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Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill receives Royal Assent
The Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill received Royal Assent on 7 April 2025. Section 7AA set out specific duties for the Chief Executive to recognise and provide a practical commitment to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi. Read our 3-part part series on the repeal of 7AA.
A departmental report was prepared by Oranga Tamariki that summarised submissions on the Bill and made recommendations to the Social Services and Community Select Committee (the Committee) about the Bill. The report stated that the Committee received 3748 submissions in total, including 2045 unique submissions and 1703 form submissions or petitions. In addition, the Committee heard 117 oral submissions between 29 July and 7 August 2024. Of the total submissions, 1377 supported the Bill (36.7%), 2282 submissions opposed the Bill (60.9%). Eighty-nine submissions had no discernible view (2.4%).
The report noted that [outside of Section 7AA]:
“There are no other provisions in the Act that provide for the establishment of strategic partnerships or for mandatory public reporting on measures taken to reduce disparities for Māori children and young people in state care. These activities would become operational matters and Oranga Tamariki would pursue strategic partnerships and include the measures in existing reporting mechanisms. However, as these would be operational and not a statutory obligation, the change could lead to a decrease in trust and confidence among whānau and communities that work with Oranga Tamariki.” (Para. 49, pg. 20).
The report recommended that alongside repeal of section 7AA; the Committee consider inserting:
- clauses equivalent to subsections 7AA(2)(c), 7AA(3) and 7AA(4) regarding strategic partnerships in other parts of the Act; and
- clauses equivalent to subsections 7AA(5) and 7AA(6) regarding reporting duties of the chief executive in other parts of the Act.
Subsequent to these recommendations, the Bill was amended to retain aspects of section 7AA that related to the obligations on the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki to develop strategic partnerships with iwi and Māori organisations, including iwi authorities. However, the Committee declined to amend the Bill to retain the aspects of 7AA that related to reporting duties of the chief executive, stating that:
“A majority of us are satisfied that there are a number of mechanisms for reporting outcomes for tamariki Māori that remain, produced by both Oranga Tamariki and the Independent Children’s Monitor. There are also reporting requirements that the chief executive is held to, such as providing any information requested by the Monitor.”
Following the passing of the legislation, Children’s Minister and sponsor of the Bill, Karen Chhour, stated that:
“This Bill will allow Oranga Tamariki to focus on its primary duty first, which is the care and protection of young people, making sure they are safe from harm. While Section 7AA was well-intended, it also resulted in children being put second. As the responsible Minister I could not accept or excuse this fact. We can no longer deny that section 7AA has led to confusion and conflict in a system that cannot afford to get such crucial care decisions wrong.”
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai issued a media release in response to the repeal of 7AA. In it, CEO Tracie Shipton commented that young care-experienced people were disappointed that the change had gone ahead, saying:
“The argument for the repeal was the fact that section 7AA caused confusion in the decision making process which meant that safety wasn’t prioritised, but if you look at the Act it explicitly states that safety is paramount. […] Any failure to ensure safety isn’t a legislation issue, it’s a training and practice issue.”
Following the final reading of the Bill in Parliament on the 3rd of April, Te Pati Māori released a statement saying that they had “sent a letter to the Governor General urging her to block the repeal of Section 7AA because it is a serious threat to the lives of our mokopuna.”
Oranga Tamariki removes operational targets for placing children in care with whānau and investment with Māori/iwi organisations
Relatedly, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has announced that Oranga Tamariki have removed their 58% target for placing children in care with wider family/whānau and their minimum 23% target for the proportion of investment with Māori/Iwi organisations.
The Minster commented that:
“These outdated departmental targets go against the ‘need not race’ directive, and there are also concerns with whether it is appropriate for this self-classification of being a Māori/Iwi organisation to be prioritised over the quality and efficacy of the services being provided.”
Oranga Tamariki consulting on 2025 Long-Term Insights Briefing
Oranga Tamariki is seeking submissions on their draft 2025 Long-Term Insights Briefing. The Briefing’s focus is, “How can we better prevent, respond to, and enable healing from, child maltreatment between now and 2040?”. This is the second round of consultation and seeks feedback on the Draft Briefing. The first round was used to decide the Briefing’s topic and method of investigated. The consultation page provides more information on making a submission, including optional guiding questions. The consultation is open to everybody, and submissions must be emailed to LTIB@ot.govt.nz by 5pm 12 May 2025.
Independent review of the Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, final report released
Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development have released the Independent statutory review of the Oranga Tamariki oversight system: final report (2025). The review was undertaken by MartinJenkins and evaluates the effectiveness of the two main pieces of legislation that underpin the Oranga Tamariki system in Aotearoa:
- the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Act 2022
- the Children and Young People's Commission Act 2022.
A Child Friendly Summary is also available alongside the full Final Report.
Experiences of care in Aotearoa: agency compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations 2023/2024
Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children's Monitor (ICM) reports annually on whether agencies with custody and care responsibilities are complying with the National Care Standards (NCS) Regulations and whether they are making a difference for children and young people in care. The report on agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations for the period 1 July 2023 - 30 June 2024 was published in February 2025. It found that children and young people are still not receiving the minimum standard of care required by the NCS Regulations. Oranga Tamariki, Open Home Foundation, Barnardos, and Kōkiri Marae have custody and care responsibilities. Oranga Tamariki had custody of around 99 percent of the 5,722 children in care during the 2023/24 reporting period.
Bill unbinding Treaty principles, Oranga Tamariki passes final reading, RNZ, 03.04.2025
Iwi Chairs oppose 7AA axing, Waatea News, 09.08.2024
Waitangi Tribunal warns Government’s Oranga Tamariki policy will cause harm, Stuff, 29.04.2024
National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges | Ngā Whare Whakaruruhau o Aotearoa (NCIWR) have released a new report, Traumatic Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence in Aotearoa, that examines the unseen traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in women who have been physically assaulted by their partners or ex-partners. It highlights the high prevalence of brain injuries for intimate partner violence (IPV) victims and associated challenges with safety and recovery. The report is part of their wider multi-phase research project, Safer When, Safety How?.
NCIWR surveyed 1707 women and non-binary victims about their experiences of IPV and help-seeking. The majority (1328) had been physically assaulted by their partners, 10 percent (138) of whom reported having a known TBI caused by their partner’s use of violence. IPV-inflicted TBI is often undiagnosed, so NCIWR estimates the actual prevalence amongst the report’s sample is likely far higher. To explore how those with TBI experienced risk, support, and safety, the report compares responses from those with a known TBI with responses from respondents overall. As well as survey data, the report also draws upon risk data gathered from clients engaging with Women’s Refuge services.
