National violence prevention organisation Our Watch has welcomed the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner’s second 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 work needed to prevent and end gender-based violence.
“We know violence against women is a national crisis. As recognised in the Report, there is significant work underway to drive the changes needed across Australia to support widespread efforts to prevent and end violence against women and children. However, we also know that more needs to be done.”
Ms Kinnersly welcomed the priority areas identified in the Report including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, children and young people, men and boys, combatting economic and systems abuse, and sexual violence. She also acknowledged the important role of victim survivors and lived experience in underpinning work to end violence against women nationally.
The focus on children and young people and recognition that prevention must begin in childhood in the Report are important, said Ms Kinnersly. “We know to be effective primary prevention needs to happen across the life course. Building on the evidence and existing work, we know how important it is to engage with children and young people in all the places where they live, learn and socialise, including education, through respectful relationships education.”
Our Watch is also supportive of the recommended focus on engaging men and boys on healthy masculinities and doing this work in a coordinated way.
“We know this work should be informed by the evidence and is necessary across all levels of society to help prevent violence against women and gender-based violence. It is crucial that we identify further opportunities for coordination and collaboration across primary prevention, early intervention and response with related sectors and services (including men’s health) to ensure work with men and boys is more effective and sustainable.”
Our Watch welcomes the insights and reflections in the Report that there is a need to continue to strengthen the structures and processes that support and drive coordination, implementation and monitoring of the Plan. In particular, a need for greater coordination of work.
“Over a long period of time we have emphasised the importance of whole-of-government coordination, accountability and reporting nationally and under the National Plan, so it is pleasing to see the Commission make priority recommendations about these issues”.
“A strong Commission with a clear and defined role and the ability to gather the information, data and evidence it needs is an important part of the national architecture, along with National Plan partners including Our Watch and ANROWS” added Ms Kinnersly.
The development of the Second Action Plan will start over the coming months and we echo the sentiments in the Report that its design, implementation, monitoring and review are crucial. As part of this, Ms Kinnersly highlighted the ongoing importance of ensuring evidence-based primary prevention as a core part of the work under the National Plan and Action Plans.
Our Watch is also looking with interest to the release of Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan, and supports the Commission’s recommendations in relation to the importance of shared decision-making and self-determination at the centre of governance for the 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.
“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 important role in primary prevention as part of the vital work we all need to do to prevent violence against women and children, including working with the Commission as part of the key national architecture under the National Plan at this critical juncture.”
Please contact media@ourwatch.org.au or call 0448 844 930.
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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. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access support through 13YARN.
Access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children.
Our Watch is Australia’s leader in the primary prevention of violence against women. 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.