It comprises thirteen member organisations across Australia that provide specialist, culturally safe legal services and supports to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim/survivors of family violence across Australia.
The National FVPLS Forum is the only national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim/survivors of family violence and sexual assault.
“Yet again we are forced to fight to get our funding back,” chair of the National FVPLS Forum Antoinette Braybrook said. “This not only drains our already limited resources. It rips Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s voices out of critical national conversations.”
The National FVPLS Forum has launched a campaign to #SaveFVPLS, reinstate its annual funding of $244,000 and provide additional much-needed resources.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner @June_Oscar has issued a statement on the defunding of @NationalFVPLS https://t.co/8yrq018Lr2 pic.twitter.com/g3flIXTsFR
— Australian Human Rights Commission (@AusHumanRights) December 9, 2019
June Oscar AO, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Rosie Batty, the Councils of Social Service, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, Jesuit Social Services, Fair Agenda and WIRE are among the individuals and organisations that have condemned the decision to slash funding to this group.
The incredibly brutal irony of this dangerous and heart breaking decision, is that it was taken during the global 16 days of activism on violence against women. #SaveFVPLS #CloseTheGap https://t.co/z1c6jdtAlx
— Grata Fund (@GrataFund) December 10, 2019
Indigenous women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised from family violence and 10 times more likely to die from a violent assault than non-Indigenous women in Australia.
In the 48 hours since the announcement of the de-funding of the vital FVPLS Forum, over 800 people have sent emails to Minister Wyatt, the Treasurer & PM calling on them to reinstate funding. Join them and back @NationalFVPLS -sign and share. #saveFVPLS https://t.co/EpjFK3oa6z
— NATSILS (@NATSILS_) December 8, 2019
WHAT CAN YOU DO
– Make some noise! Follow #SaveFVPLS on Twitter and Facebook, retweet and share their posts.
– Use the #SaveFVPLS social media tiles that you can download here.
– Ask your friends and networks to join the campaign and subscribe to this campaign updates list.