The group is tasked with providing knowledge from lived experiences and frontline leadership
The government has established the Family Violence and Sexual Violence Ministerial Advisory Group tasked with providing knowledge from lived experiences and frontline leadership to support decision-making and strategic direction.
The group will be led by chair Debra Murray, ECLIPSE Family Violence Services’ founder, director and facilitator. She has pitched in on analysis, design, and workforce development across government and community sectors.
Joining Murray in the group are the following:
Brown concentrates on trauma‑informed engagement with men to disrupt intergenerational violence. He works with Māori, Pasifika, and men from marginalised communities and has developed and facilitated a barbering programme in men’s prisons.
Chamberlain has contributed to sexual violence policy, strategy and advocacy for more than 10 years. In particular, he works with male survivors of sexual violence.
Herewini has helped develop trauma‑informed kaupapa Māori services, services for crisis intervention, emergency housing and long-term support for wāhine Māori and their whānau.
McMurtrie brings lived experience with family violence and has been involved in frontline advocacy, service development, and rural service delivery.
Walker actively spearheads local multi‑agency responses and assists with workforce development, education and survivor‑centred practice.
“Addressing family violence and sexual violence requires coordinated action across all-of-government and communities. This group brings together many of the most highly respected authorities in prevention and behaviour change to provide expert, independent, lived experience, and community informed guidance”, said Karen Chhour, minister for the prevention of family and sexual violence, in the government’s media release.
She explained that the group would advise on legislation, policy and strategic direction.
“Their wealth of knowledge will highlight system issues, emerging risks, and opportunities for improvement. Family violence and sexual violence are complex and ingrained issues that require collaboration and long-term planning to address”, Chhour said. “These leaders’ extensive knowledge, contacts, and leadership will be a great asset to myself and will be utilised to shape how government sees and addresses these challenges. I will encourage them not to tell me what they may think I want to hear, but to say what needs to be said so we can meaningfully address the national shames of both family violence and sexual violence.”
