 2024.

“Our goal is to work with women, families and communities to help heal some of the trauma behind the violence and bring lasting change.  While the initial focus will be on women and their supports, we will also build an education program for men we hope to roll out in the area.”

While this will be preventative program, through their existing legal and social justice connections TASC is also able to refer women currently experiencing violence to legal and support services.

Hands Up For First Nations People

First Nations people are disproportionately represented in the justice system, making up 27% of those in our correctional facilities. What’s worse is that First Nations women are 34 times more likely to experience family violence than non-First Nations women in Australia. That is why we support Close the Gap Target 13 to reduce family violence against First Nations women by 50% by 2031.

Do you live in Toowoomba, Ipswich or the surrounding? Are you or someone you know experiencing elder abuse, mistreatment or financial exploitation? Call TASC Legal and Social Justice Services on 07 4616 9700 or visit www.tascnational.org.au to see how we can support you.

CALLING FOR ACTION

CALLING FOR ACTION – As a part of the global effort – ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign – TASC Legal and Social Justice Services dedicated November to stand up for people in domestic violence situations. The international campaign was launched to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women.

TASC staff were inspired to play their part by embracing the theme ‘Orange the World: End violence against women now!’ So, to show our support staff wore their best orange outfits at our offices in Toowoomba, Ipswich and Roma.

In addition to this, our CEO Frances Klaassen wanted to highlight the seriousness that was emphasised in a recent ABC article (you can read more here: https://www.abc.net.au/…/housing-crisis-curbs…/100652334).

CEO Frances Klaassen OAM said that as an organisation who are part of a network of organisations assisting women and families experiencing domestic violence it is important we all do our part to raise awareness and be active.

“Our solicitors and advocates see firsthand the effect domestic and family violence has on an individual and their family members,” Ms. Klaassen said.

“We have been working to increase awareness and create cohesive and accessible responses to assist those impacted by family violence. The housing crisis in Queensland means women and children cannot access a safe haven and may be faced with the forced choice of taking the risk and staying or returning to an unsafe home while they wait for an alternate option. We need action now, from local, State, and Federal governments to ensure that we have safe secure longer-term options for housing as part of an effective response system for women and children. Everyone has the right to a safe place to call home!”

As a leading regional community legal and social justice organisation, TASC supports families to find their feet and often helps women with domestic violence and family law matters.

Learn more about how you can help here: https://un-women.medium.com/take-action-10-ways-you-can

#orangetheworld #GenerationEquality #16Days

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