INCREASED funding will allow an Indigenous support agency to expand its services into the Wimmera.
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Djirra provides culturally safe and specialist legal and non-legal support to Aboriginal people experiencing family violence and sexual assault, predominantly women and their children.
Djirra chairwoman Marion Hansen said the organisation, based in Melbourne, started 16 years ago and provided services to parts of Victoria, but never had the resources to reach the Grampians region.
However, funding from Victoria Legal Aid will now allow the group to do this.
The service has signed a three-year funding agreement with Djirra to allow them to employ and support additional child protection lawyers in regional Victoria.
Victoria Legal Aid will provide $275,000 to Djirra each year. Ms Hansen said the funding would complement money Djirra received from the Department of Justice and Regulation.
“It will allow us to set up a new office in Ballarat, staffed by a lawyer and support worker who will provide regular outreach to Horsham,” she said.
“Aboriginal people experiencing or at risk of family violence are too often silenced – especially our women. Djirra works to break down the barriers our women face; to improve access to safety, justice and equality.
“Our new office will provide legal advice and representation for family violence intervention orders, family law, child protection and victims of crime assistance matters. Our workers will also provide personalised, emotional, cultural and practical support to assist survivors on their journey to safety and well-being.
“We are currently recruiting and hope to have a regular presence in Horsham soon.
“We're also looking forward to bringing our early intervention and prevention programs back to the region. Our signature programs, Sisters Day Out, Dillybag and Young Luv have reached over 10,000 Aboriginal women across Victoria.”
Djirra chief executive Antoinette Braybrook said family violence was the single biggest driver of the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.
“Aboriginal mothers have a right to culturally safe and specialist support and early access to services like Djirra is key to supporting our women to keep their children safe and strong in culture,” she said.
“Djirra welcomes this support from Victoria Legal Aid. It will strengthen our crucial work in new regions across Victoria to address the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care and hold the system to account for the protection of the rights of our children, families and communities.”