inTouch’s policy, advocacy and research activities informs government legislation, service provision and media coverage and is informed by victim-survivors and our client services team.
inTouch has a strong focus on policy, research and communications to share our expertise on issues that affect migrant and refugee women who experience family violence, to build the evidence base for our work, and to influence outcomes for our clients and their communities.
Our areas of focus include issues that are primarily unique to our client cohort, such as Australia’s visa, migration and settlement systems, legal judicial and law enforcement processes, forced marriage, and financial abuse (including dowry abuse). This work is informed by the advice and expertise of inTouch’s case managers, our legal and migration specialists, our survivor-advocate advisory group, NOOR, and the lived experiences of the women we work with.
inTouch’s Policy, Advocacy and Communications unit actively consults and collaborates with government, departmental representatives, peak bodies, media outlets, academics, consultants and peer agencies in order to improve responses to family violence and positively impact state and federal policy. Similarly, we participate in several roundtables, committees and advisory groups to engage with and inform the sector, community and other stakeholders about our work and the clients we support.
Our policy and advocacy work continues to place inTouch at the forefront of family violence response and prevention and underpins our organisation’s growth and work into the future.
Policy Positions and Submission Papers
Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Family Violence
Temporary visa holders make up a considerable portion of our clients at inTouch. This includes women who are on spousal/partner…
Consultation Paper Response – Family Law Amendment Bill (NO. 2) 2023 (Joint Submission)
inTouch and Harmony Alliance welcome the opportunity to provide a response to the ConsultationPaper – Family Law Amendment Bill (No.…
Submission to the Independent Review of The National Legal Assistance Partnership
Through our recommendations to the Independent Review, inTouch seeks to demonstrate ourvision for an effective and equitable integrative service that…
Embed Migrant and Refugee Voices and Experiences into the National Response to Family Violence
Over the past few years, Federal and State Governments have responded to the far-reaching impactsof family violence in our community…
The Causes and Consequences of Misidentification on Women from Migrant and Refugee Communities Experiencing Family Violence
Misidentification of the predominant aggressor occurs when police and other areas of the justice system incorrectly identify a victim-survivor of…
“When you speak the language you’ve already actually crossed that first hurdle”: A review of the inTouch Motivation for Change Program
This report presents the findings from a review of the MfC program conducted by members of the Monash Gender and…
Response to the Draft Second National Action Plan
According to ABS statistics, just under 30 percent of Australia’s population in 2019-2020 was bornoverseas. In April 2021, there were…
inCulture, inTouch: Integrated model of support for culturally and linguistically diverse women experiencing family violence
Published in 2016 In partnership with Jean Hailes Foundation, we conducted an evaluation into our health justice initiative. This initiative…
Temporary migration and family violence: An analysis of victimisation, vulnerabilities and support
Published in 2017 In partnership with Monash University, inTouch conducted a comprehensive review of the cases we managed that involved…
Research brief: Support options for migrant women on temporary visas experiencing family violence in Australia
Published in 2019 inTouch collaborated with the Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre at Monash University on the two research…
Forced marriage in Australia
This research brief provides an overview of forced marriage in Australia – how it’s understood, its relationship with family violence,…
Family Violence and Temporary Visa Holders During COVID-19
Published September 2020 inTouch partnered with Monash University for this study, documenting 100 inTouch clients who held temporary visas and…
Intersectionality, Family violence and the Pandemic: Perspectives from 2020
Published December 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval across the world. Whilst maintaining relatively low levels of infections of…
Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs – Dowry Abuse
inTouch partnered with Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand to provide recommendations on the practice and incidence of dowry abuse in…
Parliamentary Inquiry into a Better Family Law
We informed the Parliamentary Inquiry into a Better Family Law regarding challenges that culturally and linguistically diverse communities face when…
Submission to Royal Commission into Family Violence
inTouch provided advice to the Royal Commission into Family Violence, offering recommendations on how to reduce the incidence of family…
Position paper on dowry abuse following Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs’ report
A position paper on dowry abuse following the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs’ report into the practice…
Submission to Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
inTouch made a submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and offered recommendations based on our experiences…
Position paper outlining concerns to new migration laws
inTouch are concerned about the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018, and the possible negative effects on…
Position paper on Fourth National Action Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (4NAP)
The 4NAP was released by the Commonwealth Government in August 2019. Whilst it outlines several positive objectives, there is still…
Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System – January 2020
Over 100 peak bodies – including inTouch – co-signed a joint statement that highlights our view that the current Family…
Submission to the Select Committee on Temporary Migration – March 2020
In December 2019, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on Temporary Migration to inquire into and report on…
Position paper: Women on temporary visas experiencing family violence
inTouch’s position paper outlines the barriers women face being on a temporary visa and the gaps in services. It urges…
inTouch Submission to the Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence – August 2020
inTouch’s submission makes a number of recommendations to reduce the barriers that our clients face when they are seeking safety…
Issues paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inTouch clients
This paper highlights the ongoing impacts of the pandemic six months on, and the most recent restrictions on our clients…
Intersectionality, Family Violence and the Pandemic: Perspectives from 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval across the world. Whilst maintaining relatively low levels of infections of the virus itself,…
Position Paper: Forced Marriage in Australia
Forced marriage is a major breach of human rights and is classified as a serious crime in Australia. It is…
Position Paper: The Causes and Consequences of Misidentification on Women From Migrant and Refugee Communities Experiencing Family Violence
Misidentification of the predominant aggressor occurs when police and other areas of the justice system incorrectly identify a victim-survivor of…
Policy Platform: Embed Migrant and Refugee Voices and Experiences into the National Response to Family Violence
In what will be a milestone 12 months for family violence reform, inTouch wants to make sure that the voices…
Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Family Violence
A significant portion of inTouch clients are women who are temporary visa holders and have experienced family violence in Australia.…
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on inTouch Clients
This paper highlights some critical trends and concerns that inTouch is seeing emerge from our servicedelivery programs during the COVID-19…
Advocacy
inTouch regularly participates in the following working groups, committees and advisory bodies:
AWAVA
Specialist Family Violence Courts Advisory Group
Federation of Community Legal Centres Family Violence Working Group
Family Violence Justice and Advocacy Network
National Advocacy Group on Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Violence
National Dowry Abuse Working Group
Victoria Police: Family Violence Command Stakeholder Engagement
