Speech - Candlelight Vigil, Hobart, 6 May 2026
Nick Kastner spoke at the Candlelight Vigil held in Hobart on Wednesday 6th May 2026.
Media Release - Nurses see the signs of intimate partner violence and sexual assault - International Nurses Day
MEDIA RELEASE
7 May 2026
NURSES SEE THE SIGNS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT – INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY
During International Nurses Day on 12 May, Engender Equality acknowledges the role nurses play in breaking the cycle of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and sexual assault.
Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,
“Nurses and midwives are often among the first professionals to recognise signs of family and sexual violence and child sex abuse.
“They have unique opportunities for private conversations with patients while tests are underway and the opportunity to build trusted relationships.
“Patients experiencing family and sexual violence may present with physical injuries, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, pregnancy complications, or behavioural changes.
“In many cases, individuals may not disclose violence directly, making early identification more complex. A supportive response from a nurse or midwife can make a meaningful difference.
“Even brief interactions can help individuals feel heard, validated, and more confident in seeking further support.
General practitioners and nurses have mandatory reporting obligations under Tasmanian law through the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1997 and the Family Violence Act 2004. Fulfilling those obligations is both a legal requirement and a professional responsibility designed to protect children and vulnerable people.
Jess Drew, Manager, Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Program said,
“Our work with general practitioners, nurses, practice managers and reception staff in clinics throughout Tasmania over the past year means they are well placed to respond if their patient chooses to disclose family and sexual violence and child sexual abuse.
“We’ve been working with clinics on our SAVADA framework which encourages them to: Spot the signs; Ask appropriate questions; Validate and believe; Assess risk and safety; Document; and take Action to refer the patients further.
“All general practices and Aboriginal Health Services throughout the State also have a dedicated family and sexual violence support specialist available to provide advice should any patient choose to disclose.
We encourage anyone experiencing family or sexual violence to reach out to their doctor and disclose their situation to whomever they feel most comfortable speaking with, so they can receive help.
Ends.
Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291
Additional Information
This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Program is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. Engender Equality is a not-for-profit agency leading the program in partnership with Laurel House.
More information including how General Practices and Aboriginal Health Services can connect with the service is available at 03 6268 1663, admin@pcfsv.org.au or https://engenderequality.org.au/pcfsv/.
Media Release - General practice provides safe haven for those experiencing family violence - National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day - 6 May 2026
MEDIA RELEASE
5 May 2026
GENERAL PRACTICE PROVIDES SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING FAMILY VIOLENCE – NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REMEMBRANCE DAY – 6 MAY 2026
During National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day on 6 May, Engender Equality urges women to seek help from their doctor if they or their children are faced with family and sexual violence and child sex abuse.
Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,
“General practices are well placed to identify and take early steps which support patients breaking the cycle of violence.
“Our Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence (PCFSV) Support Program, in partnership with Laurel House, has rolled out to every general practice in the State in the past twelve months.
“Through it we have offered capacity building and support to doctors, practice managers, reception and nursing staff to assist them in identifying and responding to family and sexual violence.
“We recognise disclosure is a difficult thing for many victim-survivors, however, general practices now have everything, including dedicated support specialists, at their fingertips to support victim-survivors should they choose to disclose,” Ms Thomas said.
On average, at least 28.1% of women who enter a Tasmanian General Practice every day, will be victim-survivors of family and sexual violence, and at least 28.5% of all people will be victim-survivors of child sexual abuse(1). Every week, on average, at least five patients attending their doctor will be experiencing family and sexual violence, and/or child sexual abuse.
Jess Drew, Manager, Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Program said,
“Over 1 in 5 women make their first disclosure of family violence to their doctor making the general practice setting important for domestic violence interventions (2).
“There is a significant difference in disclosure rate between women who were asked about abuse by a GP (75.3%) and those who had not (26.8%), and our work with general practice is to help clinic staff frame the appropriate line of questioning.
“Women who had been asked about violence by their doctor were twice as likely to disclose.
“We’re very pleased with the growing level of engagement among general practice doctors, practice managers, reception and nursing staff who care deeply for their patients.
“We are equally pleased with the engagement with Aboriginal Health Services throughout the State which required a more relational, culturally informed approach to this serious issue facing Aboriginal women and children,” Ms Drew said.
