Week six

Auckland 

Dilys and Dr Kim McGregor Executive Director of Rape Prevention Education.

I’ve had a very strange time in Auckland, its not really stuff I can put on the blog but I’ll tell you about it when I get home.

I have to admit to feeling a little tired now. I think its all the travelling and intense listening I’m doing. The thought of getting on yet another flight in the morning feels a bit daunting. Especially after my last flight to Auckland where I ended up sitting with a young mum and her two screaming babies. I ended up comforting the poor distressed mum and I had one of the babies on my knee all the way to from Sydney to Auckland. When I got off the plain my clothes were covered in chocolate drink and soggy biscuit. 

I had trouble getting people to agree to see me in Auckland. Rape Crisis (Help Sexual Violence support agency) said they were too busy, but with persistence, I did eventually get Harriet (Development manager) to agree to see me.

Help is the main SV support agency in Auckland, they also provide services across the rest of NZ.

They have 28 full time staff and have they deal with 13,000 calls a year. Harriet wasn’t sure how many individuals they support each year. 

Help have an agreement with police. Police refer all reported rapes to Help. They go with police to all crisis calls, they attend around  500 calls per year.

They also support clients with restrictive justice, Harriet said “it is a great alternative to criminal justice outcomes and really can help to put families back together and help victims with their recovery”. Nearly all agencies I have visited on my travels seem to have great faith in restorative justice.

I was interested in the pre-school programme (Keeping Safe) , Help deliver this programme to 3 to 5 year olds. They say it really works and it has prompted quite a few disclosures.

Helen Clark (ex Prime Minister of NZ) put me in touch with Dr Kim McGregor Executive Director of Rape Prevention Education, a founding and steering group member of Te Ohaakii a Hine- National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together and a member of the Task Force for Action Sexual Violence.

Kim is an inspirational woman who has worked hard to effect change both locally and Nationally across NZ. She has been an amazing advocate and has helped to convince Government to fund SV services, set up a task force and developed a national SV action plan.

In 2003 the case of Louise Nicholas came into the public arena. Louise was subjected to repeated rapes by policemen in a small town in rural NZ.

Those charged were acquitted of twenty charges against them. A public outrage followed which highlighted that there needed to be changes made to the law, which should protect survivors.  Kim supported Louise through her ordeal and beyond.

Louise has become a national figure and is now working with Kim. Together they have lobbied government to make changes. In the last few years a ministerial Task Force has been set up to look into all aspects of sexual violence- prevention education, services for survivors and offenders and legislative reforms.

After lobbying, the SV action plan was developed and the government gave $10.4 million over two years to support SV agencies in crisis.

We could do with someone like Kim to come and lobby our Government.

Kim and I have agreed to stay in touch. She is originally from Stockton, she will be coming over next year and will come and visit our project.

A local community group recommended that I visit the Auckland women’s centre.  Whilst it was a brilliant centre, it wasn’t really a sexual violence centre. They were very welcoming and helpful; they do some amazing work but don’t deal with sexual violence issues. They said if anyone disclosed SV they would refer them to Help.

I had a wonderful feminist conversation with the one of the workers (Ellie Lim) she was fantastic. There seems to be a great feminist movement in Auckland, I have met a lot of strong feminists whilst I have been here.

Apparently there is a strong network of women’s organisations in Auckland that meet up on a monthly basis, they lobby local government and arrange protest action etc.

I’m off to Wellington next. I can’t believe how quickly the time is going.