Below are documents related to the launch of the next phase of the Women's Safety Strategy:

The next phase of the Women's Safety Strategy: A Right to Safety

Media Release from Minister Gail Gago on the Launch of the Safety Strategy

Media Release form Minister Gail Gago: NEW INTERVENTION ORDERS
BETTER PROTECT PEOPLE FROM ABUSE

Speech from Victim's Rights Commissioner, Michael O'Connell

The Women's Safety Strategy has a broad focus; from early intervention work focussed on preventing violence, through to community education to raise awareness about the level and complexity of women's safety.

Key Directions:

1. Prevention
   Prevention of violence against women includes any law, policy, program or activity aimed at reducing the level, fear or impact of violence against women or changing community perceptions of violence against women. Prevention is about individuals, communities and government taking responsibility for creating a safer environment for women, and for all members of the community. Prevention strategies should be considered at the design stage of future legislative changes, programs and other initiatives to ensure the inclusion of 'safety for women' objectives.
2. Service Provision
   There are numerous government, non-government and community services available for women who have experienced violence. They provide assistance and support for women to move forward in their lives and reflect the diversity of women's experiences and circumstances with a range of options.
3. Protection
   Women who experience or fear violence must be able to seek protection and have access to effective legal remedies. The perpetrators of violent acts against women must be held accountable for their behaviour. The criminal justice system's response to violence against women is pivotal to a broad community understanding that violence against women is unacceptable.
4. Performance
   Professional performance and accountability are critical to the success of the strategy. Regular monitoring and evaluation is essential.For information about what is happening at the Commonwealth level, see  the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children which was released in April 2009.

New laws to tackle domestic violence

New legislation has passed in Parliament to give police and courts greater powers to prevent and address family abuse. Find out more here. Anti-Violence Community Awareness Campaign launched.

The dontcrosstheline campaign is an important part of the SA Government's Anti-Violence Community Awareness campaign. For more information, visit www.dontcrosstheline.com.au.

Achievements

Women's Safety Strategy Achievements Report 2005-2007 gives an overview of the initiatives and achievements of the Women's Safety Strategy.

Download - Women's Safety Strategy Achievements - 2007

Snapshots

Snapshots is an overview of the Women's Safety Strategy, and gives an update on progress and various initiatives. Snapshots was published in April 2007.

Download - Women's Safety Strategy Snapshots - 2007

The Family Safety Framework (the Framework) was developed under the auspice of the South Australian Government’s Women’s Safety Strategy and Keeping Them Safe - Child Protection Agenda, to drive improved, integrated service responses to violence against women and children in South Australia.

The  Framework seeks to ensure that services to families most at risk of violence are provided in a more structured and systematic way, through agencies sharing information about high risk families and taking responsibility for supporting these families to navigate the system of services to help them.

Who is involved?

The Framework involves an agreement across Departments and Agencies for a consistent understanding and approach to domestic and family violence that has a focus on women’s and children’s safety and the accountability of perpetrators.

The implementation of the Framework is managed by the Office for Women, in conjunction with the Family Safety Framework Implementation Committee made up of representatives from participating agencies.  The core agencies involved are:

• South Australia Police
• Families SA
• Housing SA
• Community Corrections
• Health Services (inc community, women’s health, aboriginal health, midwifery, nursing and hospital staff)
• Adult Mental Health Services
• Drug and Alcohol Services SA
• Dept of Education and Children’s Services
• Women’s Domestic Violence Services (NGO)
• Victim Support Service (NGO)

Where are Family Safety Meetings held?

Family Safety Meetings are held regularly (usually fortnightly) in 9 police local service areas in South Australia. These are:

• Holden Hill
• South Coast (Noarlunga)
• Northern Metro (Elizabeth)
• Western Metro ( Pt Adelaide)
• Sturt  (Inner Southern metro)
• Adelaide Eastern
• Port Augusta, and
• Port Pirie
• Limestone Coast

The Framework is currently being implemented in the Murray Mallee.

The updated Family Safety Framework Practice Manual is now available. Download a copy of the Practice Manual 2012(PDF, 1 MB). Family Safety Framework forms and supporting documents are also available in a Word document. Download a copy of the Family Safety Meeting Forms 2012 (Word, 1MB).

