Community Legal Centres are a critical, potentially life-saving, service for many women trying to escape an abusive partner.
In order to escape, many women will first need to know how they can access shared funds or property, if they'll be able to keep their children safe, and if they'll be able to untangle themselves from any financial abuse and debt that might have been used to try and trap them.
Right now, family violence and family law are the two biggest areas of work for Community Legal Centres in Australia. They play a vital role in supporting victims to access legal protection orders that can enforce a perpetrator to stay away as well as any interim custody of children arrangements. But inadequate funding is already limiting their work so much that Centres are forced to turn away 160,000 people a year - many of them women trying to escape violence.
And now, our Government is about to make things even harder.
The Turnbull Government has confirmed that from 1 July 2017 it plans to cut a whopping 30% of Community Legal Centres' funding. These cuts will cripple Community Legal Centres, and leave thousands more women each year without this essential lifeline they need to escape family violence.
Will you sign and share this petition against the cuts, and help stop this cruel cut to this vital community service?
*If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, you can call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 support. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
This is a joint petition being led by Fair Agenda, with support from Common Grace. To find out more about Community Legal Centres and how you can take action, check out their website.