Domestic and Family Violence – the importance of focusing on women’s ongoing economic security Putting Women at the Centre: A Policy Forum August 2016 Associate Professor Jan Breckenridge Gendered Violence Research Network, UNSW

Acknowledgement of Country We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Australians, whose lands, winds and waters we all now share, and pay respect to their unique values, and their continuing and enduring cultures which deepen and enrich the life of our nation and communities We would like to acknowledge that we are holding this workshop on the land of Aboriginal Australians. We pay our respects to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation who are the Custodians of this land and to any Aboriginal people attending today

Putting Women at the Centre Presentation will focus on DFV and women’s employment by presenting related research projects undertaken by GVRN researchers where women and their identified needs are central: 1.‘Safe at Home Safe at Work’ - the use of industrial clauses 2.Supporting Women’s Employment – ‘Gendered Violence & Work’ Project These projects explicitly privilege the lived experiences of women to centrally inform and support policy recommendations

What we know about DFV Domestic violence affects women of all ages, cultural, social and economic backgrounds, and relationship types, and with diverse needs It is prevalent - rates of violence against women since the age of 15: 1 in 6 Australian women had experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner (ABS 2012 ) 1 woman was killed nearly every week due to DFV in Australia between 2008 and 2010 ( Chan & Payne 2013 ) Note: These figures are under-estimates and do not include all manifestations of DFV such as financial abuse

Economic Insecurity and DFV In addition to being a consequence of domestic and family violence, economic insecurity can be a form of violence in itself Women may continue to experience economic hardship related to DFV for many years post separation A lack of ongoing income may affect a woman’s capacity to continue making mortgage or rental payments Financial abuse reduces a woman’s confidence and capacity to engage in activities outside of the relationship, including employment Cycles of homelessness and abuse-related barriers to employment, can affect women’s ability to save and build assets

DFV and employment Two-thirds of Australian women who report violence by a current partner are in paid employment (PSS 2012) Employees experiencing domestic and family violence are particularly vulnerable when working due to the predictability of their location and hours The strain of dealing with the abuse may affect their capacity to get to work, productivity, performance and wellbeing. Employees report both ‘absenteeism’ and ‘presenteeism’ Other consequences may include: leaving the workforce; more disrupted work history and lower personal incomes; changing jobs meaning women are employed at higher levels in casual and p/t work also affecting superannuation

‘Safe at Home Safe at Work’ 2010 – 2014 researchers from the GVRN partnered with the ACTU to advocate for the uptake of domestic and family violence provisions – ‘DV Clauses’ Currently around 1.6 million Australian employees are covered by domestic and family violence clauses in their Enterprise Bargaining Agreements or Awards SHSW successfully advocated for changes to Australia’s Fair Work Act (2013) to provide all employees in the federal jurisdiction the right to request a change in work arrangements if they are experiencing DFV or need to provide care and support to a member of their immediate household IWD (2016) Malcolm Turnbull flagged that the Commonwealth Government were intending to argue that the DV clauses for Commonwealth Public Servants were ‘enhancements’

SHSW Workplace Survey SHSW research conducted in 2011 showed that 19% of Australian respondents (n= 3611 workers) who had experienced domestic and family violence reported the harassment continuing at their workplace – over 11% reported the perpetrator came to the workplace Nearly half of the employees who had experienced DV reported that it affected their capacity to get to work – major reason was physical injury or restraint (67%), followed by hiding keys & failure to care for children Main reported impacts in the workplace were on work performance Discussion of domestic violence with colleagues is identified overall as relatively common (37%), particularly for more recent victims (45%). This means the work team may also be affected by DFV

Gendered Violence & Work Project In 2015 the Gendered Violence & Work program was launched as part of UNSW’s Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN). Reasons: 1.Increasing focus on leave overshadowed the importance of flexible work arrangements 2.A second survey indicated that employees were frequently unaware of their industrial entitlements and that organisations may not always communicate this option effectively 3.A project with the World Bank Group, in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to address the effects of family and sexual violence (FSV) on the workplace in PNG highlighted the importance of flexible workplace responses

Benefits to Employers Employers can reduce costs and increase savings by providing supports to employees which improves long-term productivity, safeguards institutional knowledge & offsets potential termination, recruitment and retraining expenses Employers fulfil their duty of care to employees, contractors and clients by providing a safe workplace where foreseeable risks are removed or mitigated. Responding to DFV can also demonstrate commitment to the organisation’s stated values and corporate social responsibility charters. Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency will require employers from 2016 onwards to report if they have formal policies or strategies to support workers who are experiencing DFV in order for the organisation to be considered for an Employer of Choice citation.