A barrier stops you from doing something you:

• need to do
• want to do.

There are many barriers that women and children face when they try to:

• get away from violence
• find and use supports.

We need to remove barriers that women and children face so they can get the support they want and need.

We explain some of the barriers that people face on the following pages.

Different services need to work together to help end violence against women and children.

People who work for these services need to:

• understand why violence happens
• have the right skills to support people who experience violence.

Everyone needs to have the right training so they can support people who experience violence.

Often there aren’t enough:

• people working in these services
• services in different areas – like areas far away from cities and towns.

So it’s also important to:

• hire more people who have the right skills
• provide services all around Australia.

The justice system helps to make people who use violence responsible for their behaviour.

The health care system supports people who experience violence.

This includes:

• hospitals
• doctors and nurses
• health care services.

People who work in the justice and health systems don’t all get the same training about how to:

• understand why violence happens
• support people who experience violence.

This means they might not have the right skills to help people who experience violence.

People who work in other organisations also need training about how to support people who experience violence.

Including people who work in:

• schools
• the media.

Media is a way of getting information.

Parts of the media include:

• TV
• radio
• newspapers
• social media, like Facebook.

The media can change how the community thinks and talks about violence against women.

They can tell the community that violence against women and children is not okay.

The media can also tell the community about services that support people.

And tell them that people who use violence are responsible for their behaviour.

People should also feel safe in their workplace.

A workplace is any place you might work, such as an office, factory or shop.

Every workplace should:

• treat women and men the same
• believe people when they say they experience violence
• help people who experience violence to get support.

Violence is one of the main reasons that women and children become homeless.

When women and children want to leave a violent relationship, they need to find a new place to live.

And this can cost a lot of money.

This means they might:

• decide they can’t leave
• leave but then go back.

Sometimes women and children have to move very far away to find somewhere to live.

This means they don’t see their family and friends or have support.

Getting a house can also be a barrier for women who:

• have a physical disability
• are visiting Australia for a short time.

And getting a house can be a barrier for women who rely on the person using violence:

• for support
• to stay in Australia.

Women and children from different communities need housing that is safe for their culture.

This includes:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
• CALD women.

Women and children need more support to find somewhere to live when they experience violence.

There should also be support for women and children who want to stay in their own home.

There need to be more places for people to live after they leave their home.

The Australian Government supports people who experience violence to:

• stay safe in their home
• leave their home
• start a new, safe life.

There are different payments that can help people who:

• experience violence
• need to find a new place to live
• need support while they find a job.

These payments can help people be in control of their own lives.

Services Australia is in charge of most of these payments.

And their staff are trained to:

• know when someone may be experiencing violence
• provide support.

The justice system can be a big part of helping someone who has experienced violence.

But some people who experience violence don’t want to use the justice system.

They might not feel safe.

Or they might have had a bad experience in the past.

They might also find it hard to:

• understand how the justice system works
• communicate with people who work in the justice system.

They might not want to say bad things about the person who used violence.

Or want people to know they experience violence.

The justice system needs to:

• be easy to use
• meet the needs of different people.

It also needs to be safe for everyone, including people from different cultures.

The justice system must get better at protecting all people who experience violence.

The family law system is part of the justice system.

It protects families and children.

Sometimes when violence happens, a family will decide to separate.

The family need to make plans about:

• who the children will live with
• money and the things they own.

It is important for the family law system to help families:

• make these plans in a safe way
• keep children who have experienced violence safe.

There are services that can help families to make these plans.

But if the family can’t agree, they might go to court.

Family courts have done a lot of work to understand violence against women and children.

But they must do more to make family courts:

• easy to use
• safe for women and children.