Our Watch has welcomed the release of the two Actions Plans and National Outcomes Framework under the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032.
The Australian Government today released the first two Action Plans under the National Plan, including a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan.
Our Watch welcomes ongoing recognition of primary prevention – working to stop violence before it starts – as a dedicated national priority.
The five-year Action Plans outline the key commitments made by Commonwealth, state and territory governments to end violence against women. This includes the development of a National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality, the development of a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan, education initiatives and campaigns, an evidence-based approach to monitoring and measuring progress, and structural and legislative change to promote gender equality in workplaces.
The dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan represents the first time there has been a standalone Action Plan focusing on ending violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly welcomed the release of the Action Plans and said she was especially pleased to see the link between gender equality and the drivers of violence leading the key actions.
“Violence against women does not occur in a vacuum, it is a result of a broader social context and the underlying conditions of gender inequality,” she said.
“We need to change this, so that violence is not condoned, trivialised, considered a private matter or excused.”
“The level of change to end violence against women requires a coordinated, long-term, large-scale national approach, as outlined in these plans.
“These plans are a positive step to creating a future where all people live free from gender-based violence and are safe in their homes, work, school, communities and online.
“We look forward to working closely with the Commonwealth and state and territory governments on the implementation of these plans.
“We will also continue crucial prevention work across schools, universities and TAFEs, sporting clubs, workplaces and community groups.
“Prevention must be inclusive, this is why we work alongside leaders, peak bodies and communities from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ groups and refugee and migrant groups,” Ms Kinnersly said.
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.
To access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children, visit www.ourwatch.org.au/media-and-reporting
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.