State’s White Ribbon splash

STATE Government departments spent between $7000 and $30,000 to acquire antiviolence workplace accreditation from a now-defunct national charity.

White Ribbon Australia went into voluntary liquidation this month.

The prominent anti-domestic violence charity said it had decided to close its doors “following an analysis of the organisation’s future sustainability”.

The most recently filed financial report revealed it was running at an $840,000 deficit.

In 2015, Premier Will Hodgman announced the White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation Program would be rolled out across all government agencies as part of a plan to tackle domestic violence.

Accredited workplaces had to demonstrate effective leadership, resource allocation, communication, HR policy development and training to stop violence against women.

According to the latest Safe Homes, Safe Families report, released in August last year, five government departments had achieved accreditation, reaching more than 13,000 employees.

The Departments of Premier and Cabinet, Education, and Police, Fire and Emergency Management were among those to meet the 15 criteria. The report said the Departments of

State Growth and Justice had also started the program.

A State Government spokeswoman yesterday confirmed all departments were in the process of accreditation or reaccreditation, with it lasting three years.

“The partnership with White Ribbon has been invaluable to government departments in the proactive work undertaken to engage men, and bring a focus to the role men can play in reducing violence against women and children,” the spokeswoman said.

“While no payments have been made in the 2019-20 financial year, accreditation and reaccreditation costs since 2016 have been between $7000 and $30,000 per department, depending on size.

“White Ribbon Australia should be acknowledged for its work and the Tasmanian Government recognises the progress made as a result of its engagement in the program.”

Alina Thomas, the chief executive of Tasmanian family violence and gender equality service Engender Equality, said addressing the high rates of violence and abuse within families would take systemic change.

“White Ribbon has performed an important role in Australia’s response to violence against women and has brought much-needed attention to the complex issue of violence against women and children, ” she wrote in a Mercury Talking Point.