Government Endorses National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children

The Australian Government has endorsed the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. Minister for the Status of Women Kate Ellis and Attorney General Robert McClelland announced the endorsement by Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments today.

The White Ribbon Foundation played a key role in the development of the Plan, with Board Member Libby Lloyd chairing and Chairperson Andrew O'Keefe a member of the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The National Council developed the report 'Time for Action: The National Council’s Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, 2009-2021’. Many of the recommendations in the report have been endorsed in today's announcement.

The National Plan brings together government efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women.

Today's announcement included an emphasis on primary prevention, in conjunction with victim support services and perpetrator programs. 

Highlights of the National Plan:

•  Supporting local community action to reduce violence against women
• Commitment to support the inclusion of respectful relationships education in phase three of the Australian Curriculum.
• Provision of telephone support for frontline workers such as allied health, child care and paramedics to better assist clients who have experienced violence.
• New programs to stop perpetrators committing acts of violence and national standards for perpetrator programs.
• Establishing a national Centre of Excellence to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to reduce violence against women.
• A Personal Safety Survey and National Community Attitudes Survey to track the impact of the new action plans every four years.
•  Encouraging young people to develop healthy and respectful relationships through the continuation of 'The Line' campaign and respectful relationships program.
• The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) inquiry into the impact of Commonwealth laws on those experiencing family violence. 

For the full media release, please visit the website of The Hon Kate Ellis MP Minister for the Status of Women, here