WOMEN from refugee and migrant backgrounds will get help understanding their rights if they are victims of family violence through a grant to the Whittlesea Community Legal Service.
The service will get an extra $67,000 from Victoria Legal Aid to help women who might not be aware of their rights, VLA spokeswoman Kristen Hilton said.
She said there had been a dramatic rise in family violence in the Whittlesea municipality, which is the second fastest growing municipality in Australia.
“Over the past five years Whittlesea has been in the top three municipalities for family violence incidents reported by Victoria Police across the north west metropolitan region,” she said.
“Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities often do not have the same family or social support networks that many women rely on in family violence situations.”
“In our experience, women from CALD backgrounds are particularly vulnerable, and often experience significant barriers to accessing justice and developing an understanding of the Australian legal system.
“This can stem from language difficulties, differing cultural understandings or sometimes their past experiences as refugees who have faced torture, trauma and dislocation.”
Ms Hilton, the VLA’s director of civil justice, access and equity, said VLA recognised the important role community legal centres played in providing legal help and advocating for their communities.
Whittlesea Community Legal Service chief executive Jemal Ahmet said services in the area were not meeting the needs of people from CALD communities experiencing family violence.
“It’s not to say that family violence only happens in CALD communities, but some communities do experience added complexities, challenges and barriers when seeking help.”
