Today, the National Alliance of Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services – representing more than 200 specialist service providers, including the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing, and thousands of frontline workers and others working to end domestic, family and sexual violence across the country – met with Zoe Daniels MP and other independents in Canberra to call for an immediate uplift in investment and support for frontline specialist family violence and sexual assault services across the country.  Our campaign Fund the Frontline has six clear asks: A long-term National ..read more

The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence. Sexual violence is a devastating issue in our community which creates lasting harm. Western Australia has just six specialist sexual assault services despite being the largest State in Australia.  The five regional services funded a total of just $1.7 million a year. It is impossible to meet the needs of sexual violence victim-survivors in such a restricted funding environment. We cannot have change to the ..read more

Sexual violence is a major social, health and welfare issue in Western Australia and elsewhere. Sexual violence can occur within intimate partner relationships and outside of these relationships. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing (CWSW) welcomes the long overdue review into Western Australia’s sexual assault laws tabled in parliament today.   CWSW is pleased the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia’s Final Report recommends the State adopt an affirmative consent model to apply to sexual offences. This finally brings WA into line with other jurisdictions across th ..read more

There are some solid announcements in the Federal Budget aimed at improving safety, health and economic security for women and their children. However, the 2024/2025  Budget was a missed opportunity for the Albanese Government to take bold action to address the serious crisis Australia is facing of men’s violence against women. It is important that the National Plan to end Violence Against Women and Children guides Budget investments. The Plan, agreed to by all States and Territories, makes it clear that sustained and sufficient investment across prevention, early intervention, crisis res ..read more

May 9, 2024 The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing welcomes the State Government’s 2024-2025 Budget commitment of $96.4 million to respond to and prevent family and domestic violence in Western Australia.   This funding demonstrates a commitment by the Cook Government to increase WA’s capacity and capability to address the State’s family and domestic violence crisis. As one woman dies every four days in Australia sustained investment is urgent and vital.  CWSW welcomes the announcement of $1.9 million to establish a lived experience advisory group to inform policy and ser ..read more

Reforms to the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA) are vital to eradicating and preventing sexual harassment. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing (CWSW) is dismayed by the announcement from the State Government that the reforms to the Equal Opportunity Act will be delayed until after March 2025 and beyond.  These reforms are urgent to improve responses to sexual harassment in Western Australia! The laws currently do not work for victims of sexual harassment with the Equal Opportunity Commission being hamstrung by the current framework. CWSW is  aware of complainants choosing to t ..read more

The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing (CWSW) welcomes today’s announcement by the Cook Government to provide much needed funding to respond to and prevent family and domestic violence, and the release of the Family and Domestic Violence System Reform Plan.  Firstly, we would like to recognise victims and survivors of domestic and family violence and their families. It is their advocacy, their courage and their leadership that has led to this important announcement today.  In August last year the family and domestic violence sector and the extraordinary lived experience advocate ..read more

Justice Michael Lee delivered a thorough decision on the Lehrmann v Network Ten and Ors case today that has found on the balance of probabilities that Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. “In his pursuit of gratification he did not care one way or another whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed.” CWSW stands in solidarity with victim-survivors of sexual assault across Australia today in light of this decision The judgement today sends a clear message to Brittany Higgins – the court believes you. However, while today’s decision was a good outcome, it was not justic ..read more

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This is an important time to recognise the significant impact of sexual violence and abuse as widespread problems in our communities, our homes and our lives. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing is working for victim survivors of sexual violence in partnership with services and stakeholders to: Transform attitudes about sexual violence and abuse. Improve responses for all victim survivors. End sexual violence and abuse in all its forms. What is sexual violence? Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any sexual behaviours or sexual ..read more

It is so hard to feel hopeful when we ended 2023 with the news that a woman was killed by a man known to her in Broome on Christmas day. As always, words fall short when it comes to describing such a personal tragedy and what it says about us as a society. It is hard not to see it as a reflection of our continued failure to protect women and children from men’s fatal violence.   The only way to honour women and children who have been killed and the families left behind, the only way to truly support those continuing to live in fear, is to live right in hope and do the hard work of hop ..read more