[8][needs update] A Ministry of Justice discussion paper exploring improvements to sexual violence legislation reported that around 90 percent of rapes go unreported.
[12] A new initiative called Te Hau Tangata, launched at Wharewātea Marae, seeks to address sexual harm and family violence.
Led by Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, the initiative adopts a whānau-led Te Ao Māori approach to transform the system.
Data is largely dependent upon reporting and recording practices, and is unlikely to accurately represent the incidence of domestic violence against women in New Zealand.
[16] In 2013, there were 6749 incidents of ‘male assaults female’ recorded by the New Zealand Police,[16] and 2013 Protection Orders were granted by the Family Court.
[18] In the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review for New Zealand, published in April 2014, mentioned the Government's commitment to eradicate the problem, including taking steps to reconvene the Family Violence Ministerial Group, the introduction of Police Safety Orders, expanding the definition of domestic violence to include economic and financial abuse, implementing the 2009 Action Plan for New Zealand Women, and implementation of recommendations on the Taskforce for Action on Sexual Violence.
[19] Included in the report were recommendations from seventeen other states suggesting measures for the reduction of violence against women in New Zealand.
[23] Furthermore, in 2010 the scope of Article 2 of CEDAW was described to include a due diligence obligation on states to prevent discrimination by private actors.
[29] Women's Refuge works to promote social discussion on domestic violence and to inform public debate.