The report found victims with a TBI experienced amplified and extended risks and harms associated with IPV, both during the relationship and after separation. Dr Ang Jury, CEO of NCIWR, said in the report’s media release:
“It is clear from this report that the likelihood of women sustaining a TBI from their partners’ abuse is much higher than we had thought. And this is not a bruise that heals quickly – these consequences last days, weeks and even years and have serious impacts on how a victim can function day to day and the type of support they receive.”
Prevalence of IPV-inflicted TBI
Women’s Refuge risk data gathered from 1250 new clients in 2024 shows 77.5% have been physically assaulted by their abusers. Of those:
- 57% are hit or punched in the head by their abusers,
- 69.8% are pushed or shoved by their abusers, and
- 39.8% are strangled or suffocated.
Of those hit or punched in the head:
- 26.7% lost consciousness,
- 36.7% experienced physical symptoms like head/neck pain, fatigue, unsteadiness, or problems hearing or seeing in the days afterwards, and
- 30.4% experienced new difficulties with concentration, memory, or emotion regulation in the days afterwards.
Prevalence of TBI amongst IPV victims is high, but under-identification of it complicates prevalence estimates. The report notes that victims are often unable to seek medical care, including assessment, diagnosis, or treatment for TBI.
Dr Ang Jury said:
“Because the connection between family violence and TBI is not widely understood, many women will not have TBI diagnosed by their GPs and may not even know what is happening themselves. Additionally, many will never even get the opportunity – over a quarter of women reported that their access to medical care was blocked by their abuser.”
Key conclusions
The report draws key conclusions that should inform best practice when working with victims of IPV and those with TBI. It makes recommendations for specialist agencies involved because of IPV, healthcare services, services that determine and enable access to resources after an injury, and services involved with victims.
Intimate partner violence and traumatic brain injury are experienced in tandem
Victims with TBI reported worse impacts and worse outcomes in every measurable way compared with the overall group of respondents. Their comments underlined the immense toll that IPV-inflicted TBI took on their health, lives, and futures.
The report states: “In these victims’ lives, TBI and IPV do not simply co-exist; they are mechanised by one another and ultimately service abusers’ interests. It is therefore essential to name the abuser as the origin point for both, and as the instigator of the costs and consequences that IPV and TBI in tandem accrue within the victim’s life.”
Effective support must account for both the violence and the TBI
The presence of IPV affects how someone might recover from a TBI. Treatment must be designed for an IPV context, accounting for all challenges a victim faces, and may need to be more comprehensive or intensive to achieve recovery.
Healthcare providers must proactively enquire about head injury even when it is not the main concern victims are presenting with. Likewise, those responding to the violence must facilitate timely healthcare access after the disclosure of any assault involving the head, face, neck, or spine.
As IPV is the leading cause of TBI for women, the report says that failure to recognise and respond to IPV-inflicted TBI “perpetuates the gendered inequity of treatment… In short, the current landscape of TBI identification and treatment in Aotearoa, and internationally, appears oriented to the context of men’s TBI”.
Services can work better for women with IPV-inflicted TBI
Services need to identify IPV-inflicted TBI when it occurs and link the injury to the violence a victim experiences. They should advocate for and resource victims while addressing both the TBI and the IPV in empathetic, comprehensive, and sustainable ways. Some of the recommendations include:
- Specialist agencies responding to IPV can facilitate victim access to TBI healthcare and can support them by explaining the backdrop of IPV to healthcare providers.
- Health services can ask about assault and TBI, even when there are other possible explanations for a victim’s emotional or physical symptoms.
- After-injury support services can enable access to compensation, in-home support, funding for childcare, and rehabilitative pathways.
- Services involved with victims can help by modifying their agency’s approach to make it as feasible, easy, and sustainable for victims as possible.
Traumatic brain injuries in te ao Māori
NCIWR’s report notes that wāhine Māori with a TBI reported feeling less connected to whānau, whakapapa, reo, tikanga, and/or culture than they did before the abuse started, at higher rates than overall Māori respondents.
For discussion on traumatic brain injuries from a te ao Māori perspective, see the following research from Dr Hinemoa Elder and colleagues:
- Elder, H. (2012). ‘Tuku iho, he tapu te upoko - From our ancestors, the head is sacred’: Indigenous theory building and therapeutic framework development for Māori children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury [Doctoral dissertation, Massey University]
- Elder, H. (2012): An examination of Māori tamariki (child) and taiohi (adolescent) traumatic brain injury within a global cultural context. Australasian Psychiatry, 20(1), 20-23 – Abstract only
- Elder, H., & Kersten, P. (2015). Whakawhiti kōrero, a method for the development of a cultural assessment tool, Te Waka Kuaka, in Māori traumatic brain injury. Behavioural Neurology, 2015(1), 137402
Other NZ and Australian research on IPV and TBI
An article from King. et. al. (2023) - Intimate partner violence reporting and assessment of traumatic brain injuries and strangulation by a New Zealand hospital health service examines TBI assessments for IPV victims in an NZ hospital. It finds that less than 1% of IPV survivors had a TBI assessment, only 0.6% had a strangulation assessment, and only 0.5% had a referral for brain injury rehabilitation services. Reported loss of consciousness and strangulations caused by IPV were high in this hospital setting, yet they were rarely assessed, and Māori had the highest incidence per ethnic population of partner-inflicted TBI presenting to the hospital at 81.8 per 100,000 population.
An evidence brief from Women’s Health New South Wales - Non-fatal strangulation and acquired brain injury in the context of sexual violence (2024) - states: “Women’s brain injuries do not get the attention they deserve”. It discusses how brain injuries are popularly understood as injuries sustained by men during contact sports, which overlooks women’s injuries and experiences. The report focuses on non-fatal strangulation as part of a pattern of escalating IPV causing brain injury and its co-occurrence with other forms of physical IPV. It notes strangulation is both a potentially fatal act of violence and a key marker of escalating risk for further serious harm.
A qualitative study from Wills, E. and Fitts, M.: Listening to the Voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women in Regional and Remote Australia About Traumatic Brain Injury from Family Violence looks at the IPV and TBI experiences of Indigenous women in Australia and finds a range of gaps in healthcare and housing supports, highlighting the significant investment needed to develop responsive and appropriate pathways of care in regional and remote areas.
