Australia now has a target to reduce the number of women killed by violence

Last week, two-thirds of the way through a horror year in terms of femicides — 44 women have allegedly been killed by violence in Australia so far this year — the Albanese government launched the first so-called action plan of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women 2022-2032. 

The plan was launched late last year to much fanfare alongside a big promise from Labor’s new Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, to end violence against women “within one generation”. The just published five-year “action plan” is where the federal, state and territory governments drill down into the detail of how they will deliver on that worthy goal. Or in their words: “What actions governments are taking to end gender-based violence, what outcomes the actions and activities aim to achieve, and the targets we are working toward.”

Important further context: the “deafening” silence from our political leaders and much of the mainstream media in response to that horrific spate of femicides I wrote about at the start of this year — a spate that saw, at times, as many as 10 women allegedly killed in just 20 days — was maintained until the launch of the action plan. 

More important context: the previous decade-long National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women, which ended last year, was widely criticised for having failed in terms of the single measure for success it set for itself: to see “a significant and sustained reduction in violence against women and their children during the next 12 years, from 2010 to 2022”. In that period, rates of domestic violence did not fall, and rates of sexual violence increased.

The action plan was desperately awaited by those who work on the front line of gendered violence. Would anything really change? Would there be the political will and, equally important, the funding to back the lofty goal of ending violence against women and their children “within one generation”? Or was it all just spin?

Generally speaking, the sector has welcomed the new plan and indicated it believes it says most of the right things and articulates what needs to happen. But it isn’t clear yet whether the funding to back such an ambitious program of work across 10 key actions — ranging from advancing gender equality and addressing the drivers of all forms of gender-based violence, to improving access to housing for women and children experiencing violence and supporting women to stay in their own homes when they choose to do so — will follow, especially in these increasingly challenging economic times. Advocates have previously called for a minimum yearly spend of $1 billion and we’re not there yet. 

For the first time, the government set six specific targets for ending violence against women and their children, including a target to reduce the number of women killed by intimate partner violence by 25% each year.

Why do targets matter, you ask? One of the key criticisms of the former national plan was that it didn’t include measures to track progress over its 10-year lifespan and there was little transparency or accountability in terms of how the plan was tracking. Notably, the evaluation of the former plan was never released publicly, a significant failing. 

What’s more, a 2019 auditor-general report into how the Department of Social Services’ implemented it was scathing of its lack of targets and evaluation.

So, yes, experts have welcomed the targets and the accompanying “outcomes framework”, a future “measurement plan” (due in early 2024) and the creation of a Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission (and commissioner) that will regularly report on and track progress.

All that said, some feel like the 25% reduction in domestic homicide target is a bit random and not linked to specific actions. I agree. “No justification is included for aiming for this specific level of reduction,” wrote Kate Fitz-Gibbon, director of the Monash Family Violence Prevention Centre, in The Conversation. 

The cynic in me can’t help but wonder if the Albanese government grasped at this target to deflect criticism after its relative silence in response to the spate of recent homicides and to grab a headline. Nonetheless, the target is in place and there is a robust mechanism to hold those implementing the plan accountable, both, undoubtedly, good things.

For the first time, the government has also released a dedicated action plan to reduce domestic, sexual and family violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. Although Djirra CEO Antoinette Braybrook, who has worked at the frontline of women’s safety for more than 20 years, welcomed it, she said more was needed, including the creation of a standalone national plan for First Nations women, which the Albanese government has previously committed to. 

“Meaningful change for our women will come from a self-determined, Aboriginal-led standalone plan, not one that is an add-on to a mainstream approach,” Braybrook said. She was “disappointed” the plan did not commit to an increase in funding for Aboriginal family violence prevention and legal services.

Overall, I would say the national plan and the action plan have moved on significantly since the Morrison government launched a draft in January 2022 — to much criticism. With the introduction of targets, evaluation and transparency we won’t be left wondering in 10 years why this plan didn’t work. Instead, I dearly hope, we’ll be talking about why it did. 

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.