Barnaby Joyce’s recent return to the Nationals’ leadership and Deputy Prime Minister position, having resigned in 2018 after allegations of sexual harassment, is grist to the mill. Not everyone in the Coalition is happy, however, reflecting broader sentiment among women where support appears to be diving.
Misogyny and structural inequalities mean that First Nations’ women, women of colour, trans women and women with disability are disproportionately affected by the rise in violence during the pandemic.
In addition, the United Nations (UN) Population Fund reported that access to sexual and reproductive health information and services have been curtailed over this period.
Domestic violence support groups say the Budget's inclusion of refugee and migrant women fleeing violence is a 'game changer' for the national conversation.
Invisible abuse
Investigative journalist Jess Hill spent four years researching and writing about Australia’s domestic violence crisis in her book
See What You Made Me Do, now an upcoming SBS documentary series.
She says the elusive nature of coercive control often makes it invisible to others.
Key points:
A recent study found that over half of the domestic violence victims on temporary visas were threatened with deportation by their sponsors
Anti-family violence advocates are calling for expanding the special family violence provisions of the migration law to cover temporary visa holders
Advocates are also calling for criminalising coercive control in all jurisdictions within Australia
Proposed English test a hurdle for migrants escaping violent partners
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A federal government proposal to require migrants on partner visas to pass an English language test before obtaining permanent residency could make it harder for victims of domestic violence to seek help, submissions to a public consultation warn.
Former acting minister for immigration Alan Tudge said last October there were nearly a million people in Australia who do not speak English well or at all and half of them were working age. He said the enhanced language requirement along with an expansion of the government-funded free English tuition would boost social and economic outcomes for migrants.
Proposed English test a hurdle for migrants escaping violent partners theage.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theage.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.