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Call for Women’s Refuge Enquiry

Filed under: Domestic Violence — JohnPotter @ 10:04 am Tue 23rd November 2004

Women’s Refuge, thirty years established in New Zealand, is widely assumed to be universally respected, and to be the only such agency offering help, counselling and accommodation to victims of family violence. In N.Z. it holds an annual Appeal Week every June, complete with much innovative, and even at times highly questionable, media coverage and celebrity support.

Yet all is far from being what it seems with Women’s Refuge, and many have had deep concerns about its operation and huge amounts of public funding, and even long before this most recent call to have it greatly boosted.

Read this recent article by Barbara Faithfull: Public Enquiry Overdue: Let’s Start With Women’s Refuge

18 Comments »

  1. Having just been involved with a situation where a mother chose to shatter her family, went to Women’s Refuge and was “Told what to say so as she qualified for the DPB and Housing NZ accomodation” (the mother let this slip), this article provides confirmation of the continued misandrist bias of this particular agency.

    As to why funding has continued, even though they are no longer meeting the requirements of the government, one only has to look at Aunty Helen’s situation (check Ian Wishart’s article in the November 2003 Investigate magazine about our infamous leader’s sexual preference) to guess that her stance is highly unlikely to be “pro” men.

    Again, a simple challenge to the government: show some honesty (say what you mean) and integrity (mean what you say). If the criteria for women’s refuge (the group) to get funding are not being met, then STOP FUNDING IMMEDIATELY!

    I, for one, wish my tax dollar to be spent elsewhere.

    A second simple challenge for the government: how quickly are you able to change from actively encouraging the SHATTERING of families to actively encouraging the unity and importance of families?

    Equal shared parenting: just as it takes both a man and a woman to bring a child into the world, so takes both a mother and a father to raise a responsible adult.

    Think carefully about it Aunty Helen and Uncle David [Cunliffe]. I’m planning to make my vote count next year; so are a very large number of people I know.

    Comment by Mark Shipman — Tue 23rd November 2004 @ 1:19 pm

  2. A huge Thank-you to Barbara for her commentary! It’s women like you Barbara that give inspiration to my hope that I’ll someday be able to return to NZ and be treated with due respect rather than as an emotional punchbag for vexatious fems.
    As those who know me well will testify I’ve been repeatedly and horribly slammed over 2 decades now in the NZ social services workplace, whilst out socialising, in academia, in the family court, in the public media, and in personal relationships with many women who’ve taken to feminist ideology. Despite this and because of the rare and wonderful compassion and humility towards men from women like Barbara, Muriel Newman and John P’s partner Felicity I’ve never given up on NZ women. You shine light upon the poisonous darkness of NZ misandry whereby it can be more clearly seen and dealt with.
    May your kindness be returned a thousand times.
    Stephen Gee.

    Comment by Stephen — Tue 23rd November 2004 @ 4:25 pm

  3. Has Barbara ever been abused? Obviously not! Otherwise this rubbish would not come out of her uneducated mouth. You may want to look at your stats first before writing this c***. “Huge amounts of public funding” a mere 22% from CYFS!! barely enough to pay the rent on a much needed safehouse! We do not detroy families, we make women and children safe. Would you really expect your own daughter to stay in a relationship where she is tormented everyday , abused with weapons such as knives, insulted everytime she opens her mouth? All for the love of god/religion. I feel your article in highly offensive for the 100’s of women who give up their time/sleep/lives to answer a 3am crisis call for a women who has been abused at the hands of either her male partner OR her female partner.

    Comment by lois — Wed 23rd April 2008 @ 1:00 pm

  4. Lois, you obviously don’t work in a women’s refuge.

    Every year the feminists push for more money for DV. 2007 has been a huge money collecting year with huge promotion for a movement into family violence. Except violence against men.

    If you worked in a refuge you would know that the money doesn’t go to the refuges. It goes to the women’s groups who lobby to change the laws and the system to suit the feminists agenda. OK, some goes to the refuges but they themselves have to collect their own money. There is a lot of money being misused through Women’s refuges.

    When the CEO of the National centre says things like, “DV rose drastically when the All Blacks lost to France”, no-one can verify or prove it wrong because the statistics didn’t come in for a least a month. And the crisis line said they did not get an increase and the police family violence units said they did not get an increase.

    Corruption is normal when powers get too big. Why would you expect it to be any different in the Women’s Affairs which does not have to answer to anyone? This is happening in all the Western Countries. It is run through the United Nations.

    When one country of women say something, all the countries say the same thing. But if you try and show statistics to prove them wrong they won’t even look at them and say, “Statistics are not reliable”. The reason they say this is because they know their own statistics are falsified.

