This project addresses the growing concern about the family and domestic violence epidemic, particularly for the community’s women, girls, and/or groups that experience inequality, discrimination or marginalisation. Migrants, Refugees and People Seeking Asylum face myriad factors, including inequalities, inequities, marginalisation and discrimination.

The project seeks to address violence and abuse among migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum by embodying humility and respect.  

The project aims to reduce the burden of violence and abuse on women and children.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports that family, domestic and sexual violence is a major national health and welfare issue that can have lifelong impacts on victims and perpetrators. It affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds, but predominantly affects women and children. ⁱⁱ

According to the National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls 2022 – 2032, violence against women and children is a problem of epidemic proportions in Australia. [i]

• 1 in 3 women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15
• 1 in 5 has experienced sexual violence
• On average, a woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days
• Rates of violence are even higher for certain groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

The Social Justice Statement 2022-2023 notes that some groups are more vulnerable than others to domestic and family violence:

• Women and girls with disabilities experience all forms of violence at higher rates than men with disabilities or people without disabilities.
• Young women aged 18 – 34 were 2.7 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence than women over 35.
• People who identify as LGBTQI+, people living outside major cities, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are also more vulnerable to violence than other groups.
• Family and domestic violence are overrepresented in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, impacted by colonization and ongoing racism.

Additionally, 1 in 6 older Australians experiences some form of abuse, being psychological, neglect, financial, physical, or sexual.[ii]

Domestic violence can be physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual, the roots are the abuse of power and the control of one person over another.

The project will be implemented and delivered utilising CMRH`s values and frameworks through:

• Campaign Awareness and Education through community seminars, conferences and workshops
• Research, Policy Support and Advocacy through partnership and collaboration
• Provide community support, Hotline advice
• Use of translated materials and online platform

The National Action Plan identifies four domains for action:

• Prevention– working to change the underlying social drivers of violence by addressing the attitudes and systems that drive violence against women and children to stop it before it starts.
• Early intervention– identifying and supporting individuals who are at high risk of experiencing or perpetrating violence and preventing it from reoccurring.
• Response– providing services and support to address existing violence and support victim-survivors experiencing violence, such as crisis support and police intervention, and a trauma-informed justice system that will hold people who use violence to account.

Recovery and healing – helping to reduce the risk of re-traumatisation and supporting victim-survivors to be safe and healthy to be able to recover from trauma and the physical, mental, emotional, and economic impacts of violence.

References:

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au)

Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia: continuing the national story 2019: in brief, Summary – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)

[i] National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls 2022 – 2032 https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence

[ii][ii] https://aifs.gov.au/projects/elder-abuse-research December 2021

Resources:

Social Justice Statement 2022-2023, available at https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au

National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls 2022 – 2032 https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence

NSW Domestic and Family Violence Plan 2022 – 2027 https://bit.ly/3PQdSvq

1800 RESPECT https://www.1800respect.org.au

In Australia, national and state laws cover equal employment opportunities and anti-discrimination in the workplace. Migrant refugees and people seeking asylum face discrimination in employment, and job occupation.

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is when all employees are treated fairly and equally in all aspects of their jobs. Implying, migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum should have equal access to employment opportunities based solely on their ability to do the job, regardless of personal attributes such as gender, race, colour, or creed.

In Australia federal and state laws proscribe a long list of grounds of prohibited discrimination: sex, marital status, and pregnancy; race, colour, descent and national or ethnic origin; disability; religion, political opinion, national extradition, social origin, age, medical record, criminal record, sexual preference, trade union activity and nationality.

The project seeks to address employment opportunities for migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia.

The project aims to improve employment opportunities and job retention.

The significance of discrimination

Discrimination is defined as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on [a proscribed ground] which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life”.

Discrimination is the practical expression of prejudice. The two are intimately and inextricably connected. So, a conference that examines prejudice must include discrimination.

Prejudice, that is, beliefs and attitudes that rank some people as inferior to others or as inherently different from others, produces discriminatory actions.

Case Study: Survey

There are many existing case studies about discrimination and prejudice in Australia.

In of the surveys carried out by the Australia Talks. In this survey about 60,000 respondents were recorded and in fact, the prevalence of racism is one of the more widely agreed-upon propositions bowled up to the Australia Talks respondents.

“Of all respondents, only 20 per cent had personally experienced discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity. But when you ask only Aussies of non-European ancestry, the response rate soars; 76 per cent report being discriminated against”.

“The main form of discrimination was “minor or subtle” (79 per cent) but non-European Australians also reported being subjected to racial slurs (59 per cent), and 28 per cent said they’d been treated unfairly at work”.

“Mind you, 36 per cent of Australians of European ancestry said they’d been treated unfairly at work, which opens up a range of possibilities ranging from workplaces being annoying across the board to some people having funny ideas about unfairness”.

Australians are familiar with racism. 3 in 4 Australians say there is “a lot” of it here.

This statistic is true when it comes to employment opportunities in Australia jobs.

Migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum backgrounds are much exaggerated when it comes to employment. This is a burden to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers` health, mental health and social well-being.

Research, policy support and advocacy through partnership and collaboration.

Conduct conferences, seminars and workshops inviting government and private institutions.

Work with migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum seeking in Australia.

Reference:

Telling us we should be grateful to live in Australia overlooks the hardships and sacrifices of migration – ABC News

Australia Talks shows we agree there’s a lot of racism here, but less than half say white supremacy is ingrained in our society – ABC News

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00420

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/protections-at-work/protection-from-discrimination-at-work

https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechstruments/discrimination-employment-and-occupation-convention-1958-no-111

https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/rights-and-freedoms/rights-equality-and-non-discrimination

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/characteristics-recent-migrants/latest-release

^I See Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination article 1.1 and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women article1.

ⁱⁱ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights article 2.1 and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights article 2.2. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination article 1.1 adds descent and ethnic origin and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women article 1 adds marital status

ⁱⁱⁱ On sexual orientation see the decision of the Human Rights Committee established under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Toonen v Australia.

^iv Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth); Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

^v Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth); Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). The NSW Act also includes ethno-religious origin

^vi Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth); Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

^vii Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth) and Regulations; Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). The NSW Act includes homosexuality instead of ^{vii viii} sexual preference and includes ethno-religious origin but not religious belief. It also includes transgender status and carer responsibilities.

^ix S Joseph, J Schultz and M Castan The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Cases, materials and commentary OUP NY 2000 paragraph 23.22.

^x Chris Sidoti “Remedies” in Race Discrimination Commissioner Racial Discrimination Act 1975: a review Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 1995 p 279.

^xi Ibid pp 279-280.

^xii Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Review of changes to the administration of federal anti-discrimination law 2000 p 14.