Family Violence Taskforce nominated for international award

New Zealand's Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families has been nominated for an international 'Future Policy Award.'

The World Future Council's Future Policy Award celebrates "policies that create better living conditions for current and future generations. The aim of the award is to raise global awareness for these exemplary policies and speed up policy action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies. The Future Policy Award is the first award that celebrates policies rather than people on an international level."

Each year the World Future Council chooses a topic on which policy progress is particularly urgent. In 2014, the Award will celebrate exemplary laws and policies that contribute to ending violence against women and girls.

Around the world, experts from international organisations, civil society and academia were invited to submit nominations for policies that contribute towards the goal of ending violence against women, notably preventive measures against violence, protection of victim/survivors, provision of support services and prosecution of perpetrators.

The winners will be announced in October 2014, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women. The award ceremony will be held at the Inter-Parliamentary Union's 131st Assembly in Geneva.

The nominations can be viewed on the World Future Council website.

Information about the Taskforce is available on the Ministry of Social Development website.

Update:

The winning laws and policies were announced by the World Future Council on 14 October 2014.

The Gold Award was won by the Duluth Model's Coordinated Community Response to domestic violence (1981).

Silver Awards went to a Burkina Faso law prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation (1996) and an Austrian initiative, Court Assistance for Victims of Violence in the Criminal Procedure and the Civil Procedure (2006).

A Vision Award went to the Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), 2011.

Media:

"The Duluth Model": Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Wins Prestigious International Prize for Best Policy