Knowmore’s mission is to facilitate access to justice for victims and survivors of child abuse and to work with survivors and their supporters to prevent child abuse. We undertake systemic advocacy to improve laws, policies and practices that impact the lives of victims and survivors and increase the risk of child abuse in our society.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse shed light on the nature and extent of child sexual abuse in Australian institutions and demonstrated the profound and lasting impacts it can have on a survivor’s life. To address this, the Royal Commission made a number of recommendations aimed at:
- improving access to justice for victims and survivors
- identifying and preventing child sexual abuse
- holding to account those who commit, facilitate or conceal child abuse.
We advocate at all levels of government to ensure that the Royal Commission’s recommendations are fully implemented, and that all victims and survivors of child abuse receive fair and equitable treatment, regardless of where they live.
How we engage in systemic advocacy
Knowmore’s advocacy is informed by our experience providing legal advice and support to victims and survivors of child abuse. Wherever possible, we seek to highlight the perspectives of our clients to ensure that their voices are heard by those making decisions that affect their lives.
We engage in advocacy in a number of ways, including by making submissions to governments and members of parliament (MPs), contributing to law reform and other inquiries, publishing reports, working with the media to raise awareness, and supporting survivors to tell their own stories.
We also work closely with other community legal centres and support services throughout Australia and fight alongside them for social justice.
Our priority areas for reform
Our current priority areas for reform are:
- improving the National Redress Scheme (NRS)
- advancing civil litigation reforms
- improving criminal justice responses
- making institutions safer.
Support us to create change
If you would like to support us to create change, please consider:
- sharing our publications with your networks
- writing to law reform and other inquiries to endorse our submissions
- following us on Facebook and Twitter and helping us to raise awareness.
For further information about our systemic advocacy, please contact us at advocacy@knowmore.org.au.