Report from ACRATH Australia
January 28, 2016
Education
In September 2015 a very successful Training Day was held for teachers of senior secondary schools. There were 34 participants in all,with 21 schools represented and of these 5 were boys schools. Presentations by the Director of SICU – Sex Industry Coordination Unit of Victoria Police Force, speaking about issues they face in our state, and two members of NUW – National Union of Workers speaking about slave trade in factories were of particular interest. Another area that teachers found helpful was the Forum of teachers from six schools speaking about the programs they have been conducting with their classes.
Anne Walsh and Carole McDonald met with Christopher Houlihan, the recently appointed CEO of Mercy Education Limited informing him about ACRATH and our Education Program. As a result of the meeting, Christopher included in his letter to Mercy Schools across Australia the information that he expected all Mercy Schools to participate in the ACRATH Education Program and to attend training days if they haven’t done so previously. He promised to be proactive about working against trafficking in our schools.
Forced Marriage Tool-Kit
ACRATH has developed a forced marriage education kit for government, Catholic and independent schools across Australia to raise awareness and to educate people about what they can do if they, or someone they know, is being forced into a marriage.
The material and kit, My Rights – My Future: forced marriage, was funded by the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) and hopefully will be available to schools by mid-2016.
The aim of the project is to increase awareness of forced marriage/s and to educate secondary students about forced marriage legislation and how they can access their human rights in this regard. ACRATH has developed curriculum that is pitched at senior secondary students and their teachers ensuring the materials are culturally and socially appropriate given the sensitive nature of the content.
Presentations
Many presentations were made across the states in schools, for organisations, parishes and wherever we were asked to speak.
Other activities
The members of the Federal Government Supply Chain Working Party, which includes ACRATH, meets regularly and will report to Minister Keenan by the end of December with recommendations about how the Australian government can ensure slavery-free supply chains for Australian goods and services.
11 ACRATH advocates were in Canberra for advocacy from 06-11 September. They met with 52 members of Parliament and advisors and also had meetings with the Attorney-General’s Department, AFP, The Salvation Army Freedom Partnership, Philippines Embassy and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Commission for Women and Pastoral Life.
Advocacy points 2015
1. ACRATH asked MPs to address the needs of those facing forced marriage in Australia. We advocated for:
- the initiation of a pilot program for flexible entry into the Support for Trafficked People Program, delivered by Red Cross.
- a two-year extension of the Forced Marriage Education Program.
2. ACRATH also asked MPs to address the needs of overseas workers facing forced and exploited labour in Australia. We advocated for:
- the licensing of labour hire companies which are responsible for placing many overseas workers in Australia.
- the payment of back wages to overseas workers under the Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) Act 2013.
After our advocacy visit to Canberra in Sept 2015, the staff of federal MP Maria Vamvakinou has worked with ACRATH on a theatre project on forced marriage. This was featured on the SBS news on Sunday 22 Nov 2015 and in a speech in federal Parliament
25 November 2015 was the International Day to end violence against women. ACRATH in Vic met with ALOLA Director, Alzira Reis from Timor Leste for a wonderful sharing of our collective efforts to stop human trafficking.
In early December ACRATH received a letter from Department of Immigration re new Visa title –
“ Referred Stay Visa” something we have been working towards since 2005 (Criminal Stay Visa most inappropriate for people who were victims of being trafficked)We had been advocating for this change for at least five years.
Sr Maree Marsh csb, former chairperson of ACRATH, was awarded a 2015 Anti-Slavery Australia Freedom Award. Maree’s award acknowledged the work that she does supporting men, women and children who have been trafficked into Australia through her work as a psychologist at Anti-Slavery Australia.
-Carole McDonald rsm
28th January 2016
