Peter Daniels for Port Macquarie News reports:

Ms McGuire worked for over a decade as the manager of the Manning refuge. She is highly vocal in her condemnation of how refuges are run across the state.

She says the move from feminist, secular-based refuges some four years ago took the focus from the needs of affected women, placing the emphasis on programs for perpetrators.

“Prior to the economic rationalism of the Baird government, refuges worked in partnership with the aim of returning these women and children safely back to society,” she said.

“But the whole dynamic shifted and, I believe, was coupled with a backlash against feminism.

“Many [refuges] were also moved to large faith-based organisations whose main tenet is the idea of male headship; that the male is the head of the household and that women must obey.”

“If two shark attacks can force the Queensland government to hold a summit, where are our political leaders on domestic violence in Australia?,” she added.

She believes that our leaders are, effectively, normalising deaths of women and children by their silence, which is a dangerous situation.

The domestic violence champion called for the restoration of the peak body Women’s Refuge Movement and to challenge political leaders and social commentators about their silence on the topic.

On Friday November 16 Ms McGuire received an award for contributions to feminism at the annual Edna Ryan Awards.

https://www.portnews.com.au/story/5756408/how-we-lost-our-way-in-the-battle-to-reduce-domestic-violence/?