A factsheet from Tahū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice: Non-fatal strangulation/suffocation in New Zealand (2024) promotes understanding of the severity of non-fatal strangulation/suffocation (NFSS) and its links to intimate partner violence. It uses New Zealand data from risk assessments, case studies, and population surveys as well as some Australian data to report some measures of NFSS prevalence.
'Significant gaps' in how domestic violence victims checked for brain injuries, RNZ, 17.10.2023
Domestic violence survivors 'left hanging' without support for brain injuries, Stuff, 12.03.2022
Life-changing brain injuries in domestic violence survivors going unrecognised, Stuff, 08.01.2022
The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse was launched in 2005 in association with Te Rito: New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy. We have been the national resource centre for family violence information for nearly 20 years.
Over time, our work has broadened to include sexual violence, structural violence and other forms of violence, recognising that violence and the solutions to violence do not conform to silos. It was time to change our name to reflect how we have changed.
We are now Vine – Violence information Aotearoa.
Alongside our new name, we have now launched our new website vine.org.nz –all our original content has a new home and there are some exciting new sections to explore.
Drawing inspiration from the kūmara vine
Our new name is inspired by the idea of the kūmara vine, a metaphor from te ao Māori for communication and sharing of information. Like the kūmara vine, we are here to connect and communicate to create new growth. We share research, analysis and resources about sexual violence and family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand to help drive positive change. We are an independent resource hub that curates, connects and shares research and information with people working to end violence and grow oranga.
Vines also have a universal resonance and often symbolise growth, as they continuously extend and reach out, representing the idea of development and progress. Their ability to intertwine and connect different elements also makes them a symbol of connection and unity.
Likewise, our new colour palette is also inspired by kūmara and the kūmara vine, using colours that are earthy, grounded and drawn from the natural environment.
Our work: Oranga through understanding
Vine supports oranga by providing our audiences with greater insights and understandings of family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Informing policy, supporting research and empowering practice so that mokopuna can flourish and all people can live with dignity, respect and freedom from violence.
The new name, branding and website represent the culmination of a huge amount of discussion and thinking about our role and purpose as an organisation. Our Vine team, our wonderful Advisory Rōpū and other key partners in our sector have all contributed so much to where we have landed. We have tried very hard to create a new look and feel that represents our values and resonates with communities, without being appropriative.
We also want to acknowledge the support of Studio Unlimited and Double who have worked alongside us to bring our new identity and website to life. We so excited to be Vine and look forward to our next chapter as an organisation.
Counting Ourselves is a comprehensive national health and wellbeing survey designed by and for trans and non-binary people. It is led by the Trans Health Research Lab at the University of Waikato, which consists of a team of academic staff and students who are trans, non-binary, and cisgender. Their recently released report - Counting Ourselves: Findings from the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Trans & Non-binary Health Survey - is the second iteration of the survey and follows on from the first report published in 2018. It found significant healthcare inequities and high levels of violence and discrimination against trans and non-binary people in Aotearoa, as well as alarming rates of psychological distress and suicidality within these communities.
The second survey received 2631 responses from trans and non-binary people aged 14 and older living in Aotearoa - nearly twice the number of responses to the 2018 survey.
Principle Investigator Dr Jamie Veale from the University of Waikato, said:
“These figures highlight the urgent need to address discrimination and violence, protect and support those experiencing conversion practices, and fund accessible, safe, and inclusive mental health services.”
The report discusses how trans and non-binary people:
- Experienced discrimination or bullying at work and school
- Were unable to access quality information, healthcare, counselling, housing, or important identity documents – especially during Covid-19
- Avoided activities or communities for fear of how they would be treated, including public restrooms, sports, emergency housing, or certain towns and cities
- Felt unwelcome in, or disconnected from, their communities e.g., religious, ethnic, or disability communities
- Felt other parts of their identities (e.g., their culture, indigeneity, or disability) were invisible or unwelcome in Rainbow spaces
- Were forced to hide their gender identity out of fear
- Experienced attempts by others to stop them being trans or non-binary through shame, coercion, trying to change their behaviour, making them believe their identity was a defect, or pretending they weren’t trans or non-binary
- Frequently saw negative messages about trans and non-binary people online
- Found organisations that were supposed to keep them safe – like schools – tolerated bullying against trans and non-binary people.
Key findings from the survey
The report discusses comprehensive results across a range of questions, but a few key findings from the survey highlight:
- High levels of unmet need for gender-affirming healthcare persisting between 2018 and 2022
- Unmet healthcare needs compounded by prohibitive costs and fear of mistreatment
- Specific unmet needs for gender affirming hormones, laser hair removal or electrolysis, chest reconstruction surgery, phalloplasty, vaginoplasty, voice therapy, counselling or psychological support, and fertility preservation services
- Increased likelihood (compared to the general population) of reporting experiencing discrimination, threats of violence, attempted or completed forced sexual intercourse, and feeling unsafe using public transport at night
- Increased likelihood of reporting high levels of psychological distress, using cannabis, amphetamines, hallucinogens, and other non-prescription substances, and having a disability, long-term condition, or mental health condition limit their ability to carry out everyday activities
- Decreased likelihood of reporting good general health or feeling like their doctor was good at involving them in decisions about their care and treating them with respect
- High prevalence of deliberate self-harm (50%), serious consideration of suicide (53%), and attempted suicide (10%) in the past 12 months.
While the report largely examines negative experiences, trans and non-binary people also reported some positive or protective experiences. The quality of support from family members, friends, co-workers, and trans, rainbow, or takatāpui community mental health services was crucial to reported positive outcomes. Respondents often drew on their trans and non-binary identities as a source of pride, and were similarly proud of their identities as Indigenous, a person of colour, or a member of an ethnic community where relevant. Many trans and non-binary people reported they had spent a lot of time supporting and trying to make things better for others.
Co-principal Investigator Jack Byrne said:
“Trans and non-binary people are supporting each other through really hard times, but not everyone has that access to community support, especially outside main cities... structural change is urgently needed to ensure that trans and non-binary people are not left to navigate misinformation, discrimination, and violence alone.”
