FCVic has made a submission to the consultation on the draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (National Plan).

The National Plan provides an essential overarching roadmap to comprehensively addressing violence against women and children, with key insights articulated in the Foundation Principles and Four National Pillars, alongside essential provision for a dedicated Plan to be developed in consultation with First Nations people. However, there are some key areas in which the National Plan needs to be strengthened around issues of economic and financial abuse, and interlinked financial disadvantage for women and children.

Our submission makes the following recommendations:

1. That the recommendations made by the House of Representatives Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence be incorporated into the National Plan across the corresponding pillars.
2. That an additional focus area is included in Pillar One:
   We recognise the critical role of government in:
   • preventing violence through fostering gender equality in the workplace
   • designing programs and services that are safe, based on gender equality and recognition of design that will prevent misuse
   • training all government frontline staff in family violence and how to ensure safety of clients.
   • ensuring adequate and meaningful support is available in the form of a financial safety net through Services Australia
     These responsibilities run across government functions and agencies, including Treasury, Home Affairs, ATO, Services Australia etc.
3. That the full recommendations of Economic Justice Australia’s 2021 report Debt, Duress and Dob-Ins: Centrelink compliance processes and domestic violence be included in one or more focus areas in the National plan.
4. That the National Plan provide for identifying and sharing excellence in state services addressing financial and economic security and safety for women and their children impacted by family violence so that best practice can be supported and implemented across Australia.
5. That the National Plan add a new focus area to Pillar 3 that addresses impacts and needs in relation to financial hardship and vulnerability.
6. That financial counselling and community legal centre peak bodies are represented in committees set up to implement the National Plan, and that the National Plan provide for the family violence service system to employ and integrate financial counsellors in service delivery, along with strengthened links to community legal centres. This should be done to ensure access to free advocacy and legal assistance for women and children experiencing financial and legal impacts (including property settlement) from family and domestic violence.