Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Scully - 

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         all women deserve the liberty to live a life free of violence;

(ii)        however, one in six Australian women have been subjected, since the age of 15, to physical and/or sexual violence by a cohabiting partner;

(iii)      violence against women has profound impacts upon communities, employment, housing, mental health and their children;

(iv)      multiple forms of discrimination intersect so that inequality exists between women, such that:

(a)       women with disabilities are two times more likely to experience domestic violence; and

(b)       Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women had 29 times the rate of hospitalization for family violence;

(v)       local governments are uniquely situated to influence and drive social change to reduce violence against women through existing partnerships, networks and structures;

(vi)       the City was one of the first Australian organisations to receive the White Ribbon workplace accreditation;

(vii)      the City provides 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave per annum to staff who experience domestic or family violence and supplies information for staff experiencing domestic violence and education for bystanders;

(viii)    learning and development modules are available, but not mandatory, to raise staff awareness including modules on Understanding Domestic Violence, Impacts on the Workplace, and Responding to Domestic Violence in the Workplace;

(ix)       the City’s Community Safety Action Plan 2018-2023 outlines priorities in ending domestic and family violence and sexual assault;

(x)       this includes the quarterly Inner City Domestic and Family Violence Forum, supporting Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre to deliver a forum, publishing information resources on its website and supporting the NSW Domestic Violence Collective’s ‘Let’s end domestic violence’ vigil;

(xi)      the City of Sydney should continue to increase its efforts to interact with a diverse range of voices and existing programs and community groups to materialize and measure the elimination of domestic violence;

(xii)     the City of Sydney should further develop actions and activities that align with the recommendations outlined in the Our Watch Toolkit for preventing domestic violence at a local government level;

(xiii)    Our Watch highlights that education, community, workplace, sporting, arts, library and media setting are effective places of engagement and education services; and

(xiv)    the City of Sydney could implement criteria into its procurement chains to hold suppliers to a standard that promotes the elimination of violence within their institution; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         consider the integration of Our Watch Local Government Toolkit into City policies and training;

(ii)        continue to work in partnership with domestic and family violence services, prevention agencies, specialist community organisations and other community services; and

(iii)      report back to Council via the CEO Update on additions to City policies and/or training.

Carried unanimously.

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