National violence prevention organisation Our Watch has welcomed the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner’s first Annual Report to Parliament on the Progress of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly said the Commission has an important role to play in measuring progress towards delivering the strategies and actions needed to prevent and end gender-based violence.
“With two in five women experiencing violence in their lifetime and one in four men saying they have used violence, this is an issue that is present in every suburb, every community, every sporting club and many workplaces,” she said.
“Significant work is underway to drive the changes needed across Australia to support widespread efforts to prevent and end violence against women and children.”
Ms Kinnersly welcomed the Report’s focus on measuring progress, including through improved data gathering; the importance of a strong specialist workforce in family, domestic and sexual violence; increased work with men and boys; the need for a greater focus on sexual violence; and the need for increased funding for frontline services.
“An expert workforce has been identified in the National Plan and now in the Report as the cornerstone to delivering the widespread change needed to end gender-based violence. An important part of this is ensuring we have a skilled primary prevention workforce.”
Ms Kinnersly agreed with the Report’s finding that engaging men and boys and having them lead the change is crucial to ending violence against women.
“Men and boys are facing huge pressures to conform to rigid ideals of masculinity – which is a key driver of violence against women. They are being bombarded with harmful content about women in the online space and some of that is reinforced in their day to day lives.
“Supporting men and boys to develop positive ways to be a man and see those positive male role models around them is crucial to ending violence against women.”
The Commission acknowledged the progress already made and the need for sustainable change. It also recognised the need for further work to develop appropriate data to measure progress under the National Plan.
Ms Kinnersly said there was no one solution for preventing and ending violence against women, with the National Plan outlining the multiple actions needed across Australia.
Last month, Our Watch released its Progress in prevention report card finding that progress was being made in ending violence against women. It found a 66% decline in intimate partner homicide rates over the past 30 years, a decline in women experiencing physical violence and improvement in attitudes that drive the violence.
“We have made progress in preventing violence against women, but much more action and change is needed across Australia to create a country where all women are safe,” Ms Kinnersly said.
“We look forward to continuing our work to prevent violence against women and children, including working with the Commission to support its independent role in measuring progress under the National Plan."
Please contact media@ourwatch.org.au or call 0448 844 930.
If you cover this story, or any story regarding violence against women and children, please include the following tagline:
1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via www.1800RESPECT.org.au, or text 0458 737 732. Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
Access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children.
Our Watch is a national leader in Australia’s work to stop violence against women and their children before it starts. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the practices, norms, and structures that lead to violence against women and children. Read more about Our Watch here.