Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 30 August this year, Jagriti and the Western Integrated Family Violence Committee launched the Happy FAMILIES, Happy COMMUNITIES Western Suburbs Guide at the Indian consulate in Melbourne. It is believed that one in three women will be a victim of family violence at some point in their lives, and it is a crime that crosses all postcodes, ethnicities and cultures.

Jagriti (Social Awakening) is a community group formed in Melbourne's western suburbs by leaders of the Australian Indian community to provide support and awareness of family violence. Jagriti was formed in March 2013 after a number of tragic murders within the Indian-Australian community in Victoria. In October 2012, Sargun Ragi, an Indian woman who was in Australia on a spousal visa, was murdered by her husband. She had left him and obtained an intervention order, which was renewed after he continued to harass her over the phone and online. After the highly reported case, Jagriti sponsored Sargun's family to fly to Australia. The entire community was involved in fundraising and donating for this cause, demonstrating the widespread opposition to the family violence effecting people in the Indian-Australian community in Melbourne's west.

The key objectives of Jagriti are: (1) to provide immediate support for victims; (2) to undertake advocacy work to prevent future episodes of family violence; (3)    to act as an intermediary and information source for victims and agencies; and (4) to raise awareness of migrants' legal rights in Australia. The recently launched Happy FAMILIES, Happy COMMUNITIES handbook is the product of a collaboration between community and government agencies and networks, including Victoria Police, former victims, university researchers, faith and community leaders, health professionals, social workers and volunteers. In conjunction with the handbook, Jagriti also runs campaigns, workshops and family harmony days to provide further awareness and support for the community.

Whilst this particular guide is tailored for the western suburbs of Melbourne and the Indian community in Melbourne's west, we hope that it will be used as a template on this issue by other regions. It is my hope that this paves the way for further initiatives to be taken to address incidents of family violence within the Indian-Australian community. Australia is a multicultural society and different communities within our nation have different social contexts that can require tailored solutions. Happy FAMILIES, Happy COMMUNITIES is a grassroots, community response to family violence, delivered by local activists who understand the cultural differences of the diaspora community in Australia.

I acknowledge the people involved in both Jagriti and the production of the Happy FAMILIES, Happy COMMUNITIES handbook—Javinder Sidhu; Marsha Thomson, the member for Footscray; Dr Lata Satyen; Professor Angela Taft; Dr Anjali Tikkoo; Muktesh Chibber; Jacinta Masters; Maureen Smith; and Emma Breheny—for all their work both with Jagriti and on this handbook. Also, very importantly, I acknowledge the commitment of all Indian-Australians in Melbourne's west who have stood up and taken a stand against family violence.