Policy recommendations from the report
Recommendations made in Counting Ourselves were guided by the six values of Professor Elizabeth Kerekere’s Te Whare Takatāpui framework, with each one representing a different part of a wharenui. When these values are woven together, Te Whare Takatāpui can shelter and nurture all trans and non-binary people and their whānau. Multiple recommendations sit beneath each value and have been summarised below:
Whakapapa: Develop resources to promoting understanding and celebration of gender diversity.
Wairua: Fund accessible community spaces and protecting trans and non-binary people from attempts to change or suppress their identities.
Mauri: Ensure all services respect and meet the needs of trans and non-binary people, including a simple pathway to legal gender and name changes.
Mana: Improve pathways to and information about gender-affirming public healthcare services; counter harmful myths through evidence-based resources.
Tapu: Increase availability of all types of gender-affirming public healthcare services (including mental health and addiction) and protect trans and non-binary people from violence.
Tikanga: Fully protect trans and non-binary people from discrimination and harassment and provide healthcare workers with training and resources about their health needs.
Gender Minorities Aotearoa executive director Ahi Wi-Hongi told RNZ:
"We really need to put funding and put other resourcing around trans people and make sure that there are ways for trans people to be safe. Trans people should get to be safe in society in the regular way that everyone should be safe in society."
Next steps
This survey helps fill gaps in prevalence data for violence experienced by Rainbow communities in Aotearoa. Care was taken to recruit a wide variety of participants, including via trans and non-binary community leaders, prioritising Māori, Pasifika and Asian peoples, as well as older trans women for these roles. Rainbow organisations helped promote the survey, especially in smaller city networks and rural areas. The team also worked with trans and non-binary disabled and neurodivergent people to get their support to circulate the survey and created specific social media posts for disabled people.
The authors of the Counting Ourselves report note that they only had space to cover a fraction of the data gathered during the 2022 survey. A te ao Māori report on the data is currently underway, along with a disability resource from the data. They invite government agencies, health providers, community groups, researchers, and funders to consider opportunities for collaboration to make more data available and to action the existing findings and recommendations of this report.
The changing social landscape
Counting Ourselves data was collected prior to 2023, so does not account for significant changes in the social landscape between 2022 and present.
In their report, Transgressive Transitions (2023), The Disinformation Project, which closed in October 2024, discusses the impact of Posey Parker/Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's March 2023 visit to Aotearoa, which corresponded with a measurable rise in both volume and tone of transphobia. The report also examines the role online communities play in the intensification of violent anti-trans content, particularly in far-right social media spaces.
Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, Research Fellow at The Disinformation Project said:
“The type of language and imagery we’re seeing is significantly more violent, including repeated use of language that denies that trans people exist, or that they should be allowed to exist.”
Police data reflected a similar increase in violence as the number of reported hate crimes motivated by gender identity almost doubled between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, there were high-profile acts of vandalism were carried out against rainbow road crossings in Auckland and Gisborne. Auckland Pride co-chairperson Bhenjamin Goodsir told RNZ that reparations paid for paint, but didn't make rainbow communities safer. "We need to address the underlying homophobia and transphobia. I don't think we can be excited about repainting in the context of the hate and transphobia being experienced by many at the moment." A Destiny Church protest at a recent Auckland Pride 2025 event gained similar media attention, with a similar protest occurring in Wellington.
Some violence indicators in the 2022 Counting Ourselves report had not changed much since the first report in 2018, with several showing an improvement. Given the changing social landscape since 2023, true experiences of violence may now be significantly worse.
Related research
New Zealand crime and victims research: The burden of crime victimisation among the LGBTQ+ population in Aotearoa is a study that compares the risk of victimisation between LGBTQ+ individuals and non-LGBTQ+ individuals using data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey 2019.
A 2016 report from Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura, Building Rainbow communities free of partner and sexual violence, finds high levels of partner and sexual violence towards members of Rainbow communities and examines unique barriers they face to help-seeking.
Two 2024 reports from the University of New South Wales, National Survey of LGBTIQA+SB Experiences of Sexual Violence: Report 1. Prevalence, attitudes and lifetime experiences and Report 2. Impact, help-seeking and bystander intervention, examine experiences of sexual violence amongst LGBTIQA+ and Brotherboy & Sistergirl communities.
Gender Minorities Aotearoa have conducted a 2024 literature review and meta-analysis of family and sexual violence resources across Aotearoa and internationally to assess their relevance for trans populations: As if I were a human being: Sexual violence, family violence and transgender people: a literature review/meta-analysis.
A US 2025 research article – Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy and Depressive Symptoms Among Transgender Adults – examines the positive relationship between hormone therapy and lower risk of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms across 48 months of follow-up.
One in five trans and non-binary people threatened with physical violence, RNZ, 27.02.2025
Trump makes 'two sexes' official and scraps DEI policies, BBC, 21.01.2025
The Trans Tipping Point: Some Thoughts on Transphobia and Scapegoats, The Spinoff, 02.05.2023
Submissions open for Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment Bill
The Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment Bill seeks to address stalking, which can pose a threat of serious harm to victims. The Bill proposes to:
- create a stalking and harassment offence in the Crimes Act 1961
- introduce new aggravating factors that recognise the unique circumstances associated with stalking and breaching a restraining order in the Sentencing Act 2002
- expand the definition of psychological abuse to include stalking in the Family Violence Act 2018
- prevent self-represented defendants charged with the new offence from being able to personally cross-examine alleged victims.
The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm, Thursday 13 February 2025.
The Bill passed its first reading on 12 December 2024 and was introduced by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith:
“Existing harassment laws haven’t kept pace with trends in this dangerous area. Since I announced this Bill, many victims and advocates have talked about the need to have this law in place as soon as possible. The Bill has been referred to the Justice Select Committee and I encourage anyone who has been affected by stalking to have their say."
Definition of stalking in the Bill
The Bill defines stalking as “a pattern of behaviour” where a person engages in three separate stalking actions within a 12-month period while knowing their actions are “likely to cause fear or distress”.
It specifies the following acts as stalking behaviours:
- watching, following, loitering near, or obstructing
- recording or tracking
- contacting or communicating
- damaging, devaluing, moving, entering, or interfering with taonga or property (including pets)
- damaging or undermining reputation, opportunities, or relationships
- acting in any way that would cause fear or distress to a reasonable person.
These acts can be done directly or indirectly to another person, or any close friends or family members of that person (when targeted due to their relationship with the main victim). These acts can be done personally by an individual, or by an individual via a third-party individual, institution, or organisation. The act may be facilitated “by or through any means whatsoever (for example, tracking devices, digital applications, spyware, drones, or the use of artificial intelligence)”.