(1) Australian Child Maltreatment Study, 2023
(2) Hegarty, K. L., & Taft, A. J. (2001). Overcoming the barriers to disclosure and inquiry of partner abuse for women attending general practice. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 25(5), 433-437.
Ends.
Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291
Additional Information
This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Program is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. Engender Equality is a not-for-profit agency leading the program in partnership with Laurel House.
More information including how General Practices and Aboriginal Health Services can connect with the service is available at 03 6268 1663, admin@pcfsv.org.au or https://engenderequality.org.au/pcfsv/
Media Release - National Candlelight Vigil shines light for family violence victims
MEDIA RELEASE
5 May 2026
NATIONAL CANDLELIGHT VIGIL SHINES LIGHT FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE VICTIMS
Each year on the first Wednesday of May communities from all over Australia gather for a candlelight vigil in
remembrance and honour of those who have lost their lives to family violence. This meaningful event, marking the beginning of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, brings together victim-survivors, family violence workers, family violence reform advocates and community members not only in a moment of reflection, but to shine a light on the devastating impact family violence has on individuals, families and the wider community.
In Tasmania, the Domestic Violence Coordinating Committees, incorporating representatives from government and non-government family violence organisations in Tasmania, have organised candlelight vigils will be held simultaneously with others around the country on Wednesday 6 May 2026 at Parliament House Lawns in Hobart at 5.30pm, the Wharf Precinct, Gnomon Pavilion in Ulverstone at 6.00pm, and the Civic Square in Launceston at 5.30pm.
In 2025, as we faced an average of more than one woman being killed by an intimate partner per week in Australia, the candlelight vigil remembers those who have lost their lives to family violence. The event also allows attendees to honour the courage of those victim-survivors who continue to experience violence within their homes and families. The candlelight vigil provides a meaningful opportunity for the community to gather in solidarity to provide their support to victim survivors of family violence, while also raising awareness of the issue and promoting the support options available to them.
Engender Equality CEO Alina Thomas says “It is wonderful to have people show their support and solidarity with victim-survivors and their families. The impact of violence and abuse is felt in families, in workplaces and in all communities across Tasmania.”
This year’s vigils will feature speakers who have been personally impacted by the horror of Family Violence and are involved in Engender Equality’s Advocates for Change program.
“Over recent years we have seen the vigil growing in size as our awareness and intolerance of violence against
women increases. This is a social issue that is not going away and we are seeing more and more community
members come out to say that women have the right to live in safe communities”, states Ms Thomas.
It is hoped that the National Candlelight Vigil to remember and honour those who have lost their lives to family violence will allow Tasmanians to stand together in solidarity to communicate that not only we will never forget these victims, but we as a community will also not tolerate family violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence or abuse, help is available. Please contact the Family Violence Counselling and Support Service on 1800 608 122.
Engender Equality CEO Alina Thomas will be available to speak to the media prior to, or at the conclusion of the candlelight vigil, and in the day/days prior by arrangement.
For all media enquiries please contact:-
Alina Thomas
CEO, Engender Equality
Ph: 0438 788 291
ceo@engenderequality.org.au
Media Release - Midwives crucial to detecting reproductive coercion - International Day of the Midwife
MEDIA RELEASE
28 April 2026
MIDWIVES CRUCIAL TO DETECTING REPRODUCTIVE COERCION – INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE
During International Day of the Midwife on 5 May, Engender Equality reflects on the critical role of midwives and other women’s health care providers in identifying women experiencing reproductive control and coercion.
Engender Equality CEO, Alina Thomas said,
“Reproductive control or coercion may take the form of contraception sabotage and/or pressure to either carry a pregnancy to term or to have a termination.
“Midwives and other health professionals are in the position to assist women in identifying and naming these coercive behaviours and help them regaining autonomy and control over their reproductive health.
“Any behaviour that interferes with a person’s reproductive autonomy is both a form of interpersonal abuse and sexual violence.
“Governmental policies and systems that influence or restrict reproductive choices, including those which limit access to terminations, are also a form of abuse and create a climate where reproductive coercion can flourish.
Reproductive coercion can include forcing or pressuring someone to become pregnant or to terminate a pregnancy or preventing someone from accessing contraception. Doing things to stop contraception from working such as ‘stealthing’, the act of removing a condom during sex, or forcing or pressuring someone to undergo sterilisation are also prevalent. Some partners using violence prevent their partners from accessing reproductive health care, including screening tests for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer (pap smears).
