Media Statement - 18th November 2007
A Rudd Labor Government will implement a National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children to better protect women and children from domestic violence and sexual assault.
This plan builds on Federal Labor’s recent commitment to invest $150 million over five years to build 600 additional houses to accommodate people who are homeless, particularly women and children – many of them escaping domestic violence.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that around one in three Australian women experiences physical violence, and almost one in five experiences sexual violence, over their lifetime.
Indigenous women are 40 times more likely to be a victim of family violence compared with other Australian women.
No person should have to fear for their safety at home, at work; or on the street. No woman or child should have to live with the terror of domestic violence or sexual assault.
The key elements to Federal Labor’s approach to addressing domestic violence include:
- Educating young Australians, particularly boys about respect and awareness of the impact of domestic violence in the community.
- Developing national measures to confront domestic violence head on.
- Investing in crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence.
Federal Labor’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children will include:
- $1 million to boost White Ribbon Day education activities in rural and regional communities. White Ribbon Day promotes culture-change around violence against women. Some 300 prominent men have agreed to be White Ribbon Day Ambassadors to advocate and educate for non-violent relationships with women.
- Respectful relationship resources for all Australian high schools. Federal Labor will sponsor high school visits by community role models (such as White Ribbon Day Ambassadors) and experts to promote respectful relationships and the importance of not using violence.
- Tougher and nationally consistent laws and best practice. Federal Labor will work with the States and Territories to toughen and harmonise domestic violence and sexual assault laws.
- $500,000 to boost the Australian Institute of Criminology’sNational Homicide Monitoring Program to investigate domestic violence-related homicides to inform future interventions to protect women and children from violence.
- $200,000 for research into international best practice models for working with perpetrators of violence – to make them confront their violence and its impact on their partners and children.
- $150 million to construct 600 additional houses to accommodate people who are homeless including women and children escaping domestic violence.
Federal Labor’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children will ensure the Commonwealth, States and Territories work together to better protect and prevent women and children from these heinous crimes.
Labor’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children, will be overseen by a National Council on Violence Against Women and Children
The National Council will include survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, law enforcement agencies, academics and peak service bodies including the Women’s Services Network and the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence.
Labor’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children will help to prevent abuse and protect Australian women and children from physical, emotional and sexual violence.
These measures are necessary to reduce the violence and abuse that afflicts one in three Australian families.