The federal government has set an ambitious goal to end violence against women and children in Australia within one generation, in a new report outlining its 10-year “action” plan.
The new National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, released on Monday, sets out a vision to address social, cultural, political, and economic factors that drive gender-based violence in Australia.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the plan is a “blueprint” for the next decade to end violence against women and children.
“Current rates of family, domestic and sexual violence are unacceptable,” Rishworth said.
“We want to make these changes now so the next generation of women and children can live in a society free from violence.”
The national plan brings together federal, state and territory governments and offers a shared commitment across the areas of prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing.
The report does not include specific funding commitments, but it does commit to the release of two five-year “action” plans. The first of these will be released in 2023. A standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan is yet to be released.
The national plan comes after the previous decade’s national plan failed in its goal to reduce violence against women and children. Indeed, reported rates of sexual violence continued to rise, and currently, one woman is killed every 10 days by a current or former partner.
The new national plan includes an “outcomes framework” with provisions to track, monitor and report on the plan’s progress, and help governments respond to new or emerging needs.
It gives many suggestions as to how Australia can stem gendered violence. Among its key principles are “advancing gender equality”, “closing the gap”, “centering victim-survivors”, “accountability”, “intersectionality”, and “person-centred coordination and integration”.
Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon, said the plan is “world-leading”.
“It sets the ambition to create whole of system responses that not only support victim-survivors to survive but to thrive beyond their experience of violence,” Dr Fitz-Gibbon said.
“This National Plan represents a much-needed decade-long commitment to eliminate the national crisis of domestic, family and sexual violence. The voices of victim-survivors have been embedded into the Plan’s development. It is essential that the commitment to valuing the expertise of lived experience continues over the life of the Plan.”
The plan puts an emphasis on engaging boys and men, and building community awareness about the role “harmful expressions of masculinity” can play in driving men’s violence against women, children and LGBTIQ+ people.
It also emphasises that housing is critical to ending violence against women and children within a generation.
“Domestic and family violence is the main reason women and children leave their homes in Australia and is the leading cause of homelessness for children,” the report states.
“While improving pathways to long-term affordable and appropriate housing is central to supporting the long-term recovery of victim-survivors, it is critical to implement and expand programs that support women and children to remain safely in their own homes if that is their wish.”
Minister for Women, Senator Katy Gallagher said the plan looks at how to address the structural barriers and inequalities that are a major driver behind gender-based violence.
“No amount of violence is acceptable and it is crucial that we talk honestly about some of the factors that contribute to violence against women and children, and what we will do to address some of the underlying causes,” Gallagher said.
Hayley Foster, CEO of Full Stop Australia, said it is an ambitious plan and a comprehensive statement of the state of gender-based violence in Australia. Foster warned that funding commitments and specific, measurable targets would be needed in the upcoming 5-year plans.
“The aim of the Plan to end gender-based violence in one generation is an ambitious one, but we should not tolerate any less,” Ms Foster said.
“Just one person being subjected to violence and abuse is too many. Nevertheless, if we want to ensure we have a chance of achieving this, we need to put numbers to specific, measurable targets in our 5-year Action Plans, and we need to commit to the funding needed to address this crisis, once and for all.”
“A life free from violence is possible.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
The Men’s Referral Service can be contacted on 1300 766 491.
In an emergency, call 000.