The definition provided by the Bill covers most acts included in the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children and the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges’ 2022 policy report on a potential stalking law for Aotearoa. Behaviours not specifically included in the Bill include:
- Implicit or explicit threats
- Leaving unwanted items
- Disturbing sleep, peace, privacy
- Doxing
- Using a victim’s disability to harm
- Vexatious litigation (or legal harassment).
The frequency of contact may itself distinguish the behaviour as threatening, for example, repeated phone calls, or calls late at night. The report also notes that proxy stalking via children is particularly common.
Public interest in stalking law reform
Public interest in stalking law reform grew in response to the high-profile murder of Farzana Yaqubi in December 2022, who complained to police weeks beforehand that she was being stalked.
The Independent Policy Conduct Authority found the police response to be inadequate. Key findings include:
- The initial assessment matrix Police use to assess allegations of stalking is not fit-for-purpose
- Police did not consider cultural and religious factors that influenced how Ms Yaqubi engaged with them
- Police did not provide her with appropriate support
- Police failed to ensure significant matters raised in her formal statement were immediately addressed
- Police failed to link Ms Yaqubi’s file and the file of another young girl who was also being threatened by the same man, so did not accurately record the full picture of risk posed.
Development of the Bill was supported by family violence subject matter experts (FV SMEs) within Te Tāhū Hauora | Health Quality & Safety Commission who made several recommendations for stalking legislation. They recommended:
- Any stalking legislation be based on a comprehensive understanding of violence, as described in the Family Violence Act (2018), including an understanding of patterns of harmful behaviours
- Family violence responders are supported to take heed of the concerns of family and whānau members who report violence
- Consideration should also be given to supporting and providing a whole of family, whole of whānau response where stalking is evident.
What makes anti-stalking legislation effective
Awatea Mita from Aotearoa Free From Stalking (AFFS) said that the proposed anti-stalking and harassment legislation currently before Parliament is not as robust as it could be due to the failure to consult properly with Māori. Agencies with statutory responsibilities have often failed Māori, who now feel they must look out for themselves:
“So, it’s building up our communities to be able to address stalking and harassment… but this is in the face of a lack of funding, to be able to carry out all these actions. And so, what we would also hope is that at some point there will be more resourcing for our whānau who are being harmed by stalking.”
Alison Towns of the Coalition for Safety of Women and Children told Midday Report how important it was that the bill talked about a pattern of behaviour:
“One act might appear quite trivial, but when it's seen in the context of the behaviour of the stalker, it has a totally different meaning, so it's important to look at it as a pattern of behaviour…"
"I'm not convinced that they're going to include threats in there… and threats are very much a part of stalking. It may be that they're considering threats elsewhere in the Crimes Act and don't need to be in this stalking legislation, but they're so much a part of what is stalking that I think they need to be included."
She noted that we have poor data on how common stalking is, but overseas data suggested "between 15 and 20 percent of women are stalked and between five and 10 percent of men… People from indigenous cultures are stalked much more than others."
How to have your say
Aotearoa Free From Stalking (AFFS) have created a submission content guide where they have identified a few strengths and weaknesses of the current legislation.
You can:
Make your own public submission by 11:59pm Thurs 13 February. Your submission will be published alongside your name, so please be aware that anyone may see it.
Complete an anonymous parliamentary survey that will help inform the select committee by Thurs 13 February.
Participate in AFFS’s secure anonymous 45-minute questionnaire to inform the Auckland Women’s Centre/Aotearoa Free From Stalking submission on the bill by Sunday 9 February.
More information on your options and a formal submission template can be found in AFFS’s “have your say” options guide.
Zeni’s experience is extreme, but it isn’t rare, The Spinoff, 25.11.24
Police could have stopped stalker who murdered Farzana Yaqubi, victim advocate says, RNZ, 18.04.24
Te Aorerekura second Action Plan launched
Te Aorerekura is a 25-year national strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence in Aotearoa through coordinated government and community action. The strategy was launched in December 2021 along with the first Action Plan, which concluded in December 2023.
The second Te Aorerekura Action Plan 2025 - 2030, Breaking the Cycle, has seven focus areas it will deliver over the next five years:
- Investing and commissioning well
- Keeping people safe
- Stopping violence
- Protecting children and young people
- Strengthening our workforce
- Taking action on sexual violence
- Preventing violence before it starts
During the launch of the five-year plan, Minister for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour outlined that it would be divided into two sections, with the first two years focusing on investing and commissioning well, keeping people safe, and stopping violence. Progress would then be assessed and focus refreshed for the remaining three years.
Investing and commissioning well includes:
- Taking a social investment approach to better map the impact of spending
- Reviewing current spending for future investment
- Improving how contracts in the sector are managed, including reducing duplication and increasing coordination.
Keeping people safe includes:
- Strengthening multi-agency responses by bringing providers together to deliver sustainable safety services to victim-survivors
- Using the recently released multi-agency response report from Te Puna Aonui as an important baseline to identify opportunities for improvement.
Stopping violence includes:
- Introducing new anti-stalking legislation
- Reviewing mandatory non-violence programmes for those subject to protection orders
- Rolling out a new family violence service for men called Te Huringa ō te Ao
- Extending rehabilitation services
- Creating a single ACC/MSD platform for sexual violence services
- Continuing to develop kaupapa Māori sexual violence services
Minister Chhour stated:
“[That] is what this Action Plan is all about: delivering practical improvements in key parts of the system, with a focus on families and whānau who we are here to serve. We want to do more of what works to break the cycle of violence. This Plan takes a different approach to the first Action Plan and is centred on government doing fewer things, more comprehensively.”
In response to the release of the plan, Women’s Refuge Chief Executive Dr Ang Jury told RNZ that while there were things in the plan she found “useful”, there needed to be far more investment and focus on prevention work. "It's about stopping that situation occurring in the first place… It does not have to be like this, we know it doesn't have to be like this but we keep allowing the conditions that enable it." She noted this plan comes at a time when police have begun stepping back from family harm incidents: "We're seeing police not responding to incidents where they previously would, where there is no risk of physical harm. It's not spread right across the country yet, but certainly we are starting to see some differences."
Similarly, Grenville Hendricks spoke on behalf of Shine, saying: “We should be putting more money into prevention. We should be spending a lot more money on the children and those that are impacted by family violence because they become the next generation."
