| Arab Council Australia Report Shows How Community-Led Action Can ... |
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“Lasting change begins when communities are trusted as
partners—transforming silence into dialogue, stigma into advocacy and
fear into pathways to safety.”
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Arab Council Australia Report Shows How Community-Led Action Can Strengthen Responses to Domestic and Family Violence
13 August 2026
Sydney- Middle East Times Int’l: Arab Council Australia (ACA) yesterday launched Building Safety & Equality Together, a report drawing on a decade of community-led work to show how culturally responsive approaches can help prevent and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) in Arabic-speaking communities across Australia.
Launched at ACA's Community Room in Fairfield East, the report captures ten years of prevention, intervention and support initiatives, highlighting both the progress achieved and the challenges that remain. The launch also marked the release of a dedicated DFSV webpage and podcast series sharing community insights and strengthening sector learning.
The report reflects on ACA's journey in developing culturally relevant strategies that address violence while promoting gender equality, community engagement and long-term systems change, underscoring the value of partnering with communities to design solutions that are effective, sustainable and trusted.
"Ten years ago, domestic, family and sexual violence was rarely spoken about publicly within our Arabic-speaking communities," said ACA Chief Executive Officer Hassan Moussa. "Building Safety & Equality Together is a testament to the power of community-led change and the courage of survivors, advocates and community leaders who have helped turn silence into dialogue and action."
Guest speaker Amani Haydar, award-winning author, lawyer and advocate, said the findings highlight both progress and ongoing challenges. "This report makes it clear that significant barriers persist for Arabic-speaking communities, but it also shows that change is taking place at the grassroots level. With robust, long-term support, community-led programs can pave the way for lasting change."
Keynote speaker Violet Roumeliotis AM, Chief Executive Officer of Settlement Services International (SSI), said the report offers important lessons for governments, service providers and community organisations across Australia. "Domestic, family and sexual violence remains one of the most urgent social challenges facing Australia. This important report shows how community-led action can shift attitudes, strengthen support systems and, ultimately, create pathways to safety that are culturally relevant and genuinely effective."
Ally (Ahlam) Hijazi, Family Lawyer and Project Manager of ACA's From the Ground Up to Equality Project, also spoke at the launch, drawing on her professional and community experience with Arabic Speaking Communities. "If we are serious about preventing domestic and family violence, we need to invest in the organisations that already have the trust of these communities," Ms Hijazi said.
The report identifies several ongoing challenges for victim-survivors from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, including coercive control, technology-facilitated abuse, housing insecurity, visa-related vulnerabilities and difficulties accessing culturally appropriate support. It calls for greater investment in community-led prevention, enhanced cultural competency across mainstream services, and stronger representation of CALD organisations in policy development and service design.
CEO Hassan Moussa said meaningful change depends on treating communities as partners rather than audiences. "When we engage elders, faith leaders and champions as agents of change, resistance turns into advocacy and stigma begins to dissolve," Mr Moussa said.
About the Report
Building Safety & Equality Together documents Arab Council Australia's ten-year journey across the domestic, family and sexual violence continuum, from primary prevention and early intervention to crisis response and recovery. The report explores lessons learned, emerging challenges and recommendations for strengthening culturally responsive approaches across Australia.
The report and podcasts can be found on Arab Council Australia’s website here: https://www.arabcouncil.org.au/building-safety-and-equality-together
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