Challenging Violence Against Women and Girls
Some problems in society cannot be solved. They need to be constantly monitored. When 'hurt people hurt other people', government and policy makers have to be ahead of the game. We have to be working on new ways of grappling with these issues. We have to keep trying new things.
Engagement Panel
Please click on the summary title to jump to the section where you can contribute your knowledge, recommendations, and thoughts. Please do not be concerned about sending us something you think we already have. Recieving the same information from lots of people will just confirm to us that it should be considered more important than other submissions.
We might not have the answers but we all know the questions we are asking ourselves. Please tell us the questions you would like to hear answers to. This will help us prioritise and focus on the things that matter most. Do not worry if you think the question has already been asked; the more times we hear the same question, the more important it becomes.
Have you got any ideas about how we can consider tckling violence from a different perspective? It could be from a variety of angles: legal, community, retail, faith, culture, business, finance, education, healthcare, or something we haven’t considered. Can we look at tackling violence against women and girls using gaming? Or the Arts? Or sign language?
Tell us about the sources you consult when you are looking for answers. What do you trust? What troubles you when it comes to misinformation. Tell us if you like what we’re saying, or if you think that there are things we have said that could be phrased in a better way, or if we are just wrong in our approach to this problem. Help us represent your views.
We want to hear your story. Every story is important to tell. Not only is it important for healing, it is also important for learning. Stories help us get to victims, and potential victims faster. First hand accounts can be anonymous. They don’t have to give specifics about violence. They can be insights into the build up, and the aftermath. The can be told on behalf of a friend.
We often look to Austrailia for answers. A lot of countries embrace equality and anti-violence policies in the way that we do. Tell us about countries that are doing well and those who are not. Help us know about things that have been tried and that didn’t work so that we don’t repeat mistakes. Let’s be a country that listens and learns from others.
Volunteering your time to help us raise awareness of this issue is always welcomed. If you are also able to contribute some of your skills and connections, then we could definitely find a way of putting them to use. We are always looking for people with research and design skills, social media specialists, and data management experts, which would all be helpful.
Questions
Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? Which?
Ask us all of the questions. Ask us the same question twice, phrased in a different way. They all matter, and they will all help us get more specific about what new or enhanced approaches might look like. No question is too simple, or too complicated, ask them all. Even specific questions about your own particular case can help inform our work.
Please use the form below to list the questions you would like us to answer or consider.
Research
Statistics, reports, opinion articles, and events
When you hear about a source of information that sounds credible, please tell us about it. This will help us build our stakeholder database, and also ensure that we build on work that has already been done, as opposed to wasting time and money on repeating work. It would be great to create a central events calendar as a resource for everyone.
Please use the form below to tell us about research that you think is relevant.
Best Practice
From other countries, and other policy areas
New Zealand can adopt systems and processes from other countries and policy areas. We just need to know what they are, and why you think they are relevant to finding new approaches to challenging violence against women and girls. This might be work done by charities in other countries, or approaches used for victims of other crimes.
Please use the form below to provide us with information about the practice you have heard about or experienced.
Ideas
Lots of small ideas can amount to new approaches
You might not know how to fix the legal system or design a policy, but if you have experienced violence or supported someone who has then we would like your ideas. What did you do that worked? What would you do differently? It would be great if you could be specific about who your idea helps, and who would be responsible for delivery.
Please tell us about the ideas you have to improve systems or processes, or ideas for completely new systems and processes.
Real Life
Accounts of victims, survivers, and supporters
We want to hear your story with as much detail as you feel comfortable sharing. Understanding the abuser can help us find ways to reach them before they commit a crime. We would also like to hear accounts of how formal support systems worked. Did the legal system make you feel safe? Were you treated well?
Please tell us a bit about your story. Your information will be kept anonymous and will not be shared without your permission.
Get involved
Time and talents are always in short supply
Every pair of hands, eyes and ears offers a different perspective to the problem. Every woman and child who is a victim of violence has a unique story, set in a unique set of circumstances. Designing policy and legal frameworks that work for the majority requires diverse consultation and researchers to make sure we do not miss things.