NZFVC Quick Reads: 28 February 2025

NZFVC Quick Reads: 28 February 2025

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa. See all past NZFVC Quick reads.

Citizens Advice Bureau release new website helping people find their care records

Citizens Advice Bureau - Te Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa, together with those with lived experience, created Kōnae: My Records Guide. The website is a guide to help people find and access records created about them (or their family or whānau) by government agencies, faith-based organisations, or other organisations involved in decisions about their guardianship or care. Kōnae contains information and resources to help with finding where records might be held (including a map of care facilities), on what support is available, what one’s rights are, and information on the claims and redress system and process. 

Expressions of interest open for working groups developing new New Zealand Disability Strategy

Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People are calling for expressions of interest to join 1 of 5 Working Groups being established to develop the outcome areas and actions for the new New Zealand Disability Strategy. Whaikaha are looking for people from the disability community to join these working groups, which may include disabled people, Deaf, tāngata whaikaha Māori, whānau hauā, Turi Māori, Pacific people, and families. The working groups will cover 5 outcome areas:

• Health
• Education
• Employment
• Housing
• Justice

Working Group appointments will be compensated for their time. Applications are due by 6 March 2025 (note, this has been extended from the original date of 3 March 2025).

New research report released explores the relationship between legal consciousness and sexual violence against sex workers

A new research report was released, Voicing consent: sex workers, sexual violations and legal consciousness in cross-national contexts (2025). The international research project provides a comparative, intersectional examination of sexual violence against sex workers. The authors explore how the interactions between legal consciousness, legal norms, and legal practices affects the experiences and impacts of sexual violence against sex workers. The report compares 2023 survey and interview data collected across four different legal environments including legalisation (Nevada, USA), criminalisation (Northern Ireland), decriminalisation (New Zealand) and partial criminalisation (UK).

New violence related reports out of Australia

Two new Australian National Survey reports have been released: National Survey of LGBTIQA+SB Experiences of Sexual Violence – Report 1. Prevalence, attitudes and lifetime experiences (2024); and Report 2. Impact, help-seeking and bystander intervention (2024). The reports were produced by the Gendered Violence Research Network at University of New South Wales. The reports cover prevalence, social norms, attitudes, beliefs, bystander actions and help-seeking behaviours and aim to inform LGBTIQA+ people and Sistergirls and Brotherboys (LGBTIQA+SB) sexual violence prevention and service delivery. Specific measures were taken to encourage the participation of First Nations LGBTIQA+SB, particularly those living in rural and remote communities.

Salvation Army 2025 State of the Nation report

The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit have published their Sate of the nation 2025: kai, kāinga, whānau | the basics - food, a home, family (2025). The report takes a national level view of the wellbeing of Aotearoa and how they are trending by looking at indicative measures from publicly available data sources in several areas: children and youth, work and incomes, housing, crime and punishment (including family violence), and social hazards.