Category: Violence and Abuse

Public hearing 23 running 16-20th May

Content warning: mentions abuse and violence towards people with disability. . . Public hearing 23 continues today. Public hearing 23 Preventing and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in disability services (a case study) will run from 16 – 20 May. This hearing will feature evidence from case studies of people with disability who…

Disability Royal Commission public hearing 17 (part 2) starts on Monday 28th March.

Content Note – post discusses violence against people with disability. . . Disability Royal Commission (DRC) public hearing 17 (part 2): The experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence commences on Monday 28th March. This hearing will be held in Hobart in person at the…

Change starts with your story

Now is the time to share your experience of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation with the Disability Royal Commission. Applications for private sessions end on 30 June, 2022 and submissions close 31 December 2022. If you would like more information please get in touch with our DRC project officer, Tess by emailing tessm@wwda.org.au

New National Resource on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities

Today, Our Watch and Women With Disabilities Victoria have launched a new national, evidence-based resource to guide the prevention of violence against women and girls with disabilities.  The resource was co-designed over a number of years with women with disabilities and our representative organisations. WWDA’s Director of Policy and Programs, Heidi La Paglia Reid sat…

#SmashTheAbleism and End Violence Against Women With Disabilities

This year, WWDA has used the annual #16DaysOfActivism campaign as an opportunity to highlight the specific and unique forms of gender-based violence women, girls, feminine-identifying and non-binary people with disabilities still experience in our community. From forced sterilisation, forced contraception use, forced abortion and child removals to lawful violence in the form of guardianship orders…

Webinar Recording: Understanding economic and financial abuse

Last week, Director of Policy and Programs, Heidi La Paglia represented WWDA on an ANROWS webinar about financial abuse. Heidi raised a number of key recommendations on the panel needed to address financial abuse against women with disability, including ensuring that the National Plan to end violence against women and children is inclusive of all forms of gender-based violence, prioritising co-design with…

Hobart DRC public hearing postponed!

Unfortunately, the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) Public Hearing on ‘The Health and Safety of Women and Girls With Disability’ due to be held in Hobart 13th – 19th October has been postponed until early 2022.  With most of the Commissioners residing in NSW, COVID19 outbreaks and restrictions on travel have made it very difficult for Commissioners to travel to Tasmania to hold the public…

Your Say Is Important!

WWDA and CYDA are collaborating to capture the experiences of young women, feminine-identifying and non-binary people aged between 15-30 years to provide feedback to the Disability Royal Commission. We want to hear your stories, experiences and ideas so we can share them with the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) to let them know what you think…

#OurRoyalCommission Webinar Recording Available Now!

 On Tuesday 13 April at 12pm, the WWDA team held a live information session about the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People With Disability and how women, girls, feminine identifying and non-binary people with disability can get involved. If you missed the session, you can watch the recording below:

Australian Government ‘Stop it at the Start’ website excludes women with disabilities

In response to the launch of the Australian Government’s Stop It At the Start campaign website in early 2021, WWDA sent a letter to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, raising concerns about the omission of women with disabilities. In particular, we are concerned about the omission of adequate, current and…