Kōrero Mai
National Strategy: Have your say
Engagement begins
The Government is partnering with Tangata Whenua and working with targeted communities to create a new National Strategy and Action Plans to eliminate family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.
From May 12, special community-led hui involving communities with lived experience of family violence and sexual violence are being held all around New Zealand, asking people to consider: what do you think needs to be in a National Strategy and Action Plan, from your communities’ point of view?
At the same time, you can tell us what you think should be done to eliminate family violence and sexual violence, by filling out an online survey(external link) on Citizen Space, a safe and confidential online platform hosted by the Ministry of Justice.
Submissions can also be sent by individuals or groups, by post or email. Your submission can be written, an emailed voice recording, or a video statement – however you want to have you say, we want to receive it.
As the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Marama Davidson has said, Aotearoa New Zealand needs a fresh approach: “We have had too many reports over too many years that outline family violence and sexual violence, the problem we face, and describe what we need to change to address it.
“Off the back of these mounting reports I want to now bring us into a live discussion to develop a National Strategy and Action Plans. This will provide a mandate for change and set out actions to help us move forward, together.”
Engagement ends on 30 June. Contributions received by then will be woven into the National Strategy and Action Plans – which Cabinet will consider in September.
The start of engagement was celebrated by Ministers(external link) and representatives of communities impacted by family and sexual violence at a special event at the Ngā Whare Waatea marae in South Auckland.
Who is engagement for?
Anyone can contribute their voice to the kōrero about what needs to be in the National Strategy and Action Plans. There are four ways your voice can be heard:
Community-led hui
Because it is often hard to hear the voices of people who have lived experience of family violence, the Government is making a special effort to bring their voices to the fore in safe, closed community hui.
Working in partnership with Tangata Whenua and interested communities the Joint Venture is creating opportunities for targeted hui, led by trusted community members. These will provide safe environments for people to speak freely, and send their views back to the Government without being identified. Attendance at these hui is by invitation only from a particular community.
The communities being prioritised are:
- Tangata Whenua
- Victims-survivors
- Pacific peoples
- Disabled peoples
- New migrant, refugee and ethnic communities
- Older people
- Tamariki and rangatahi
- Rainbow communities
- People who use violence
If you are a community leader interested in hosting your own hui or conversation, the Joint Venture has tools to support you to engage on your terms, in ways that work best for you. To support your hui, you can download the tools in the Key documents to guide engagement section, or request these and other resources by contacting nationalstrategy@violencefree.govt.nz.
Online survey
You can go to the safe government website Citizen Space and fill out a questionnaire(external link).
Send your views to submissions@violencefree.govt.nz. Your contribution can be written, or a voice or video recording.
Write a letter
Use the Minister’s Freepost address (Marama Davidson MP, Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 888, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160) and your letter will be forwarded in confidence to the Joint Venture Unit for analysis.
All contributions and submissions received will be carefully and confidentially analysed.
Partnering with Tangata Whenua
Engagement on the National Strategy has been developed with the support and advice of an Interim Te Rōpū made up of tangata whenua leaders. The Interim Te Rōpū developed and published a report Te Hau Tangata: The sacred breath of humanity [PDF, 296 KB] as a strategy with a Te Aō Māori perspective, to be shared with everyone. It is available as a key resource document for engagement, along with other engagement tools.
Launching engagement on the National Strategy, the Minister underlined the importance of this work, noting that Wāhine Māori are disproportionately represented in family violence and sexual violence statistics.
“One in two Wāhine Māori are survivors of family or sexual violence. It is essential, in light of that evidence, that Māori leadership, Te Ao Māori thinking and the inclusive Te Tiriti framework are at the forefront in transforming the system.”
Key documents to guide engagement
Invitation to Contribute [PDF, 1.5 MB] includes:
- an invitation from the Minister to participate
- a summary for your feedback, of what the Government has heard from previous engagements should be the key focus areas we should work in to help heal, prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence
- a plan showing how and when the National Strategy and Action Plans will be delivered.
Have your Say [PDF, 1.3 MB] has the specific engagement questions the Government is asking about what the National Strategy should contain.
These resources and further guidance including a draft agenda for hui can also be requested by contacting nationalstrategy@violencefree.govt.nz
Keeping you informed: reporting back on engagement
From late May, check back here for regular updates summarising what we are learning from hui and submissions.
The summaries will reflect careful assessment and analysis from the Joint Venture’s Insights team of the common themes emerging from the different engagements: Citizen Space, emailed and posted submissions, and closed community-led hui around Aotearoa New Zealand.
The analysis will be monitored by independent expert advisors appointed to oversee the government’s handling and interpretation of feedback. This is designed to ensure that the information is presented in a way that retains confidentiality and integrity.
To find out more
Contact the National Strategy engagement team in the Joint Venture by emailing nationalstrategy@violencefree.govt.nz