EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR RELEASE UNTIL 12.01AM, 20 FEBRUARY 2025
EXCLUSIVE SALVATION ARMY SOCIAL JUSTICE STOCKTAKE IS LIVE
Access the concerns of Australians, by nation, state/territories, and individual electorate reports
Today, the second Salvation Army National Social Justice Stocktake (NSJS) website goes live, allowing citizens, policy makers and politicians to gauge which social justice issues are of prominent concern to individuals and communities right now and what can ultimately be done to address them.
The website:
www.salvationarmy.org.au/socialjusticestocktake
This second NSJS (the first was in 2022 following the pandemic) involved more than 16,000 people from all demographics across every state and territory being surveyed as to which social justice issues are weighing on individuals, their families, loved ones and local communities – and what they want done about them.
The results of the NSJS have been collated into a national overview; 151 electorate and eight state individual jurisdiction reports. All the reports are housed on a purpose-built website - www.salvationarmy.org.au/socialjusticestocktake - which the reader can negotiate by clicking through to areas of interest.
The website also has an easy to navigate media hub containing additional information on each of the Stocktake’s issues; quotes from Salvation Army experts in social mission delivery (some in downloadable audio); and the specifics of the survey research.
““The Stocktake was born from hearing the challenges the community were experiencing and felt were being ignored. These reports focus on practical information and practical actions that can be taken to address the most pressing issues in our communities,” says The Salvation Army’s General Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Jennifer Kirkaldy.
“We are releasing this report to coincide with World Day of Social Justice. It is very clear that Australians care about social justice and this report is a tool to help empower solutions-focused conversations between Australians and the people who are seeking to represent us.”
Nationally, when respondents thought about their communities they identified the top issues as:
- Housing affordability and homelessness (71.0 per cent)
- Mental health (57.6 per cent)
- Financial hardship and inclusion (53.2 per cent)
- Access to health care (50.4 per cent)
- Alcohol and drug misuse (43.4 per cent)
Nationally, when thinking about their own lives’, respondents identified the top issues as:
- Mental health (40.3 per cent)
- Housing affordability and homelessness (36.5 per cent)
- Financial hardship and inclusion (32.31 per cent)
- Climate change (30.3 per cent)
- Access to health care (30.1 per cent)
Other issues which feature include:
- Family Violence
- Unemployment and underemployment
- Social isolation and loneliness
- Opportunities for children and young people
- Older Australian discrimination and hardship
- Racism and discrimination
- Gambling harm
- Disability discrimination and hardship
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage
- Gender inequality and inequity
- LGBTIQA+ community discrimination and disadvantage
- Treatment of refuges and asylum seekers
- Modern slavery
Feedback from participants of the NSJS showed that Australians are frustrated by a lack of action on social injustice.
“Participants sent a very clear message that they are ready for action while still expressing that they weren’t sure how they could be part of the solution,” Ms. Kirkaldy adds. “These reports provide a way forward for anyone worried about social injustice either by working with our political leaders, collaborating within our community groups or workplaces or just by ourselves. Every one of us can make a difference and if we work together, we can transform Australia.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact The Salvation Army’s Media Relations Department on (02) 94663143