Recommendation 161

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar, is currently leading a national consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to understand their priorities, needs and aspirations, for themselves and their families. The Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices) project runs throughout 2018, with the Commissioner to provide her report to the Commonwealth in mid-2019. The report will provide guidance to governments on how to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls as active citizens and positive change makers.

The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22 (National Plan) is a 12 year plan that aims to reduce violence against women and their children. The National Plan was released in February 2011 and is being delivered through four three-year action Plans. The National Plan provides a mechanism to drive effort and make investment in reducing domestic, family and sexual violence.

Recognising that women who experience other forms of marginalisation, discrimination or vulnerability, such as rural women, may be at greater risk of experiencing violence, the Government is implementing a number of initiatives under the Third Action Plan of the National Plan:

• Safe Phones for Women programme under the Women's Safety Package, which provides mobile phones to women, including those in regional, rural and remote areas who are affected by domestic violence, to access services and obtain assistance if needed.
• DV-alert training delivered across Australia with sixty percent of workshops and awareness sessions delivered in regional, rural and remote areas in response to the high prevalence of domestic and family violence in these regions.
• Funding integrated legal services and family violence support services located in regional court registries for people with family law matters involving family violence.
• Funding integrated specialist legal assistance, including domestic violence units and health justice partnerships to provide holistic services to women in regional, rural and remote areas who have experienced family violence.

The National Plan recognises that women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities may experience domestic, family and sexual violence at higher rates than the general population. Measures under the Third Action Plan specifically targeted to women from CALD backgrounds include:

• making 1800RESPECT telephone services available in 28 languages and providing a dedicated translation and interpretation phone service.
• Supporting community-driven initiatives to change attitudes towards violence and gender equality, including engagement with faith leaders.
• Supporting vulnerable women recovering from violence, and assist them to rebuild their independence.
• Developing appropriate visa arrangements for temporary residents experiencing violence.
• Safer Pathways initiative for CALD women, which commenced from late 2017 with funding through to 2018-2019. The projects are working to reduce barriers to accessing domestic and family violence and sexual assault support services for CALD Women living in regional areas.

In the 2016-17 Budget, the Australian Government committed a further $100 million for initiatives under the Third Action Plan, including $25 million for Indigenous-specific initiatives. This is on top of a $100 million Women's Safety Package announced in September 2015. The Third Action Plan package includes practical measures, such as investment in innovative technologies to keep women safe; extending support services in remote Indigenous communities; and providing education resources to teach young people about respectful relationships.

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'.

A further commitment of funding has been provided for the development of free, nationally accredited training workshops for frontline community workers supporting women with disability who are experiencing domestic or family violence. Similar training is available to frontline workers supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and women from culturally and linguistically diverse or refugee backgrounds. Sixty percent of workshops are delivered in rural and remote areas.

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

• Australian Capital Territory – Community Services Directorate
• New South Wales – Domestic Violence
• Northern Territory – Domestic and Family Violence
• Queensland – End Domestic and Family Violence  
• South Australia – Office for Women
• Tasmania – Department of Premier and Cabinet – Safe Homes, Safe Families
• Victoria – Department of Health and Human Services – Families and Children
• Western Australia – Department of Communities, Child Protection and Family Support