SUBMISSION Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence
The submission was made to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs during its work in shaping Australia’s next national plan to reduce and end violence against women and children.
The submission consolidates research from ANROWS and other sources to inquire and report on family, domestic, and sexual violence. This submission provides evidence and recommendations for the development of the following key areas:
- Immediate and long-term measures to prevent violence against women and children, and improve gender equality
- Best practice and lessons learnt that could be considered in an Australian context
- The level and impact of coordination, accountability for, and access to services and policy responses
- The impact of health, housing, access to services and women’s economic independence on the ability of women to escape domestic violence
- Identification of all forms of violence against women
- Overcoming limitations in the collection of nationally consistent and timely data
- The efficacy of perpetrator intervention programs and support services for men
- The experiences of all women, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, rural women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, LGBTQ and intersex women, women with disability, and women on temporary visas
- The impact of natural disasters and other significant events such as COVID-19.
Evidence and recommendations made by in the submission were also into account by the Committee and contributed to informing the development of the successor to the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010–2022 (the National Plan) and highlight directions for future research.