Women and Children's Advisory Committee (WACAC) Inititatives
Aims
The Women and Children’s Advisory Committee for the Thai Australian Chamber (WACAC) herewith aims to:
Domestic Violence:
Address violence against women, men, children, families and LGBTQI in the Thai Communities .
Provide pathways and support services for Thai people experiencing domestic violence in Australia including but not exclusive to:
Translation Services,
Community Support,
Working The Government Entities To
Provide Financial Aid,
Working The Legal Agencies To Provide
Access To Justice,
Working With Media To Provide A
Voice And To Inform The Public About
Recognising Domestic Violence,
Working With Organisations That Provide
Safety And Protection To Victims Of
Domestic Violence,
Working With Charities And Support Groups
For Those Experiencing Domestic Violence.
Trafficking:
Work with the Australian Federal Police and Government agencies to prevent human trafficking;
Support, protect and assist Thai people who are victims of human trafficking;
Provide a network of support and information through media and organisations to allow access to help for those who are experiencing trafficking;
Provide translation services, guidance and connect those who are trafficked with organisations that can help with pathways out of trafficking;
To help with inclusion and migration issues for those that are trafficked so they can amalgamate themselves into Australian society or can be safely returned home .
Slavery:
Work with Police, Government, charities and aid organisations to prevent and address modern slavery in Australia;
Support and protect Thai people who are experiencing modern slavery;
Provide information for those who are experiencing slavery so they can access help;
Provide translation services and guidance with the aims of connecting those who are enslaved with pathways out of enslavement;
To promote inclusion and address migration issues .
Information
Human Trafficking and Slavery in Australia:
Any exploitative practice, such as human trafficking, servitude, forced labour, debt bondage and forced marriage are forms of modern slavery and are serious crimes under Australian law and Human Rights Law overall.
Human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices such as servitude, forced labour and forced marriage are major violation of human rights and a global problem. According to the Australian Federal Police, Australia is primarily a destination country for people trafficked from Asia, particularly those from Thailand. It is estimated that up to 1000 persons are trafficked into Australia a year. According to the United Nations Global Report on Trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation the most prevalent form of exploitation comes from East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific comprising 64 percent of detected victims. And it is estimated that up to 15,000 people are living in conditions of modern slavery in Australia.
“In the long history of human wrongs, the trade in human beings will go down as one of the greatest crimes ever committed.”
His Excellency Mr Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General of the United Nations 1997-2006
Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence, domestic abuse and/or family violence, is any form of abuse, harassment, violence and coercive control that occurs in a domestic setting such as marriage, cohabitation or familial life. Globally, the majority of victims experiencing domestic violence are women and women tend to experience more severe forms of violence. In particular, that number is magnified in migrant communities.
Thai migrant women are victims of domestic violence at seven times the national rate, mostly at the hands of their Australian-born partners;
Thai Welfare Associations across Australia report that every week up to two Thai migrant women call for help, fearing for their safety;
Nearly 90 percent of Thai women who experience domestic violence in Australia are from low socio-economic groups in Thailand;
The Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence found that people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities are more likely to face barriers to obtain help for family violence;
In Australia, on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner
In Australia, 1-in-3 women has experienced physical and sexual violence since the age of 15 .
“They don’t know about our law, and often when they do get help from refuges they’re full or the women don’t understand, so they just go back home because they can’t afford anywhere else.”
Dr Sue Webster,
Transcultural Mental Health Clinical Consultant for Thai groups