    Here’s a good place for you to start learning a thing or two.

    http://www.ejfi.org/DV/dv-3.htm

    Comment by julie — Wed 23rd April 2008 @ 3:01 pm

  5. Hi guys, my wife and her children were being abused by a 36yr old man, when she went to the womans refuge on the North Shore recomended by cypfs, her children were being abused by a 6yr old indian boy who was left to run wild throwing her 2yr old and 5mth old around, she spoke with the boys mother numerous times and was ignored, when she approached different woman who run the place it caused problems for her and the morning she found her baby dead all these people accused her of killing her precious little girl that she loves so much, cypfs gave the 36yr old abuser custody of her 2yr old who has been in someone elses care the past few years, womans refuge threw her out onto the street

    Comment by Hadi Akbari — Wed 23rd April 2008 @ 6:25 pm

  6. Dear Lois,

    Women’s Refuge receives $5.5 million funding from Government. This funding equates to only 42% of Refuge’s activity.
    They run 49 safe houses throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand including kaupapa Maori and Pacifica Refuges and Refuges for Asian, migrant and refugee women.

    Averaging $112,244.89 each refuge per annum.

    I on the other hand receive nil, I work many hours to provide for myself and finance the refuge.
    Yet the latest comprehensive studies indicate intimate partner violence is equally perpetrated by both gender.

    Kind Regards
    Paul Catton
    East Auckland Refuge for Men and Families
    (09) 940 6236

    Comment by Paul Catton — Wed 23rd April 2008 @ 7:14 pm

  7. Dear Lois,

    The information and figures I have provided were supplied by the Womens Refuge.
    If 5.5 million represents 42% of activity from the actual amount of funding from all sources, then total funding is $13,095,238.09, averaging at $267,249,75 per refuge per annum.

    Where does this vast amount of money get utilised?
    Building rental and utilities may perhaps generously account for 10% expenditure of total funds.

    Maybe Barbara is right on the nail with her expose?
    If you do have actual data to refute any of Barabara’s claim or the data put out by Womens Refuge that I have supplied, please furnish it.

    I believe none will be forthcoming.

    Kind Regards
    Paul Catton
    East Auckland Refuge for Men and Families
    (09) 940 6236

    Comment by Paul Catton — Thu 24th April 2008 @ 9:41 pm

  8. Paul,

    The refuges receive a lot more than what you say. There is CYFS and other Government departments paying out. Where money is available it is being sort after. And don’t forget the millions coming in through the Family Commission.

    And then donations. They refuges themselves struggle.

    Comment by julie — Thu 24th April 2008 @ 10:22 pm

  9. Dear Julie,

    The figures quoted are from the last published release (2006) of actual figures from the Womens Refuge.

    The government says it will pay 100-percent of the cost of ?existing? services it contracts for ?essential social services?. What this means in dollar terms will be the subject of discussions and negotiation over coming months.
    It does not cover the cost of services above the number that the government contracts or cover any new initiatives, projects or developments.

    Saatchi & Saatchi have given them huge support by donating their creative talent to develop their twice annual national campaigns since 2001.

    Therefore if currently $5.5 million of taxpayer money equates to 42% of activity, true figure is $13,095,238 averaging at $267,249 per refuge.

    Again,with most recent studies exposing that intimate partner violence is committed by both gender on an almost equal basis, I still receive $0.
    Good job philanthropist is in the dictionary.

    Kind Regards
    Paul

    Comment by Paul Catton — Fri 25th April 2008 @ 10:02 am

  10. Thursday April 3, 2008 The Press titles: DV High demand prompts call for funding
    The National Collective of Independent Womesn’Refuge is applying for $2.5 million of extra funding. Crime figures published showed a national increase of 31.5 per cent in recorded domestic violence.
    I have proof that the numbers are manifactured. My wife has been threatned to go to Women’s refuge otherwise they told her she will be regarded as negligent and legally prosecuted. She left me a letter to that effect. Scared she went to womens Refuge and followed their instructions that lead to protection orders
    agaist her husband.

    She has since been diagnosed with Post Traumatic stress disorder. I do not recognise her anymore. She is entirely a different person. Our Family is currently in the process of beeing destroyed legally. Our children are traumatised.

    The abuse sustained by our children, my wife and myself is beyond belief.
    I have nowhere to turn to. The law tells me to shut up.

    What to do?

    Comment by alma — Fri 25th April 2008 @ 5:13 pm

  11. Little rectification.
    My wife has been threatned to remove the children from her if she did not go to Women?s refuge otherwise they told her she will be regarded as negligent and legally prosecuted.

