Whittlesea CALD Communities Family Violence Research Report 2012 | Page 64
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provides a local (Northern Metropolitan) example of the use of integrated approaches to address
family violence.
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A Steering Committee will be established with participants drawn from the City of Whittlesea,
the WCF CALD Cluster and the broader membership of the WCF partnership with expertise,
knowledge and linkages relevant to the key elements to be implemented;
An action plan identifying key strategies, actions, timelines and responsibilities will be drawn-up
and agreed upon that will guide the work of the Steering Committee;
The Steering Committee will monitor the progress of the project and implementation and
facilitate the sharing of skills and knowledge across agencies;
The Steering Committee will oversee the evaluation process and develop strategies for project
sustainability beyond the funded period.
2. Empowering CALD Women
The research highlighted the fact that CALD women commonly experience social isolation which can
be exacerbated by other factors including being newly arrived, lacking social connections and lacking
English language proficiency. Consultations conducted during the scoping exercised revealed that
gaps in information regarding family violence, legal rights, entitlements and services represented a
significant barrier to CALD women’s ability to access assistance for family violence, increasing
women’s vulnerability. This gap was more pronounced though not limited to newly arrived women
who had been in Australia for less than six years and was particularly evident among CALD women
who did not have permanent residency.
The literature identifies a number of strategies that may assist women to break social isolation and
establish social connections, for example, participation in groups. Consultations conducted with
women during the scoping exercise revealed a strong correlation between the level of
empowerment survivors of family violence felt and their level of connection to other women and
supports. These connections were vital to enabling women to access information about their rights
and services. For some women, being connected to a group increased their confidence to assert
their rights and to seek and obtain support. Knowing that support existed was sufficient to empower
disclosure of family violence and seek early intervention.
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The project will establish a clear mapping of existing women’s support groups that are available
to and accessed by Whittlesea residents and will aim to identify gaps in available support
groups. The capacity of existing groups will be built with support and assistance to participate in
programs and initiatives aimed at increasing women’s empowerment in relation to family
violence;
Where gaps exist in access to support groups, financial and other support will be provided to
establish new groups specific to isolated and marginal \?Y ??Y[???[Z[ H ?[?[??K??[][?] HY?[Y X?][?[? ??Y[??&\?XY\??\ ?\??\??\? ?[?B?]?[?Y ?\??\?^\?[??[??]???\ ? ?[\??\? ??Y[???] \?XH??[][?] HY?[?\??X?H[??[Z[ H ?[?[??HY?[??Y\? ?[?? ?X?]H ? H ?Z[?[??[?Y X?][?? ??Y[??&\???\?X?[]]???Z[[?? Z\??\X?] H ?[???KY X?]H[???\ ? ??Y[?[? ?[][? ??[Z[ H ?[?[??N??Y?[\?[???X][?[???[][?] HY?[Y X?][? ?\??[?? ?[?H[]?\?Y?HY?[ X[ ?[??[Z[ H ?[?[??H ?\??X?\?[???[?\?][?? ??Y? H^\?[??[??]???\ ???