All Australian states and territories have now signed on to the Federal government's national plan to end violence against women and children over a generation released today but targets are yet to be revealed.
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In a move which will be applauded by advocates, the plan outlines the need for specific targets to measure progress on key indicators, including prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery. But states and territories are yet to agree on what those targets should be because of differences in measures and legal terms between jurisdictions.
The Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth urged states and territories to work with the Commonwealth.
"We need sustained and collective action across society. This includes providing better support and protection to victim-survivors and holding people who choose to use violence to account," she said.
A new outcomes framework, yet to be released, will increase the government's ability to report change over time looking at the data for individuals, services, systems and community. The plan includes promises to implement new data collections and data development projects which will look beyond prevalence. The nation's key data collection body on women's safety, ANROWS, has sought further funding. It was promised $19 million over five years by the former government.
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The government has committed to matching funding for women and children's safety promised by the former Coalition government and has also made it clear to states and territories they will need to contribute. The government has also funded 500 new community workers, respectful relationships education programs, full implementation of the Respect@Work report, as well as funding for housing targeted at women who are victims of domestic violence. It is understood there will be further funding announced in the October budget.
The plan also confirms the government will establish a standalone plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The national co-chair of Change the Record Antoinette Braybrook said: "We welcome the announcement of a standalone national plan for First Nations women and their children.
"For this Plan to be successful, a dedicated taskforce of First Nations women and specialist frontline service providers must be established to lead the design and delivery. This taskforce must be selected through a transparent process, not hand picked by government. This will ensure the Plan is truly self determined."
For the first time, the plan includes a commitment to supporting women and children's recovery. Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre which led the consultation on the report, said gender-based violence was a national crisis in Australia.
"This is world-leading. It sets the ambition to create whole of system responses that not only support victim-survivors to survive but to thrive beyond their experience of violence," she said.
Professor Fitz-Gibbon said this was the first time a government had made a specific commitment to recovery. Earlier national plans and drafts focused on prevention, early intervention and response.
"But this plan looks at how we can support victim-survivors to recover and thrive," she said.
The plan acknowledges the trauma of children who experience or witness family violence, including increased likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder. It sets out a commitment to recognise children as victim-survivors in their own right but is not specific on any details of how this will be addressed.
Former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, whose son Luke was murdered by his father, says Australia has consistently failed children.
"Until we wake up and recognise that to change anything about family violence we must prioritise children," she said.
The national plan will be implemented through two five-year action plans which will provide specific actions, targets and investment.
The new Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commissioner and additional funding is set to be announced later this month. She will oversee administration of the national plan.
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