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Disturbing family violence findings support RAW cause

Today the Salvation Army has expressed its deep concern that child poverty and family violence is not taken seriously enough by New Zealanders.

Through the latest annual State of the Nation report reviewing social progress in New Zealand entitled, Striking a Better Balance, Salvation Army Social Policy Director Major Campbell Roberts has said that “without doubt the most disturbing data in the report relates to child poverty and family violence. Neither of these areas is improving. Every day Salvation Army workers see the tragic results of the failure to deal with these issues”.

Major Roberts suggests that unless ordinary New Zealanders take these matters seriously, Government is unlikely to.

“Public pressure will help policy makers strike a better balance to ensure effective solutions are found for child poverty and domestic violence. As a nation we must take a brave and more deliberate interventionist approach if we are to see child poverty and family violence significantly reduce,” he says.

The Salvation Army’s findings provides further support for the work of Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Annah Stretton who announced the launch of her new support program, Reclaiming Another Woman – RAW this month.

“We agree that things simply are not working,” Stretton states. “Whilst Women’s Refuge are doing an amazing job rescuing and supporting, so often we see women leave the refuges and go right back into those old, familiar violent environments… and why wouldn’t they, as it is all they know. RAW is about making a change by providing a platform where one woman walks alongside and supports a woman that is ready to try to exit Women’s Refuge and begin to re-build her life taking up all of the opportunities that she should be afforded.”

The service will be piloted in the Waikato beginning in February 2014.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a RAW supportee contact rebecca@raw.org.nz

To learn more about RAW or visit www.raw.org.nz

To read more on the Salvation Army’s findings visit

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1402/S00111/child-poverty-domestic-violence-not-taken-seriously-enough.htm

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