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Recommendation 153

Strengthen efforts to combat family violence against women and children, especially within indigenous communities

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State
United States of America
Issue
Violence, abuse and mistreatment
Population group
Women and girls
Children
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Australian Government Agency and/or Jurisdiction
• Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Department of Social Services
• Attorney-General's Department
• States and territories
Australia's Response
Accepts
Australia's Position

Improving responses and support for Indigenous women and children is a national priority under the Third Action Plan and the Government has allocated $25 million under the Third Action Plan to reduce violence against women in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Australian Government has made additional funding commitments towards women's safety in recent years:

  • Additional $100 million in 2016-17 Budget under the Third Action Plan.
  • $100 million Women's Safety Package, announced September 2015, including $21 million for measures to improve Indigenous women's safety.
  • New funding of $54.4 million in the 2018-19 Budget.
  • $117.2 million under the 2017-18 Transitional National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, which prioritises women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.

On 20 April 2016, the Australian Government and state and territory governments launched the National Campaign to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The National Campaign aims to help generate long-term cultural change and break the cycle of violence by encouraging parents and influencers to reflect on their attitudes, and have conversations about respect with young people.
The Australian Government in collaboration with state and territory governments established a national organisation to drive nationwide change in the culture, behaviours and power imbalances that lead to violence against women and children. In 2018, This organisation released 'Changing the Picture: a national resource to support the prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children'.

Under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, the Australian Government provides $1.5 billion per year to states and territories (States) for housing and homelessness services. States are required to publish homelessness strategies that address priority cohorts including women and children affected by family and domestic violence in order to receive funding.

For information about state and territory policies and programmes related to domestic and family violence, visit: