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Our Watch welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to Victoria’s State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan 2027 – 2031.
Submission to the State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan
Our submission focuses on opportunities to better integrate primary prevention evidence into the State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan 2027 – 2031 informed by the findings and recommendations of Changing the landscape and the Framework for action to prevent violence against women and girls with disabilities, published in July 2024. It outlines a set of recommendations for the Commonwealth Government and state and territory governments.
The submission highlights the importance of applying a gendered-lens across the priority areas and commitments of the State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan 2027 – 2031 to end violence against women and girls with disability aligned with the Changing the landscape evidence base.
The submission calls for:
- Action to transform ableist and sexist attitudes towards women and girls with disability, enhance primary prevention work already underway in the Disability Plan 2022-2026 and incorporate new primary prevention initiatives into the next Autism Plan in partnership with autistic women and girls with experience in violence prevention.
- Actions to address the unique experiences of women and girls with disability, including autistic women and girls, across all actions and commitments of the State Disability Plan and the Victorian Autism Plan 2027 – 2031. This includes actions to support economic independence, employment pathways, and enhance inclusive workforces that address gender inequality and ableism.
- Actions to align with Changing the picture: A national resource to support the prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children to prevent violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls with disability and continued focus on agencies delivering the systemic reforms including self-determination. This includes partnering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to support and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls with disability.
- Data gaps to be addressed in the Outcomes Framework through inclusion of measures drawn from the National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS), and through improved disaggregation of data improving intersectional approaches to reporting as recommended in the Disability Plan 2022-24 Mid-Way Review.