Media Release – 20 Oct 2026
Women’s Refuge calls for meaningful commitments to prevent family violence and keep women and children safe
With the General Election approaching, Women’s Refuge is calling on political parties to make clear, long-term commitments to preventing family violence, strengthening specialist services and ensuring the safety of women and children is prioritised across the systems designed to support them.
The deaths of women and children experiencing family violence that continue to feature in our headlines are a stark reminder of the consequences when safety systems fail to prevent violence from escalating. These deaths must not be treated as inevitable. We need a system that identifies risk, responds effectively and acts early enough to prevent further loss of life.
“Behind every one of these deaths is a woman or child who should still be here. We need to get better at recognising when the danger is increasing and acting on it.” says Naomi Ogg, CEO Women’s Refuge.
“We want parties to commit to prevention, including teaching young people about healthy relationships and family violence in schools. When women seek help, Police, the Family Court and government agencies need to put their safety first and work together. Children need support in their own right, including someone whose job is to advocate for them.”
“Our services need funding we can plan around, that keeps up with rising costs and reflects the work we’re being asked to do. We also need to train, fairly pay and keep skilled staff. That’s what it takes to give women and children safe, consistent support.”
Women’s Refuge is also calling for practical measures that help women and children establish safety and rebuild their lives. These include better access to safe housing, legal aid and financial support, as well as stronger protections against technology-facilitated abuse.
“Where a woman lives or what she has in the bank shouldn’t determine whether she can get help. That includes women in rural communities, where support can be harder to reach. Government needs to meet its Te Tiriti obligations, and Māori need a real say in the responses affecting them. Services also need to work for the different communities seeking help.”
Women’s Refuge says political parties must clearly outline not only what they intend to do, but how their commitments will be implemented, measured and sustained beyond the election.
“When a woman asks for support, she needs people to take her seriously and act. She needs somewhere safe to go and practical support to move forward with a life free from violence. The services alongside her need the resources to see that through.”
“Our message to election candidates is simple: we need more than promises. We need clear commitments, meaningful action and measurable results to prevent family violence and keep women and children safe not just during an election campaign, but for the long term.”
Editors Notes:
New Zealand’s family violence statistics:
- On average, just under 50,000 women and children are referred to Women’s Refuge each year.
- New Zealand has the highest rates of family violence in the OECD.
- 1 in 3 women will experience abuse in their lifetime in Aotearoa.
- Nearly half of all homicides and reported violent crimes are related to family violence.
- Around 76% of family violence episodes go unreported.
Media Enquiries: Susan Barker Communications, Marketing and Fundraising Manager Susan@refuge.org.nz 027 403 5155
