After the last government was unable to agree, Minister Marama Davidson has vowed to get a national strategy on family and sexual violence before Cabinet by March, as an “absolute priority”
New Zealand has been without a national strategy or action plan to combat family and sexual violence since Te Rito was launched in 2002.
Those in the sector say almost 20 years without a coherent roadmap for one of the country’s most pervasive problems has led to fragmentation, a lack of shared vision, and a lack of effective resourcing.
Now Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson – newly appointed as Family Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention Minister – has said getting a national strategy discussion document out to the public this year is her “absolute priority”. The challenge to solve first is getting government decision-makers to transfer power and resources to community, to Māori, and to marginalised groups – or groups disproportionately impacted by harm.
She said she expected the strategy to go to Cabinet for approval in February or March, and into the public domain by April – a year later than originally planned.
In an interview with Newsroom, Davidson acknowledged the roadblocks her Green Party predecessor, Parliamentary Undersecretary Jan Logie, came up against last term.
After the Government launched its joint venture in 2018 – bringing together 10 agencies and six lead ministers with the goal of ending family and sexual violence – the next step was to create a national strategy and action plan.
The strategy would guide the work of the government agencies (including that of justice, police, MSD, Oranga Tamariki and Te Puni Kokiri). It would also create a more cohesive approach across the community and NGO sector, and guide how these organisations worked with government.
A group of Māori leaders and experts called Interim Te Rōpū was tasked with developing the draft strategy.
When Logie announced Te Rōpū in December 2018, she said it marked a significant change to the way government worked with Māori to address some of the country’s most complex and difficult problems.
“Our work to stop family violence and sexual violence is critical, and needs Māori leadership,” she said.
“We want people who are grounded in Māori communities and have a huge breadth of experience and knowledge of these issues to be making that call.
“We know that it’s imperative we learn from kaupapa Māori responses to violence, and unlock the solutions that are already out there, because they work.
Te Rōpū chair Prue Kupua said members would facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate Māori responses to family and sexual violence in communities.
“Statistics show the system has failed, and Te Rōpū signals a step-change in the way the Crown is working with us to incorporate Māori-focused solutions and aspirations for reducing sexual violence and violence within whānau.”
But as Stuff reported in September, the draft strategy presented to ministers in September 2019 was written off by senior ministers as ‘too Māori’.
New Zealand First minister Tracey Martin said the draft was a “one size solution”, which she couldn’t get behind.
Martin, who was one of the leading ministers, said the group was asked to do something it could not do.
“They were asked and delivered a document that clearly outlined the historical pathway for Māori that have led to the inequities of today that create the toxic stress that manifests in many extremely negative behaviours. It is not an excuse but it is a reason.
“While they delivered on this they should not have been asked to deliver for all demographics in New Zealand.
“Surely we of all countries know that one size solution does not fit all – each solution needs to be culturally aware of those affected.”
She believed there should have been multiple groups working on multiple strategies, which would have tied back to an overarching strategic response from government.
“We want to make sure that we are clear what works and what doesn’t work; we want to make sure we are centering the voices of people with lived experience in our approach and our actions.”
At the time, then-Justice Minister Andrew Little told Stuff the strategy wasn’t fit-for-purpose and more work needed to be done to turn it into an actionable strategy.
He went on to say that if Labour returned to government after the 2020 election, it would be a “one day job”.
Cabinet ministers initially signed off on Te Rōpū leading the work, then turned around and blocked it.
And it appeared part of the issue was a lack of respect and attention given to Logie, as the executive member leading the work.
Between opposition from Cabinet ministers, Covid-19, and the general election the strategy was put on ice.
Now the creation of a ministerial role (an elevation from parliamentary undersecretary) is expected to command greater respect, and help break down some of the existing barriers.
Davidson said she believed she had the ability to bring everyone together to get things moving, and get the strategy out the door.
“A national strategy, with an action plan, is important because we want to make sure that we are putting resources to where they need to go,” she said.
“We want to make sure that we are clear what works and what doesn’t work; we want to make sure we are centering the voices of people with lived experience in our approach and our actions.”
Davidson said everyone wanted to see a safe Aotearoa. But the challenges arose when it came to giving over power and resources to community, to Māori, and to marginalised groups, or groups disproportionately impacted by harm.
“You’ve got to remember it is fighting at least four decades of a status quo of a segmented, fragmented way of working.”
Some people believed centring te ao Māori solutions and leadership meant trade-offs, or that non-Māori would miss out. Davidson said she believed the opposite.
Centring te ao Māori leadership was important because Māori were far more likely to be harmed and far less likely to be able to access the support they needed, she said.
It was also important because it meant important values would be embedded in the strategy: Things like collective responsibility, making sure everyone was taken care of, and of valuing and enhancing everyone’s mana.
The status quo was causing further harm, so agencies and ministers needed to get onboard with a new approach.
“My role is to bring people to that clarity.”
“The only thing that is going to make a change here is if we have the vast majority of our population who are singing off the same song sheet; who are all aiming at the same things; and who believe that things could be different.”
Women’s Refuge chief executive Ang Jury said New Zealand desperately needed a national strategy, and she believed Davidson – in the position of minister – had the ability to achieve that.
Without a clear strategy, those in government and community were just doing what they each thought was best, Jury said.
“We need a strategy that everybody is buying into, and that we can start actually building.”
The last national strategy fell over as a result of neglect. And other attempts at addressing the problem through blueprints, strategies, work programmes, law changes, and funding boosts had been fragmented.
“The only thing that is going to make a change here is if we have the vast majority of our population who are singing off the same song sheet; who are all aiming at the same things; and who believe that things could be different.”
Jury said she would expect to see a 10-year strategy, and within that time the country should see measurable progress.
But there would need to be buy-in from across the aisle; any long-term strategy would need a degree of cross-party support to succeed, she said.
*Where to get help
Women’s Refuge (For women and children) – 0800 733 843.
Shine (For men and women) – free call 0508-744-633 between 9am and 11pm.
1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for mental health support from a trained counsellor
What’s Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18 year olds). Phone counselling is available Monday to Friday, midday–11pm and weekends, 3pm–11pm. Online chat is available 7pm–10pm daily.
Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz, or find online chat and other support options here.
National Rape Crisis helpline: 0800 88 33 00
Safe to Talk national helpline 0800 044 334 or www.safetotalk.nz
If you or someone else is in immediate danger call 111.
