Every nine days a woman in Australia dies at the hands of a current or former partner.
Despite years of effort, plans and strategies, the national crisis remains.
A major report on the prevention of violence against women and children , to help guide the next national plan for women’s safety — the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.
Chief investigator, Associate Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, told SBS News the nation is at a "critical point".
“This report shows the breadth of the commitment that's needed, and importantly, the actions that we need to achieve the ambitious but much-needed aim of ending violence against women and children.”
Nearly 500 experts contributed to the “stakeholder consultation” report by Monash University, commissioned by the Commonwealth.
Federal, state and territory women’s safety ministers will meet next Friday, hoping to finalise the next national plan.
The last plan, implemented by then-prime minister Julia Gillard in 2010, expired at the end of last month. The new plan will run from this year until 2032.
Chief investigator, Associate Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, said the nation is at a ‘critical point’. Source: Supplied
‘Frustrating’ delays
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth told ABC Radio on Thursday she wants to ensure there’s a “transparent process” in developing the national plan and accused the former government of stalling.
“This was resisted by the former government they had no intention of releasing it,” she said.
“We want to make sure that governments are accountable.”
SBS News has contacted former social services minister Anne Ruston and the Liberal Party's current social services spokesman Michael Sukkar for comment.
The former government released a draft report earlier this year but resisted calls to make the consultation report public, which it received in January.
Professor Fitz-Gibbon said the delay was "frustrating".
“It has definitely been a point of frustration; we have advocated very strongly for the release of the report, ” she said.
The draft release made headway on the vast and complex issue, but it was criticised for a lack of specific and measurable targets.
But the new government is yet to say what targets, if any, will be included in the new plan.
Professor Fitz-Gibbon said she’s hopeful progress can be made, but significantly more money will need to be put on the table.
“We've never seen a commitment in funding commensurate with the size of the problem so that is absolutely critical,” she said.
“What we need is funding to match the fact that this is a national crisis.”
Lived experience consultant Liana Papoutsis told SBS it’s a problem that must be dealt with, and not just with money.
“It is not just about pouring more dollars into what seems to be quite an intractable and perhaps unsolvable problem, but what we know is actually preventable.”
“What we need to do is not just have a plan, we need real sustainable actions.”
With lived experience of family violence, Ms Papoutsis has advocated for strong action for more action and hopes the new government will move faster than the last.
“I'm hoping that the current Albanese government and Minister Rishworth are going to basically have to put their skates on and get this plan up and running.”
Need for ‘targeted’ solutions
The report outlines the need for more targeted and specialised approaches to marginalised communities.
This includes First Nations women and children, LGBTQI+ communities, migrant and refugee women, people with disabilities and rural and regional families.
AMES CEO Catherine Scarth says it’s particularly important for migrant women and children to have community-led solutions.
“The report identifies that there is more that we need to be doing specifically around migrant and refugee [women and children]” She told SBS.
“We've been saying for some time that mainstream approaches and services don't necessarily help, and that then need to be far more targeted.”
AMES CEO Catherine Scarth says it’s particularly important for migrant women and children to have community-led solutions. Source: Supplied / Andrew Hobbs
“We've been providing leadership [programs] for our communities, and part of that is for them to design a program and then deliver that program with their own community," she said.
First Nations focus
The report also addresses the need for community-led plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
It recommends the plan embed the right to truth-telling, healing and self-determination.
“It's incredibly important that we listen to our First Nations, leaders and advocates,” Professor Fitz-Gibbon said.
“And that we give them the resources and then we embed them with the power needed to develop the solutions that First Nations communities need.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
