Categories

Tags

Maori Women Ethnic Elder Crisis Education Disability Legal Youth Counselling Sexual Violence Parenting Family Coordination Children Men

Archive

2019

January
February
March

Weekly Media Roundup

March 17, 2017 at 10:35 AM

Govt urged to extend data-for-funding reprieve

A temporary reprieve granted to sexual violence agencies regarding information-sharing with the government should be extended to all such groups, an NGO umbrella group says.

The new arrangement, due to come into place on 1 July, requires agencies seeking state funding to hand over clients' private details to government organisations.

Overhaul of family violence laws goes before Parliament

A sweeping overhaul of New Zealand's family violence laws has been introduced to Parliament, with the Government saying it wants to tackle "one of the most difficult social issues" facing the country.

The Family and Whanau Violence Legislation Bill is part of a $130 million package to change the way family violence is dealt with and put a stronger emphasis on the safety of victims.

Agencies to apply for protection orders for victims who 'lack capacity'

Protection orders will be able to be applied for on behalf of children and adults who "lack capacity" to make the application themselves.

The change is part of legislation introduced to Parliament today that will overhaul how family violence is dealt with in New Zealand.

Govt backs down over whānau-first care

The government has responded to pressure from Māori and will go back to the drawing board to reword legislation relating to children in state care.

It had faced a lot of push-back over the proposed new law for Child Youth and Family, which put safety above the priority of placing a child with a member of their family or wider hapū.

The bill is part of a major overhaul of Child Youth and Family (CYF) as it becomes the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.

Hundreds join protest against rape culture in NZ

Hundreds of people have gathered outside Parliament to protest against rape culture and call for better sex and consent education in secondary schools.

The rally was organised after two Wellington College boys posted messages on Facebook about having sex with drunk and unconscious girls.

Sexual violence double-standards need to go

Opinion - Why aren't the police investigating threats by boys to run over female students who organised a protest against rape culture?

Young women who held a rally outside Parliament on 13 March moved the venue for their event, after young men said they would run them down with cars.

Threatening to kill or cause grievous bodily harm is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of seven years' jail.

Wellington College rape comments: 'These kinds of jokes have real repercussions'

All-boys schools create an environment where rape culture is able to flourish - and this needs to change.

As an old boy of a school very similar to Wellington College, I was not surprised when the news broke of Wellington College students boasting about sexual assaults on social media. In fact, I don’t know how anyone was surprised by this.

Claim for child abuse inquiry lodged with Waitangi Tribunal

A claim calling for an independent inquiry into state welfare abuse that disproportionately affected Māori has been lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal.

It has been filed on behalf of three claimants by Auckland firm Te Mata Law, assisted by Auckland University law school lecturer Andrew Erueti.

Mr Erueti said the claim asked for an independent inquiry to find out why so many Maori children were put in welfare homes where they suffered abuse.

To the staff of Wellington Hospital’s Te Mahoe clinic: This is what you did for me when you gave me an abortion

More than 13,000 abortions were performed in New Zealand last year, yet the reasons why women have one remain largely hidden. One reason for the secrecy: the stigma of abortion, exacerbated by its inclusion in the Crimes Act, a situation PM Bill English says he has no interest in rectifying. Here one anonymous mother explains why an abortion was the right choice for her.

Hundreds of Kiwi women told their abortions were 'not justified'

Hundreds of "not justified abortion" certificates were handed out to pregnant Kiwi women in 2016.

Even as the overall abortion rate has trended down since 2010, the number of women told their abortion would not be "justified" has remained steady.

Abortion is technically a crime in New Zealand. Two certified medical practitioners must deem the abortion medically necessary or justified for it to be legal, but in practice the law is routinely subverted by both doctors and patients.

Children's Commissioner calls for universal disability screening for kids at age five

The Children's Commissioner is calling for all children to be screened for developmental and learning disorders when they enter school.

Judge Andrew Becroft said identifying issues early could even out the playing field for children earlier in life, and allow authorities to target resources more efficiently.

Charities told to merge in order to survive

Charities are being told they may need to merge to survive and prosper.

A report by investment firm JBWere found there are 27,380 not-for-profit (NFP) organisations, or one for every 170 New Zealanders.

There are substantially more NFP organisations per capita in New Zealand than in Australia (one for every 422 Australians), the United States (339), Canada (409) and Britain (393).

Man pleads not guilty to Auckland quarry sex attack

A man accused of a sex attack on a young woman at an Auckland quarry has pleaded not guilty to alll charges.

The 59-year-old was arrested at his Onehunga home yesterday.

Govt likely to miss violent crime target

The government looks unlikely to meet its self-set target for reducing violent crime, under the latest information released for its 'Better Public Services' targets.

It might also miss its target for lowering reoffending rates.

The government said it was on track to meet seven of its targets for the delivery of public services, but said four needed "more work" if those targets were to be met.

Fiji's toll free abuse hotline sees flood of calls

More women from Fiji's remoter islands are calling in to report abuse after the launch of a toll free domestic violence hotline last week.

While the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre has run a hotline for more than thirty years, calls are now free after a deal struck with Fiji's phone companies and the government.

The Crisis Centre's Shamima Ali told Sally Round the free calling number is obviously making a difference.

Hidden Pacific: Women bear brunt of violence but are finally standing up

In Papua New Guinea more than 60 per cent of women are victims of domestic abuse.

World Vision's Simon Day met women who are standing up to violence.

Two days before we visited Tobenam village a local woman had been so severely beaten by her husband she nearly died. She was still unable to leave her home, where she was recovering.