Closing Report for Action Plan 1.0: Reporting and reflecting on the first Te Aorerekura Action Plan
Delivery of the first Te Aorerekura Action Plan (2021-2023) has now been completed, and the Closing Report for Action Plan 1.0 reflects on Te Puna Aonui’s experiences during delivery. Key achievements include:
- Production of key reports including Family Violence and Sexual Violence Service Gaps, Outcomes and Measurements Framework, and Family Violence Workforce Capability Framework
- $188 million secured for family and sexual violence initiatives
- Foundational training for 550 court-related workforce members to ensure safe, consistent, and culturally appropriate staff responses to disclosures of family or sexual violence
- Regional partnerships for kaupapa Māori service design with ACC, Te Puni Kōkiri
- Launch of Family Violence Online Help Tools, Campaign for Action on Family Violence and other prevention initiatives
- Programmes trialled and expanded for population groups like Waitematā Safeguarding Adults from Abuse pilot, Social and Emotional Learning pilot.
Appendix 1 of the closing report outlines the status of the first action plan’s 40 commitments. 23 are completed, while 17 are ongoing. Work still in progress includes:
- Continuous capacity building and support for Te Aorerekura, including investment planning and improvement of learning systems
- Developing new practice guidelines for participants in court proceedings and case management systems for responders
- Ongoing community engagement for collective implementation of programmes and local capacity building for primary prevention of violence
- Specialist sexual violence framework development and community mobilisation
- Development and delivery of family and sexual violence prevention initiatives, and kaupapa Māori sexual violence elimination and healing programmes
- Development of tools and curriculums to support healthy relationship education for young people
- Delivery of violence prevention programmes for ethnic communities
- Delivering safeguarding responses for disabled and vulnerable adults.
Understanding the current state of Family Violence: Multi-Agency Responses
The Multi-Agency Responses report outlines the current state of multi-agency responses. It sought to understand the current state of each local crisis family violence response to strengthen existing processes and structures to deliver safer, more effective responses.
Steps taken to complete the current state analysis:
- Te Puna Aonui reviewed existing evaluations and reviews of multi-agency responses
- A cross-agency advisory group (Te Puna Aonui, Ministry of Social Development, NZ Police, and Oranga Tamariki) agreed the scope and further information required to complete the analysis
- Decision taken to gather the same information from all sites
- Decision taken to look at responses through the Safety Assessment Meeting (SAM) table and equivalent groups, which limits information gathered (no cases of sexual assault or assault on children, but family violence where children are present is included)
- Data gathering sessions involved a mix of people from local sites, online or in-person between 23 April and 13 May 2024.
Key insights:
- 40 sites across the country operate in diverse ways and have adapted to suit local communities
- Weekly case volumes, number of attending organisations (government, non-government, and iwi), number of available specialist and generalist services, number of response organisations, number of referral organisations, and frequency of meetings varies across all sites
- There is a need for balance between national consistency and local innovation
- Some sites work uniquely with iwi partners to best serve whānau Māori experiencing family violence
- The lion’s share of work undertaken to respond to family violence happens outside of multi-agency meetings, but most sites were keen to ensure that the value of meetings was understood and preserved.
Related Media
Family violence funding review could see services lose out – critics, RNZ, 16.12.2024
Government launches new plan for reducing family and sexual violence, RNZ, 15.12.2024
Family, sexual violence: New action plan released by Government, New Zealand Herald, 15.12.2024
Government to review $1.3b in family and sexual violence spending, Stuff, 15.12.2024
The holiday season can be a very difficult time for people who may be at risk from family violence and/or sexual violence. Support services for people experiencing violence are always available, even during the holidays. Contact details for support services are on our website.
The website Are You Ok has information about how to get support for people experiencing violence. There is information to get help for yourself, friends, family or whānau, or your children.
For people using violence or worried about their behaviour, find information, live chat and links to support services at Change is Possible. This website also has information for people who want to support someone who might be using violence.
Shine have created key messages that employers can share with employees ahead of the holidays: Domestic Violence & the Holiday Season - key messages for your employees.
We hope that you are able to take some time out to be with your family or whānau and rest and rejuvenate over the holidays. We look forward to continuing to work alongside you to eliminate and prevent violence in 2025.
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health (MOH) have released their evidence brief and position statement on the use of puberty blockers for gender identity issues.
The Position Statement sets out expectations of greater precaution in the prescribing of puberty blockers to transgender young people. It also advised deferring the prescription of puberty blockers to transgender young people to interprofessional teams experienced in administering gender-affirming healthcare to transgender children.
The MOH has also announced that it has been asked by Government to hold a public consultation on whether additional restrictions are needed on the use of puberty blockers in young people with gender-related health needs including “…additional safety measures for puberty blockers, such as regulations under the Medicines Act.”
MOH stated “In particular, the Ministry seeks input from organisations that represent people who may be affected by safety measures or that may be involved in how safety measures are used in practice.” Submissions are due 20 January 2025.
Community responses
Gender Minorities Aotearoa (GMA), a national transgender organisation, have undertaken an analysis of the MOH’s review of the use of puberty blocker, which found that the MOH's Evidence Brief, Position Statement, and consultation are discriminatory. They argue that the MOH is adding extra scrutiny to gender-affirming treatment for young people only if they are transgender: “Creating further regulations and restrictions specifically for transgender people is sex based discrimination.”
GMA highlight the double standard in the provision of gender affirming healthcare:
“Blocking hormones during puberty is normal. It is the usual medical approach to children with unwanted sex characteristics. Unless those children are transgender.”
GMA also highlight methodological concerns including that the initial framing of the MOH review’s scope focused on puberty blockers effects on general wellbeing and “gender dysphoria”, and not on the physiological changes the medicines are sought for. Further concerns include:
- That MOH “downgraded studies that looked at what transgender people said about their wellbeing, and didn’t see it as good evidence if transgender people’s bodies changed, or if they said the treatment worked and was helpful.”
- MOH claims that “evidence about gender dysphoria being reduced by puberty blockers was bad evidence if the researchers didn’t also check if psychological support, family support and school support could fix “gender dysphoria.””
- “[s]tudies were assessed as “low quality” (or “at risk of bias”) if a majority of the transgender children receiving puberty blockers had a supportive environment.”
