Amnesty International | Organisation Profiles

About Amnesty International

Amnesty International launched the ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ campaign in 2004. The campaign represented new ground for the New Zealand section of Amnesty International – a global issue that was entrenched here in New Zealand rather than ‘over there’ in a foreign country.

A New Zealand Problem

In March 2006, Family Court Judge Peter Boshier commented on the high level of domestic violence in New Zealand: "I believe we are observing signs of a very serious breakdown in areas of our national social life. Domestic violence in this country has reached a stage where the community must respond and must act."

• Over 34% of Kiwi women aged 18-64 has experienced at least one act of physical or sexual assault from a partner during their lifetime.¹
• During December 2005 and January 2006, New Zealand Police attended nearly 11,000 reported instances of family violence – one incident every 8 minutes.²
• Over the 2005-2006 summer holiday period, 6 women were killed by their partners or previous partners in New Zealand.³
• Half of all murders in New Zealand are directly related to family violence (52% of 53 murders in 2000).⁴

Amnesty International New Zealand Is Working To:

• Educate our members and the public about the scale and impact of domestic violence.
• Support the work of women’s organisations.
• Attack the damaging myths surrounding violence against women.
• Provide information, resources and contracts for New Zealanders who want to prevent violence against women.

1. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 117(1206), 1173
2. Speech by Judge Peter Boshier, Te Unga Marae (2006)
3. Speech by Judge Peter Boshier, Te Unga Marae (2006)
4. New Zealand Police Statistics 2001

About Amnesty International

Amnesty International's campaign is designed to mobilise both men and women to counter violence, and to use the power and persuasion of a human rights framework to stop violence against women. › More about Amnesty International