Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) remains one of the most urgent social crises in Australia, carrying lifelong and intergenerational harms that weaken the fabric of our entire society. At Arab Council Australia (ACA), we refuse to treat violence as a private matter or an unchangeable reality. True community safety requires systemic transformation and an unwavering commitment to equality.
DFSV does not discriminate; it occurs across all socio-economic, religious, and cultural demographics. However, minority populations face compounding vulnerabilities, including severe barriers to accessing mainstream support systems.
Our casework highlights that the societal impact of abuse has evolved beyond physical violence:
• Coercive control and tech abuse dominate a growing proportion of cases, leveraging digital surveillance and financial restriction to erode individual autonomy.
• Severe housing instability and visa-related vulnerabilities trap victim-survivors in unsafe environments due to fear of deportation or homelessness.
Launching Our Decade-Long Journey
To map a community-led path forward, I am proud to announce the launch of our new report, Building Safety & Equality Together. This report encapsulates our ten-year journey in primary prevention, early intervention, and response strategies tailored for Arabic-speaking background (ASB) communities in New South Wales.
The report highlights exceptional, data-backed milestones from our flagship programs:
• Over 900 participants engaged in our co-designed Musawat (Equality) program across 200+ bilingual, trauma-informed workshops.
• A 23% increase in agreement that men and women should be equal following program completion.
• A 30% rise in the community's capacity to recognise emotional, social, and financial control as illegal forms of violence.
• An estimated 100,000+ people reached through localised social media and radio campaigns to dismantle cultural stigma.
Moving Forward Together
The findings are clear: when communities are treated as partners rather than audiences, meaningful change is achieved. However, sustaining this momentum requires mainstream service systems to evolve, secure long-term flexible funding, and embed bilingual prevention workforces directly into grassroots organisations.
I invite you to download the full report on the Arab Council Australia Website, once launched on 12 August 2026, to review our strategic insights and recommendations. Together, we can ensure safety, respect, and equality become lived realities for all families.  I also invite you to join us at the launch.  You can book to attend through this link:  https://events.humanitix.com/building-safety-equality-together-report-launch
Hassan Moussa