New Zealand has one of the highest domestic violence rates in the world, but men's refuge doesn't get funded by Government, unlike women who get a lot. Domestic violence happens to both men and women and both genders should be able to have funded support from the Government. 

Domestic violence has a significant impact on both genders. Although we can see in the statistics that it is more likely to be men abusing women, it doesn't mean that men are not just as abused, we just don't hear about it. Men are less likely to come forward with their abuse because they don't want to be seen as weak or not "manly." By not having as much funding for men, it shows that their experience with domestic violence is less important than women. Did you know that research shows more than half of the situations in which men who are the victims of domestic violence, are getting abused by women verbally? Males get hurt just as much as women mentally and physically. By males not having the support they need it can increase the suicide rates in New Zealand which is already very high and studies show the most common reasons for suicide rates are because of mental illness. 

An article was just released about the Women's refuge funding increase which is an absolutely necessary requirement in today's society, but that cannot come at a cost of losing men to domestic violence. Women represent 85% of domestic violence victims but does this mean the Government and society just ignores the 15% that are men? And this percentage is only the men who ask for help. By signing this petition it helps our voice become stronger in trying to get equitable funding for male refuge.