President: Sarah Carstens | Vice-President: Rachael Reed KC
AWLA celebrated its 25th anniversary, with the theme of 2009 being celebrating success.
In February, AWLA submitted on the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Bill. AWLA supported this bill describing it as a positive step towards improving protection for domestic violence victims. Amendments were recommended to the bill to ensure a balance between immediate safety and safeguarding the legal rights of individuals affected by police orders.
AWLA called for additional funding and training for police officers to better understand the needs of domestic violence victims and to enforce the law effectively. The submissions also sought a future review of the bill’s impact to tailor it to better fit Aotearoa New Zealand’s needs going forward. AWLA hoped that the bill would help break the cycle of domestic violence by providing on-the-spot protection orders until cases reach the Family or District Court.
AWLA reported on the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Indicators for Change 2009 which highlighted that the weekly median income of women was 40.1 per cent lower than men. However, this gap was more prominent for Māori and Pasifika women, who earned disproportionately less than women identifying as Pākehā or European.