GMA have also criticised the MOH’s decision to hold a public consultation on this matter. They highlight that the MOH “does not use a public consultation process to decide the medical care of any other group.” They also draw attention to the risk associated with holding a public consultation given the heightened interest of the “large international population of anti-transgender extremist groups.”
Jennifer Shields, the president of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA), commented that, “[i]t’s highly unusual and inappropriate to engage in public consultation on a medical matter, particularly for a minority group already exposed to increasing levels of hatred and disinformation…[t]his process is discriminatory, already doing harm, and has the potential to do massive and irreversible damage to a generation of trans children.”
The MOH has also been criticised by both GMA and PATHA for the inadequacy of its direct consultation with the rainbow community. They, alongside 24 other representatives from rainbow community organisations were invited to a single, shared 30-minute consultation meeting which was later extended to 60 minutes.
The MOH's brief was delayed a number of times in part to take the findings of the Cass Review in the UK into account. For more information on methodological flaws of The Cass Review, see An Evidence-Based Critique of “The Cass Review” on Gender-affirming Care for Adolescent Gender Dysphoria (2024) published by the Yale School of Medicine, as well as the British Medical Association’s call to immediately halt the implementation of the reviews findings.
Resources for making a submission
Several organisations have produced resources for making submissions on the MOH’s consultation. Submissions are due 20 January 2025.
InsideOUT Kōaro, a national charity providing education, resources, consultation, and support for anything concerning Rainbow and Takatāpui communities, have published their Submission guide for puberty blocker restrictions.
Te Ngākau Kahukura, an organisation working to make communities, environments, and systems safe and inclusive for Rainbow people, have compiled a list of resources to help people understand the issue and to support them to make a submission.
GMA have also provided information and advice on the consultation towards the end of their analysis of the puberty blocker review. For additional information on puberty blockers, see their primer Puberty blockers and differing ethical perspectives (2024).
Emily Writes has written on the MOH’s consultation and has provided information on writing an effective submission in, How you can stand up for trans kids being targeted by this government.
See also the publication of the review into Queensland’s gender services, which found they delivered safe and evidence-based care.
Related News
The Education Review Office (ERO) has published Let’s talk about it: Review of relationships and sexuality education (2024). In their media release, ERO shared that they found "too much inconsistency in relationships and sexuality education.” Underscoring its importance, they write “Relationships and sexuality education plays an important role in teaching students to identify and reject misinformation and harmful attitudes.”
The media release also shares ERO’s findings and concerns about the existing consultation process schools must currently undertake with regards to relationships and sexuality education (RSE). ERO found that the diverging views held by parents and students as well as between male and female students, and mothers and fathers, made consultation difficult. To address these concerns, “ERO is also calling for schools to be required to inform and explain to parents what will be taught in relationships and sexuality education, rather than consult.”
The Government has welcomed the ERO report and its findings that the delivery and content of the current RSE curriculum is inconsistent and is, in some instances, failing to meeting the need of student. In their response to the report, Education Minister, Erica Stanford, announced that the MOE will be developing a new RSE curriculum, stating “[a] draft of the topic areas to be taught will be available from Term 1 with consultation open later in 2025.”
Related Media
Puberty blockers: Health Ministry releases evidence brief, 1News, 21.11.2024
Careful approach to puberty blockers – Expert Reaction, Science Media Centre, 21.11.2024
VisAble launch
Tāngata and whānau whaikaha Māori, tagata sa’ilimalo and their āiga-tele, d/Deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled people, along with their allies, policymakers and politicians celebrated the official launch of VisAble on 24 October 2024. The term "disabled people" is used to include tāngata and whānau whaikaha Māori, tagata sa’ilimalo and their āiga-tele, d/Deaf, neurodivergent, disabled people, Adults at Risk (across the lifespan), and their families.
VisAble is a disability-led not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making violence against disabled people visible, while building a more responsive family violence and sexual violence prevention system. VisAble works to equip and enable individuals and organisations working with or in contact with people who are impacted by violence, to make their services more inclusive and accessible. They provide a range of tailored services and programmes to assist organisations to implement a Te Tiriti o Waitangi and rights-based twin-track response (that is based on the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) principles and approach) in the prevention, identification and response to violence, abuse and neglect against people.
Whaikaha has contracted VisAble to deliver the Disability Abuse Prevention and Response (DAPAR) service, which works to safeguard the rights of disabled people and responds to situations of violence, abuse and harm. According to the Whaikaha website, DAPAR does this by:
- "Working directly with the disabled person and tāngata whaikaha Māori and building a Safeguarding Adults from Abuse (SAFA) multi-agency response to individual situations of concern
- supporting disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori to access mainstream family violence and sexual violence (FVSV) services
- building capacity and capability of individuals, organisations, services and systems through education and training."
Currently DAPAR is only taking referrals for SAFA responses to situations of concern from Whaikaha, Needs Assessment and Coordination, and Enabling Good Lives sites.
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Minister for Disability Issues, Louise Upston, hosted the launch at Parliament. Speaking at the launch Louise Upston said that safeguarding adults at risk is "...a significant part of not just my work as a Minister for Disability Issues but across government." In her speech, Karen Chhour said,
"Disabled people are among the groups of people disproportionately impacted by family violence and sexual violence, and it is often harder for them to seek help and be heard.
It will take all of us, especially groups like VisAble, to enable effective responses from the system, as well as building a culture of care and respect for children, young people, adults at risk and families to prevent, respond and heal from violence."
Timeline storyboards at the launch outlined the work of advocates, including Sue Hobbs and Debbie Hager, leading to the launch of VisAble. Speakers at the launch gave tribute to Dr Pauline Boyles, who championed the Safeguarding project at Whaikaha. Paula Tesoriero, Chief Executive of Whaikaha, and Liz Tanielu, from Te Puna Aonui, also spoke at the launch.
At the launch Paul Gibson, VisAble's recently appointed Chief Executive, talked about:
"...three challenges and three solutions; listening to disabled people, implementing the Abuse in Care Inquiry recommendations and fixing the current problems of the increasing abuse against disabled people as a result of recent decisions."
Read a transcript of the launch event including all speakers.
Related news
Submissions open on Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill and Government apology and response to Abuse in Care inquiry findings.
The Social Services and Community Committee are calling for submissions on the Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill. Submissions are due 11 December 2024. It is an omnibus bill that proposes to amend 4 different Acts. One of the proposed changes is to amend the Crimes Act 1961, to explicitly include disability in the definition of a vulnerable adult.