    Comment by alma — Fri 25th April 2008 @ 5:32 pm

  12. Alma, what you have experienced does happen. Women’s refuge and CYFS are closely connected. I feel sorry for you to go through this.

    Which area of NZ are you?

    Comment by julie — Fri 25th April 2008 @ 7:02 pm

  13. Barbara Faithfull’s article was an impressive, thoroughly researched masterpiece that has as much relevance in 2009 as it did when she wrote it. I noticed just the other day at the local hospital A&E Dept there were posters with Women’s Refuge logos showing the Duluth “Power and Control Wheels”, so we knoe the anti-male and anti-family political agenda of the Refuge movement has not changed. Their pamphlets continue to promote family breakup on the basis of any unhappiness felt by women because that must mean they are being abused by men.

    I agree whole-heartedly with Barbara’s call to fund alternative services equitably in order to give consumers the choice to avoid the manipulation and threats they will receive from Women’s Refuges to make them take out protection orders etc. However, in considering funding keep in mind that church services already have some indirect taxpayer support because churches are specifically exempt from land taxes, rates etc on the basis that they promote religion. This exemption may be justified but in my opinion only if it extends to other non-profit organisations existing to promote non-religious philosophies and/or associated social services.

    Comment by Hans Laven — Sun 3rd May 2009 @ 12:54 pm

  14. What a sad group of people you all are.
    Fact women and children are being killed in their homes by their partners on a regular basis.
    Fact the victims of domestic violence are more often than not women and children. Fact the womens refuge is an organisation that helps and assists women and their children who are living with violence by providing safe house but also by trying to change socirties thinking that it is ok to beat your wife, partner, children
    Fact, no where that i have seen does women’s refuge condone violence towards men or claim that it does not happen on the very smallest scale
    i am unsure why you would wont to stop funding to such an organisation is it because you believe that violence in the home is ok? if so not very good advertising for whatever church group you are from.
    You also seem confused as to why mass media publications would not want to publish your hateful, ignorant and dangerous views, i would make the assumption that it is because the large majority of New Zealanders would be outraged that such archaic thinking still existed within society.
    Do us all a favour spend a little less time trying to tear down an organisation that has and continues to make real changes to womens lives and spend a bit more time trying to help. Why would anybody want governemnt funding going to a anything that you represent?

    Comment by Holly — Thu 20th May 2010 @ 10:24 am

  15. Fact the victims of domestic violence are more often than not women and children

    How long are you going to keep promoting this myth.

    Even Paul Curry from the families commission admitted that this view was wrong and not supported by reputable research.

    Good luck with your delusions.

    Regards

    Scrap

    Comment by Scrap_The_CSA — Thu 20th May 2010 @ 10:38 am

  16. Yes Holly I agree I am sad.
    But not for reasons you espouse.
    I’m sad to see yet another NZer has swallowed hook line and sinker the radical feminist party line.
    You assume that most NZers would be outraged to see the views expressed at MENZ, yet funny thing is there’s NO sign of masses of people coming to MENZ to express such, only a steady traffic of readers who take away another perspective.
    You ask why would anyone want govt funding for an alternative to women’s refuge and there lies the nub – your ignorance about what the radicalised women’s shelter movement of NZ represents.
    For your education I think you should visit Youtube and type in the name Erin Pizzy, then watch a few of her videos commenting upon the women’s shelter movement in UK. Then apply her findings to the NZ situation. This remarkable woman started the shelter movement back in the 1970 so she knows what she’s talking about.
    Good luck in getting yourself deprogrammed from cult feminism NZ. Remember we’re here when needed AND unlike other organizations most of us don’t ask for handouts from government. We do this purely from love of our fellow NZers.

    Comment by Skeptik — Thu 20th May 2010 @ 11:01 am

  17. Why is this sexist organisation still even allowed to operate under such blatantly one sided terms?
    Do we know what the government is paying percent wise now? (2020)
    Close it down or open it to everyone.
    Absolute rubbish.
    I have only ever experienced domestic violence or been a part of it as a VICTIM from a WOMAN.
    And when I called the police for help, I was removed from my own house. MY HOUSE I OWN.
    I live in a town with no support for men.
    Contacted the woman’s refuge and they told me there was nothing they could do for me and I should contact the mental health Dept at the hospital.
    Great.
    How much of my tax dollars pays for a sexist system that hates me because I am a male?

    Comment by James — Fri 17th April 2020 @ 11:16 am

  18. James
    Try Kidz Need Dadz 0800 563 123

    Comment by Allan — Fri 15th May 2020 @ 2:08 pm

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