Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

As the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, I regularly meet with stakeholders in relation to child and forced marriage and will be working with my state and territory colleagues to consider the issue as part of the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children. The government, in close collaboration with non-government organisations, is also investing in community education and awareness raising. In March, the Minister for Justice announced over $1.4 million in funding to ACRATH, Anti-Slavery Australia, Project Respect and the Scarlet Alliance to continue their invaluable awareness raising, outreach and service provision. At July's National Roundtable on Human Trafficking and Slavery, the Minister for Justice announced a further commitment of almost half a million dollars to support Australian NGOs in their efforts to prevent child marriage. With this funding, Anti-Slavery Australia will expand its legal advice service to provide free, individualised legal advice by email and text message to people who are at risk of forced marriage.