An evaluation of the Family Safety Framework trials was conducted by the Office of Crime Statistics and Research (AGD) in late 2008.

Download a copy of the FSF Evaluation Final Report(PDF, 651kb)

State Aboriginal Women's Gathering 2011

The 2011 State Aboriginal Women’s Gathering (SAWG) will be held from 29 November to 1 December at The Adelaide Meridien Hotel, North Adelaide.  This year’s theme is ‘Strong Cultures, Inspires Strong Futures’.

If you are wanting further information regarding the 2011 SAWG, please contact Joanne Leonello at leonello.joanne@agd.sa.gov.au or the Office for Women on (08) 8303 0961.

State Aboriginal Women's Gathering 2010

A report summarising the 2010 State Aboriginal Women's Gathering (SAWG) will be available on the website shortly.

Four targets related to women’s leadership have been set by the South Australian Government as part of South Australia's Strategic Plan . These include:

• Elections - increase the percentage of women nominating to stand in local, state and federal government elections in South Australia to 50% by 2014 (target 29)
• Boards and committees - increase the number of women on all State Government boards and committees to 50% on average by 2014, and maintain thereafter by ensuring that 50% of women are appointed, on average, each quarter (target 30)
• Chairs of boards and committees - increase the number of women chairing state government boards and committees to 50% by 2014 (target 31)
• Women - have women comprising half of the public sector employees in the executive levels (including Chief Executives) by 2014 and maintain thereafter (target 52).

Boards and Committees

It is now widely accepted that the diverse knowledge and expertise of women can only enhance the success of boards and committees.  Having women on boards can also improve the financial performance of an organisation and contribute to the effectiveness of decisions and policies.

Recent research has found that companies with women on their board deliver a significantly higher return on equity than those without women on their boards (ASX 500 - Women Leaders, Reibey Institute, October 2011).

The Office for Women has lead responsibility for ensuring that more women are able to make a contribution as leaders and key decision makers in the South Australian community, and for the boards and committees targets in South Australia’s Strategic Plan.

Women in Executive in the Public Sector

Women currently comprise two thirds of the entire public sector but just over one third of executive level positions. This target seeks to redress that imbalance and ensure that South Australia has a high-performing, flexible and responsive executive group.

For more information visit the Office for Ethical Standards and Professional Integrity.

Elections

South Australia’s Strategic Plan also includes a target to increase the percentage of women nominating to stand in local, state and federal government elections in South Australia.

The Office for Women (OFW) works with the Office for State/Local Government Relations (OSLGR), the lead agency on promoting the participation of women in local government. For more information visit OSLGR's website.

• Our Community
• Our Prosperity
• Our Environment
• Our Health
• Our education
• Our Ideas

Ministers and Chief Executives are responsible for ensuring that SASP targets drive much of the Government's policy and planning. Each target has a lead agency which is responsible for creating strategies to meet their targets.

Targets that are of particular significance to women include:

1. Target 18. Violence against women:  A significant and sustained reduction in violence against women through to 2022
2. Target 29. Elections:  Increase the percentage of women nominating to stand in local, state and federal government elections in South Australia to 50% by 2014
3. Target 30. Boards and committees: Increase the number of women on all State Government boards and committees to 50% on average by 2014, and maintain thereafter by ensuring that 50% of women are appointed, on average, each quarter
4. Target 31. Chairs of boards and committees: Increase the number of women chairing State Government boards and committees to 50% by 2014
5. Target 52. Women: Have women comprising half of the public sector employees in the executive levels (including Chief Executives) by 2014 and maintain thereafter

For more information on these targets and their progress, see the South Australia's Strategic Plan analysis of the Plan for women.

Many targets in the Plan can also deliver positive outcomes for women and all South Australians.  To do this, it is important to break down reporting data on all targets by gender wherever possible, so that we know where tailored strategies and responses might be needed.  To see the full list of how targets in the Plan can be disaggregated by gender, age, Aboriginality and region, click here.

The Honour Roll introduces 20 outstanding South Australian women and also celebrates the 456 women who have been nominated for the Roll since it’s inception. A remarkable list of women who have been nominated by their peers, colleagues and families and they continue to inspire us.

Here is the entire Honour Roll: 2011 SA Women's Honour Roll