31 October 2008
Australian Human Rights Commission supports Reclaim the Night
Reclaim the Night is an important annual event on the human rights calendar that has the full support of the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“Sexual violence is a serious and pervasive issue that affects a significant number of Australian women,” said Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick. “It is shocking that research has revealed that one in five Australian women has experienced sexual violence from the age of 15*.”
The Commissioner highlighted that being able to live a life free of sexual violence is a basic human right.
Research has also shown that Indigenous women and women with disability are at greater risk of sexual violence.
“It is estimated that women with developmental disabilities are four to ten times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women without disability** – an abhorrent statistic,” said Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes. “The limited availability of specific, available information and support is a significant barrier to safety for women with disability.”
“Indigenous women’s experience of discrimination and violence is bound up in the colour of their skin as well as their gender,” said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma. “It is a great tragedy that Indigenous women may be up to three times as likely to experience sexual violence as non-Indigenous women***.”
Commission President, the Hon. Catherine Branson QC, said that ending sexual violence should be given a priority in the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children.
“The Plan should include comprehensive strategies to both prevent and respond to sexual violence in the community,” the President said.
The President reinforced the point that all governments should ensure that sexual violence services are inclusive and accessible in order to respond effectively to the needs of women with disability and Indigenous women.
Media contact: Brinsley Marlay 02 9284 9656 or 0430 366 529
*2005 ABS Personal Safety Survey, **Women With Disabilities Australia, 'Forgotten Sisters: A Global Review of Violence against Women with Disabilities' (2007), ***2002 International Violence Against Women Study.
