Politicians need to fund plan

MELISSA PERRY

THE national meeting of federal, state and Territory leaders held in Adelaide recently was a welcome next step in finalising the new 10-Year National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-32.

We acknowledge the national plan’s recognition of the role men and boys must play in putting an end to violence against women. However, we need further details on how the government plans to fund primary prevention initiatives over the next 10 years. Across the country, concerted efforts continue to be made to address the gender-based drivers of violence against women and children.

Public support for renewed efforts to prevent violence against women is at unprecedented levels in Australia. There is a growing universal push for the federal government to set a more detailed road map for how we are going to engage men and set targets as part of the national plan. It is important to emphasise our continued and growing acknowledgment of important dates of recognition, including the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, White Ribbon Day and others.

A national strategy lacking primary prevention measures, which includes men in preventing violence before it begins, is like building a home without a solid foundation. A national partnership agreement between the commonwealth, states and Territories that aims to eradicate men’s family violence through collaboration is essential. We will only see the mechanisms for transformative change when all levels of government work together to address issues such as housing, education and health, as we saw in the united efforts around Covid-19.

We need primary prevention coordinated nationally, yet delivered locally, by rolling out community response plans in every postcode to curb the rates of violence, abuse and disrespect.

White Ribbon Australia is asking that every postcode across Australia has an active plan in place. This includes taking a considered approach to understanding what is going on for men and boys to address the root issues of violence and abuse. We need targeted support systems to reach men and boys, bring them in and help drive outcomes to end gendered violence. We must listen and learn from those with lived experience of family domestic violence – the victims, survivors and sector workers. These targets should be defined and focused on supporting community-led primary prevention initiatives, including building a primary prevention workforce to deliver on the goals of the national plan.

Our key priorities include the introduction of primary school focused respectful relationships education programs across Australia, engaging more White Ribbon Australia community partners and supporting the development of community action groups to make change at a local level.