Entrenched economic and social disadvantage and discrimination mean that some racialised communities are at greater risk of family violence, elder abuse and homelessness than the general population. In Victoria, 37% of First Peoples have experienced homelessness – one of the highest rates in Australia.[37] Almost two thirds (61%) of Victoria’s homeless population were born overseas.[38] First Peoples, multicultural and multifaith seniors also face a higher risk of elder abuse.[39] For this reason, access to government and community services is critical.
However, we heard that government services and agencies are often culturally unsafe. First Peoples and those from multicultural and multifaith backgrounds can face barriers to getting the help they need, when they need it.
We heard how historical and ongoing discriminatory policies have eroded trust in government agencies. We heard that some government services are culturally unsafe and difficult to navigate because they are only provided in English or do not respond to diverse cultural and faith needs.
Cultural Safety
Cultural safety is about creating spaces that ensure the identities and experiences of diverse community members are heard, respected and included. This includes in places of work and leisure. It also covers the way services are designed, accessed and used.
For First Peoples, cultural safety is a decolonising approach to overcoming power imbalances and reducing racism through individual and institutional actions. Culturally safe actions aim to recognise and respect the rights, identities and experiences of First Peoples, as determined by them.
A culturally safe environment is free of racism, discrimination, assault, challenge or denial of identity.
Culturally safe services must:
- recognise First Peoples’ right to self-determination
- respect First Peoples’ and multicultural and multifaith communities’ rights around cultures, languages and beliefs
- address racism, unconscious bias and discrimination
- enable people to share their concerns without fear of inaction or repercussions
- remove systemic barriers that negatively affect health, wellbeing and safety outcomes.
Consultation participants highlighted that diversity in the Victorian public sector workforce is an important way of ensuring government services are more culturally responsive and reflect the diversity of the community. This includes increasing diversity in executive and leadership roles in government and on government boards.
Consultation participants told us that government workplaces need to be culturally safe for First Peoples, multicultural and multifaith employees by ensuring they have:
- strong processes and policies to promote a workplace culture of anti-racism
- safe and effective ways for people who have experienced racism to report complaints.
Currently, First Peoples make up just 1.2% of Victorian Public Service (VPS) employees, despite the Victorian Public Sector’s commitment to a target of 2%.[40] Half (49%) report that their identity is a barrier to success in the workplace.[41]
Overall, 1 in 10 VPS employees (10%) report that their cultural background is a barrier to success in the workplace.[42] This is particularly so for those:
- from East or South East Asian backgrounds (35%)
- from South Asian backgrounds (38%)
- who follow Islam (42%)
- who follow Buddhism (26%)
- who follow Hinduism (40%) and Sikhism (50%).[43]
Myself and most other women of colour that I know at work have experienced at least casual racism daily or weekly, and the worst experienced repeated acts of outright racism. Anti‑racism efforts are required before any of the other activities can be effective.
– VPS Women of Colour Network’s Diversity and Inclusion report submission
Barriers to accessing family violence support
Family violence occurs across all communities, regardless of cultural or faith background. However, the impacts of family violence are not felt evenly.
Both First Peoples and multicultural women face particular barriers to accessing critical support.[44] Women from refugee and migrant backgrounds are less likely to report family violence and can lack broader networks for help.[45]
Yet:
- In Victoria, First Peoples women are 45 times more likely to experience family violence than non–First Peoples women.[46] Service data also suggests that family violence towards First Peoples women is often committed by non–First Peoples partners.[47]
- Nationwide, First Peoples women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence and 11 times more likely to die from assault compared with non–First Peoples women.[48]
- A survey of almost 1,400 migrant and refugee women in Australia found that 1 in 3 had faced some form of domestic or family violence. Of these:
- 9 out of 10 experienced controlling behaviours
- 4 out of 10 experienced physical or sexual violence.[49]
- Women on temporary visas face particularly high levels of migration-related abuse.[50]
[37] Victorian Government, Victorian Aboriginal affairs report, First Peoples–State Relations, Victorian Government, 2017
[38] Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Estimating Homelessness: Census, ABS website, 2023. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/estimating-homelessnes…
[39] CA Walsh, JL Olson, J Ploeg, L Lohfeld, HL and MacMillan, ‘Elder abuse and oppression: voices of marginalized elders’, Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 2010, 23(1):17–42
[40] Victorian Public Sector Commission, ‘Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees 2023’, Workforce data (state of the public sector), 2024. https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/workforce-data-state-of-the-public-sector/emplo…; Victorian Public Sector Commission, Barring Djinang: Aboriginal Employment Strategy, 2018
[41] Victorian Public Sector Commission, ‘Workgroup behaviour 2023’, Workforce data (state of the public sector), 2024. https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/workforce-data-state-of-the-public-sector/emplo…
[42] Victorian Public Sector Commission, Workgroup behaviour 2023
[43] Victorian Public Sector Commission, Workgroup behaviour 2023
[44] Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), ‘Improving family violence legal and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: key findings and future directions’, Research to Policy & Practice, 2020, 25–26; C Vaughan, K Block, C Sullivan, J Hourani, S Khaw, Y Jarallah, L Zannettino, C Gregoric, L Murray, M Suha, J Chen, A Murdolo and M Sandhu, Multicultural and Settlement services Supporting women experiencing violence: The MuSeS project, ANROWS, Sydney, 2020
[45] Department of Social Services (DSS), Hearing her voice: report from the kitchen table conversations with culturally and linguistically diverse women on violence against women and their children, DSS, Commonwealth of Australia, 2015
[46] Department of Health, Your health: report of the Chief Health Officer, Victoria, 2018, Department of Health, December 2018 https://www.health.vic.gov.au/your-health-report-of-the-chief-health-of…
[47] Djirra, Submission: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan to end violence against women, April 2023
[48] Australian Human Rights Commission, Wiyi Yani U Thangani (women’s voices): securing our rights, securing our future report (2020), Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Government, 2020
[49] M Segrave, R Wickes and C Keel, Migrant and refugee women in Australia: the safety and security study, Monash University, Melbourne, 2021
[50] Segrave et al., Migrant and refugee women in Australia: the safety and security study
Updated