WEL is very disturbed by Senator Cory Bernardi’s motion in the Australian Senate on Thursday 16th November which criticised White Ribbon Australia for supporting women’s right to access abortion as one of many options for preventing reproductive coercion. Senator Bernardi’s motion targeted womens' right and capacity to make their own decisions when it comes to their health and wellbeing, including whether and when to have children. That it did so in the context of women’s experiences of violence is particularly distressing.

The Women’s Electoral Lobby NSW (WEL) roundly condemns the Federal Government’s submission to the Fair Work Commission as a retrograde step that is completely out of touch.

MEDIA RELEASE: 20 JUNE 2016

MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES COMMIT TO EXTRA FUNDING OF FRONTLINE SERVICES

FOR WOMEN ESCAPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) is pleased that three of the major parties have advised they will commit to extra funding of frontline services, including women’s refuges, for women and children escaping domestic violence.

MEDIA RELEASE: 20 June 2016 

Baird Government Needs to Get Serious About

Domestic Violence Funding

Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) says the Baird Government should get serious about funding for frontline services for women fleeing domestic violence.

MEDIA RELEASE

30 May 2016

WEL Calls for Parties to Get Serious on Ending Domestic Violence

Four weeks into the Federal election campaign the Women’s Electoral Lobby has called for the major parties to make ending Australia’s domestic violence a key priority. 

Media release: Tuesday 17 May, 2016

Federal Budget 2016

With the 2016/17 Budget failing to bring Australian women into the centre of the economy and pushing many further into poverty as well as cuts to overseas aid which will hurt vulnerable women in our region, the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) – supported by a range of academic institutions and women’s groups – is calling for both major parties to stop their war on women.

Media release: Tuesday 3 May, 2016

Federal Budget 2016

Women and Children’s Safety Program- where is it?

Government fails to fund essential services for women experiencing domestic and family violence

Women’s Electoral Lobby, Australia (WEL) has slammed the budget for not funding a women and children’s safety program including desperately needed frontline crisis services for domestic and family violence. WEL Australia Deputy Chair Helen L’Orange said, ‘A good start would have been $1billion over 5 years from the Commonwealth for a long term and securely funded Commonwealth/State national program for 24-hour accessible women’s refuges, frontline outreach services and transitional accommodation.’

A lack of adequate funding in the latest Budget for services and programs will see good intentions to address crisis levels of domestic and family violence in Australia flounder, according to the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Australia (WELA).

The Intergenerational Report released today shows there is still much work to be done to improve women’s participation rates in the workforce.

Women’s Electoral Lobby Australia Chair Melanie Fernandez said she was concerned the Government was doing too little to prioritise and address the issue.

The Women’s Electoral Lobby Australia (WEL) is deeply concerned and disappointed by Premier Mike Baird’s calls for the Crimes Amendment (Zoe’s Law) Bill No. 2 2013 to be debated in the NSW Upper House.

‘This Bill is an unnecessary and harmful change to the NSW Crimes Act and should not be passed,” said WEL Australia Chair Melanie Fernandez.