Jess Drew, Manager, Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Pilot said,
“Our Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence (PCFSV) Support team is working with general practices, family planning clinics and Women’s Health Tasmania throughout Tasmania to support their work with victim-survivors.”
“A patient appearing isolated from other family members and friends or who seems reluctant or regretful about their reproductive health choices, including past pregnancies or terminations may also indicate reproductive coercion.
“If a patient appears intimidated by, or afraid of their partner, the patient’s partner speaks for the patient, makes decisions on their behalf, or is otherwise controlling, this would be a red flag.
“The patient’s partner may insist on attending routine medical appointments, including consultations on contraception and reproductive health to exert control.
“Practices such as screening for reproductive coercion with the partner out of the room and having clinic protocols in place that provide private examinations for women, without incident or arousing concern, are important.
“We ask practitioners to treat reproductive coercion with the same gravity and sensitivity you would other forms of intimate partner, sexual or family violence.
Ends.
Media Contact: Alina Thomas 0438 788 291
Additional Information
This Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support Pilot is funded by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN), through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program. Engender Equality is a not-for-profit agency leading the program in partnership with Laurel House.
More information including how General Practices and Aboriginal Health Services can connect with the service is available at 03 6268 1663, admin@pcfsv.org.au or https://engenderequality.org.au/pcfsv/.
Newsletter - Specialist family violence counselling long wait times - The problem and the solution - Engender Equality Update - April 2026
Long wait times for specialist family violence counselling can deepen harm, delay recovery and healing and discourage help-seeking for victim-survivors.
Engender Equality has released two new reports – 2025 Brief Intervention Pilot Program Evaluation Report and Delayed support, heightened harm: The impacts of long wait times for specialist family violence services. Read together, these two reports illuminate the devastating impact of long wait times whilst offering a practical response to address this issue.
Publication - Delayed support, heightened harm: The impacts of long wait times for specialist family violence services, April 2026
This report outlines the impact of dangerously delayed and inadequate service responses on the lives of victim-survivors of family violence. Victim-survivors and family violence practitioners alike have expressed their frustrations with being unable to access or offer consistent and responsive service responses due to lack of, or changes in, funding and resources (Safe & Equal, 2025).
Publication - 2025 Brief Intervention Pilot Program Evaluation Report, April 2026
Engender Equality is Tasmania’s statewide provider of therapeutic services for victim-survivors recovering and healing from family violence, primarily delivered through medium to long-term therapeutic counselling. At present, there are approximately 200 people on Engender’s waitlist statewide, with an average wait time of 24 months in the South, and 12 months in the North and North West.
These disturbing and heartbreaking numbers continue to grow, year on year, as growth in demand from victim-survivors outstrips Engender’s funding from the State Government. The negative and often irreversible impacts of such long wait-times on victim-survivors, and their children, are well documented (see Engender’s 2026 report ‘Delayed Support, Heightened Harm: The Impacts of Long Wait Times for Specialist Family Violence Services’).
Engender strives to deliver relevant and responsive therapeutic services to Tasmanians who have experienced intimate partner violence, where all people accessing our services receive timely and tailored support, suitable for their needs.
To be an effective support service for victim-survivors of intimate partner violence, Engender recognised the need to diversify our therapeutic services to include a short-term counselling response. It was anticipated that this approach would better support people who will benefit from a responsive and short-term counselling intervention whilst also serving to reduce our wait time for medium to longer term counselling.
In 2025, Engender used its cash reserves to pilot a therapeutically beneficial and cost-effective program to test this theory. This program was called the ‘Brief Intervention Pilot Program’ or ‘BIPP’.
News item - 7HOFM Local News: Tasmanian candlelight vigils for family violence victims
By Ebony Abblitt
Published by 7HOFM Local News, 06/05/26 9:25am
Candlelight vigils will be held at Hobart’s Parliament Lawns, the Gnomon Pavilion in Ulverstone, and Launceston’s Civic Square this evening as part of national action to support those impacted by family and domestic violence.
News item - The Examiner: Connection helping fathers, kids
By Lauren Richardson
Published by The Examiner, 13/04/26
From shaving tips to emotional safety, a new Tasmanian project is helping fathers champion their transgender children through connection and shared experiences