The child protection and criminal legal systems that claim to offer ‘protection’ or ‘justice’ often fail to support women, and their children, in meaningful ways. Instead, women’s stories demonstrate how the state’s responses to women in crisis, especially those facing disadvantage, are underpinned by surveillance, disbelief and exclusion, rather than care or support.

FIGJAM members contributed to this report in collaboration between Law and Advocacy Centre for Women, FIGJAM and the University of Melbourne.