Family Violence Prevention

A Mayoral Taskforce has drawn together against Family Violence. This initiative gets regular publicity through newspaper ads, stories and events.

Our Vision

All families and whanau have healthy, respectful, stable relationships, free from violence.

Our Mission

The Mayoral Taskforce, co-chaired by Mayor Bob Harvey and Dr Pita Sharples, is made up of people who are committed to supporting the people and agencies working to reduce family violence in Waitakere and to promoting peaceful strong and supported families where violence is not tolerated.

The Taskforce enables this work by raising the city's profile, advocating, and using agencies and networks to bring resources, with the aim of "clearing the way" for the local agencies to deliver services on the ground.

The Taskforce will take a lead in its focus from the National Family Violence Taskforce whose programme of action is based around: 'leadership', 'changing attitudes and behavior', 'ensuring safety and accountability' and 'effective support services' by supporting local service delivery agencies.

Scope

The Taskforce is not an operational group. The role is to be advocates, champions, lobbyists, to aid networking, cooperation and partnering, to provide the expertise of their agencies, to add momentum, to provide energy and raise the profile, when required, in support of those workers in the family violence community in Waitakere.

The roles of the Taskforce include:

• Advocating to support organisations and local community agencies working to realise the vision of Waitakere being family violence free.
• Ensuring that the Taskforce process meets the diverse needs of our multi-cultural community, using a partnership approach.
• Working on behalf of Waitakere City to ensure that adequate resources are available to address family violence prevention.
• Supporting community organisations to continue to be innovative in their approach, and to encourage them to deliver, monitor and share best practice.
• Advocate for change at a national level to ensure that local and regional intervention programmes and proposals are as effective as possible.
• Ensure that, in any initiative the Taskforce undertakes, members will take full account of cultural, age, linguistic, faith, gender, sexuality and disability issues.
• Provide leadership in Taskforce members' own organisations around Family Violence, including ensuring that organisational leadership continues to be present on the Taskforce and membership is not delegated to staff who are not in leadership positions

Representation on the Taskforce membership includes:

White Ribbon Day

White Ribbon Day in Waitakere is the day we stand together and say "Family Violence - It's Not OK in Waitakere".

What you can do:

• Wear a white ribbon to show your support.
• Challenge attitudes and behaviour which condone or tolerate violence.
• Encourage others in your organisation, family/whanau, community, street or workplace to wear a white ribbon.
• Take place in the Waitakere White Ribbon Day march
• Organise a local event to speak out against violence towards women.
• Spread the word about the White Ribbon campaign and its aims.

Media Releases

Contact information

For more information email safe.waitakere@waitakere.govt.nz.