Vine Quick Reads: 23 January 2026

Vine Quick Reads: 23 January 2026

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa.

Survivor Support and Recognition Fund open for applications

The Survivor Support and Recognition Fund is accepting grant applications. Applications are open to Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and community groups who support survivors of abuse and neglect in care, and to Local Authorities who maintain unmarked graves of those who died in care. Information on grant limits, eligibility, and how to apply can be found at the link above. Applications close Friday 27 February 2026.

New report: Understanding homelessness for wāhine Māori (2025)

Wellington City Council have released Understanding homelessness: wāhine Māori experiences of rough sleeping in Wellington City and their safety needs (2025). Kaupapa Māori researchers led a qualitative project to explore the lived experiences of wāhine Māori who have experienced rough sleeping in Wellington City. The research sheds light on pathways to homelessness, as well as how wāhine Māori experience and navigate safety – physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural – while living without a home.

New Emergency Management Bill before select committee, submissions open

The Governance and Administration select committee is accepting submissions on the Emergency Management Bill (No 2), which would replace the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. Building on the framework set by the original Act, the new Bill proposes to:

• strengthen the role of communities and iwi Māori in emergency management
• provide clear responsibilities at the national, regional, and local levels
• enable a higher minimum standard of emergency management
• minimise disruption to essential services
• ensure agencies have the tools to do their jobs effectively during an emergency.

For an overview of the Bill and its impacts on disabled people and tangata whaikaha Māori, see Te Kāhui Tika Tangata | Human Rights Commission’s recent pānui. Vine has also gathered research to assist in making a submission: Emergencies, gender and marginalised communities. The consultation closes Tuesday 3 February 2026.

Tertiary study options in violence prevention and response

The following learning pathways are open to those interested in advancing their understanding of violence prevention and response:

• Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland offers a Post-Graduate Certificate in Health Science with a focus on Violence Prevention. For those interested, Friendship House are offering 8 scholarships to undertake this study.
• AUT offers a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science in Violence and Trauma Studies.
• Ara offers the Principles of Family Violence Intervention Micro-credential.

For more training and professional development opportunities, see our dedicated directory.

Our Watch’s first annual Prevention knowledge report focuses on prevention in media

Our Watch have published their first Prevention Knowledge report, Lessons and successes from 10 years of working with media (2025). The report draws on Our Watch’s decade-long National Media Engagement project, in which they worked with journalists and media professionals to strengthen reporting practices towards preventing violence against women. The report provides a summary of this project, its impacts and learnings, and priorities for future work in this space.