Opportunity to Contribute to New National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence

Image from Te Puni Kōkiri

We would like to encourage you to take part in the current engagement process being undertaken by the Government to help inform the development of a national strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence. White Ribbon Riders are meeting with Takurua Tawera and Sue Rudman to have a workshop and White Ribbon Ambassadors are being asked to participate in an online hui that will be facilitated by White Ribbon Campiagn Manager Rob McCann. We hope that other members of the White Ribbon community will undertake the online survey or send an email or letter offering their thoughts and experiences to help shape this strategy that will guide future activities and investment in the sector.

The Government is seeking to partner with tangata whenua and work with communities impacted by family violence and sexual violence to create a new National Strategy and Action Plans to eliminate family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.

As the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Marama Davidson has said, Aotearoa New Zealand needs a fresh approach: “We have had too many reports over too many years that outline family violence and sexual violence, the problem we face, and describe what we need to change to address it.

“Off the back of these mounting reports I want to now bring us into a live discussion to develop a National Strategy and Action Plans.  This will provide a mandate for change and set out actions to help us move forward, together.”

Starting on May 12, engagement will commence around Aotearoa New Zealand, where people will be asked to consider what do you think needs to be in a National Strategy and Action Plans, from your communities’ point of view?

The Interim Te Rōpū developed and published Te Hau Tangata: The sacred breath of humanity envisioned as a strategy with a Te Aō Māori perspective, to be shared with everyone.  It is available as a key resource document for engagement, along with other engagement tools.

Engagement for the development of the national strategy ends on 30 June.  If your contributions are received by then, the government will be able to ensure that what you share informs the National Strategy and Action Plans which Cabinet will consider in September.

Who is engagement for?

Anyone can contribute their voice to the kōrero about what needs to be in the National Strategy.  There are four ways for people to contribute:

1.       Community-led hui
Government is working with communities to create opportunities for targeted, invitation only hui, led by trusted members of a community.  These are will provide a safe environment in which people can speak freely, and send their views back to the Government without being identified.

2.      Online survey

Anyone with an interest in contributing to the National Strategy and Actions Plans can do so by going to the safe government website Citizen Space and filling out the questionnaire.  There is also plenty of supporting information on this site for you to read if you wish.

3.       Email your submission
Send your contribution to submissions@violencefree.govt.nz.  It can be a written contribution, a voice-recorded contribution, or recorded on video.

4.       Write a letter

Use the Freepost address provided by the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, and your letter will be forwarded in confidence to the Joint Venture Unit for analysis.

Minister Marama Davidson
Freepost Parliament
Private Bag 18 888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6460 

What is the Joint Venture on Family Violence and Sexual Violence?

The Joint Venture is a collaboration of 10 government agencies working to eliminate family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand in partnership with Tangata Whenua and working with the family violence and sexual violence sectors.  The Joint Venture co-ordinates policy and funding advice, and reports to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. The Joint Venture Business Unit supports the government agencies to work together. The national strategy team in the unit which services the cross-agency collaboration will receive and work with independent advisors to analyse feedback from hui and online engagement on the National Strategy and Action Plans.

What feedback is the government asking for?

The government is asking for feedback about what needs to be done about family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand, and what needs to happen first. There are questions about what the National Strategy should include and what initiatives the Action Plans should prioritise.

The questions focus on a vision:

“Our vision is for the end of family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand – so that people are safe, well, and thriving.”

The Joint Venture has also identified four principles:

• “Oranga whānau
• Mauri ora
• Healthy relationships
• Equitable and inclusive approaches”

and seven focus areas:

• “Recognise te ao Māori
• Bring government responses together
• Recognise tangata whenua leadership and community-led approaches
• Strengthen workforces to prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence
• Increase the focus on prevention
• Develop ways for government to create changes
• Enable continuous learning and improvement.”

The Joint Venture developed these from what they have learned from previous research, reports and conversations with people affected by and working in violence.

see violencefree.govt.nz for further details