Disabled people and advocates have more broadly criticised the use of the word 'vulnerable' to describe or refer to disabled people. Adult at Risk is the preferred language as noted in the Family Violence Death Review 2023 position paper Responding to adults at risk who need care and support and who are experiencing family violence (see page 3, footnote 3).
The legislation was announced following the government's public apology to survivors of abuse in care, which was delivered on the 12th of November 2024.
Disabled survivors made up just over a quarter (27 percent) of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry. This does not include Deaf survivors or survivors who experienced mental distress. Deaf survivors including tāngata Turi Māori comprised 6 percent of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry. Many Deaf people do not identify as disabled.
Many disabled people were among those listening and watching as the national apology was given by the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, followed by a statement from the Leader of the Opposition, Chris Hipkins. The national apology followed an earlier event at Parliament where the chief executives of several agencies also made apologies. Survivors had a brief opportunity to respond. Disability advocate, Gary Williams introduced a video clip of the late Sir Robert Martin giving evidence to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, followed by Fa’afete Taito, Keith Wiffin, Tu Chapman and Poi Karakia.
- Access recordings of individual speakers on the Abuse in Care apology programme (recording available on Vimeo)
- Read the full text of the national apology made by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Watch video of Christopher Luxon
- Read statement of apology by Leader of the Opposition, Chris Hipkins. Watch video of Chris Hipkins
Disabled people were also critical of the arrangements for the apology, some saying the registration process was not accessible, while other survivors felt retraumatised by the need to go in a ballot to attend the proceedings at Parliament due to the restriction on the number of attendees.
Changes to Whaikaha and Disability Support Services
Update: Paula Tesoriero, Chief Executive of Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, gave a statement about the changes to Whaikaha on 2 December 2024.
Following an independent review the government announced changes affecting the future of Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People and funding for disabled people’s services. This included that the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) would take over responsibility for delivering the Disability Support Services by October 2024. The government also announced that Whaikaha — Ministry of Disabled People would become a stand-alone government department but with reduced responsibility for strategic policy advice, monitoring the effectiveness of services, education, and advocacy. These decisions were made 2 years after Whaikaha, Ministry of Disabled people was established.
The Independent Review of Disability Support Services (2024), subtitled "A report to provide advice on the actions that should be taken immediately in the 2024/25 financial year to better manage the increasing cost pressures faced by Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People", made 7 recommendations. It states:
"It is the assessment of the Reviewers that the Ministry is in urgent need of change. Current fiscal controls are inadequate; monitoring and evaluation is poor; there is a worrying lack of clarity about the terms and conditions of existing provider contracts; the roles of the NASCs and hosts are in need of review, and the shared services provided to the Ministry by MSD, MOH and HNZ, and the Departmental Agency Agreement with MSD, need to be reassessed and strengthened." (paragraph 154).
The disabled community and advocates have criticised these decisions. In response to these announcements, the New Zealand Disability Support Network (NZDSN) said,
"The disability community fought long and hard to have a Ministry focused on the needs of disabled people with control of its own budget. Whaikaha is not perfect, but it is a big step in the right direction. Now, the Government is taking us back to the days of the Office for Disability Issues, making Whaikaha a toothless ‘advisory’ agency that will have no budget for helping disabled people."
Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker says "...it is very disappointing to see a key function of Whaikaha, Ministry for Disabled People, removed from it."
There is a new Disability Support Services website. The Disability Support Services Taskforce is working on how disability support services should best be provided in the future and recently sought feedback through a survey. The survey has now closed and the Taskforce expects to share results in December. The survey is the first round of input on this work. Further community engagement and consultation will be held in early 2025.
UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December each year. The theme for 2024 is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." The theme emphasises the importance of the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect their lives. For 2024 the UN outlined the following key goals and calls to action:
- "Promoting the leadership of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
- Ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.
- Increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes.
- Raising awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Celebrating the achievements of persons with disabilities."
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission is hosting a webinar in recognition of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2024. Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker will host a panel discussion. Registration is free.
Australia-based Our Watch is hosting a webinar on 11 December 2024 on Changing the landscape – new resources for preventing violence against women and girls with disabilities.
Other related UN Initiatives
In 2023, the Zero Project published the Model Policy Report, which showcases innovative policies that integrate the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into the fabric of sustainable development. The Zero Project is an Australia-based global initiative to support the implementation of the CRPD.
The United Nations Development Programme and UN Women, with funding from the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, piloted the Addressing Stigma and Discrimination against Women with Disabilities project in Moldova, Pakistan, Palestine and Samoa. This project produced the Women with disabilities stigma inventory (WDSI) toolkit, a survey tool to assess the experiences of women and girls with disabilities regarding stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence. Alongside developing the WDSI using a participatory approach, a methodological note and ethical guidelines were also produced to ensure a human rights–based approach and to minimise harm.
Related research
Recent research and publications added to our library include:
Child to parent violence and abuse: New Zealand's invisible family violence (2024) by Lee Tempest, published by VisAble
Reports from Understanding Policing Delivery: Tākata Whaikaha, D/deaf and Disabled People (2024) from the Donald Beasley Institute
Report on complaints to HDC about Residential Disability Support Services (2024) from the Health and Disability Commissioner | Te Toihau Hauora, Hauātanga makes recommendations for improvements after reviewing five years of complaints
Case studies from the Abuse in Care Inquiry related to the experiences of disabled and d/Deaf people:
- Beautiful children : Te Uiui o te Manga Tamariki me te Rangatahi ki Lake Alice | Inquiry into the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit
- Our hands were tied : Van Asch College and Kelston School for the Deaf A case study of audism abuse at Deaf Schools
- Out of sight, out of mind : Kimberley Centre. A case study into the Kimberley Centre, a ‘psychopaedic’ institution for people with a learning disability
- Stolen lives, marked souls : Te whakatewhatewhatanga o te Kāhui o ngā Parata o Hato Hoani o te Atua i te kura o Marylands me te Tarati o Hebron The inquiry into the Order of the Brothers of St John of God at Marylands School and Hebron Trust
Dr Patsie Frawley wrote a Disability overview for the Abuse in Care Inquiry highlighting the experiences of disabled people in care.
Earlier this year Kirsty Johnston produced the 8-part podcast series, Nellie's baby, which follows Sarah as she searches for her biological mother, a mental health patient who was institutionalised in Porirua Hospital.
Related media
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