National Cabinet must tackle violence against women

The Parenthood urges National Cabinet to increase funding and immediate reforms to the treatment of violence against women by the police, in the courts, in the media and through education and training. 

The Parenthood stands by gender-based violence advocates, victim-survivors and experts today as National Cabinet convenes to address the crisis of men’s violence against women. 

With the meeting set to focus on perpetrators and prevention, The Parenthood urges National Cabinet to heed the calls from victim-survivors and experts for increased funding and immediate reforms to the treatment of violence against women by the police, in the courts, in the media and through education and training. 

Some of these measures include alternative reporting options for survivors of violence and specialist courts, a declaration of a national emergency, and improved government funding models for organisations that work against gendered violence.

CEO of The Parenthood, Georgie Dent said violence against women affects entire families and that support and services for parents and children are also integral to prevention. 

“Gender equity experts, as well as the Prime Minister himself, have acknowledged that cultural change is needed to address men’s violence in Australia at its roots,” Ms Dent said. “In this National Cabinet meeting, we want to see the epidemic of gendered violence met with ambitious, deliberate and immediate action and appropriate funding as identified by experts. But broader reforms to address inequity are also crucial.” 

“Financial insecurity traps too many women, particularly mums, in violent situations, and improving access to early childhood education and care and paid parental leave are important elements of increasing women’s financial independence.

“We know that 60 per cent of single mothers have experienced some form of domestic abuse. We also know that leaving violent situations comes with housing and financial instability. 

“The last thing that single mothers who are recovering from violence need are barriers to accessing early childhood education, which can serve two-fold as a place of support for children healing from trauma, as well as a mechanism for survivors of abuse to rebuild their lives. 

“The Parenthood commends the Albanese Government for increasing paid parental leave to 26 weeks this year, with the inclusion of superannuation, and its commitment to making early education and care more affordable. To achieve true gender equity, the commitment to deliver universal early education and care for all is necessary, as is the expansion of PPL to 52 weeks.”

The Parenthood is also calling on the Government to abolish the widely criticised child care subsidy eligibility system, the Activity Test – a known barrier to work and early childhood education for single mothers. 

“We hope to see more equitable and accessible supports and crisis response initiatives that benefit women and children,” said Ms Dent.