– Witness statement of Melissa Brown, Royal Commission into Family Violence¹

Women with disabilities are particularly at risk of violence because of their experience of discrimination on the basis of both disability and gender. Research shows that women with disabilities experience violence at a higher rate and for longer periods of time than women without disabilities². In fact, over one-third of women with disabilities experience some form of intimate partner violence³. They also encounter significant barriers to receiving appropriate services and adequate justice responses to their experiences of violence⁴.

In cases where the woman’s intimate partner is her carer, reporting the violence means she faces losing disability supports in addition to experiencing violence. Moving to ensure safety has more implications for women with disabilities than for other women; it can mean changing support providers and requiring assistance to manage a new environment. Despite the greater risk of family violence and the level of supports required, women with disabilities are under-represented in the family violence system.

Since 2011, the Disability Family Violence Crisis Response Initiative (DFVCRI) has provided immediate crisis supports to women and children with a disability who are experiencing family violence. These practical supports include attendant care, equipment hire, Auslan interpreters and transport costs associated with a disability.

As Melissa Brown’s witness statement above to the Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV) demonstrates, access to the DFVCRI has been limited. In some cases, the woman’s disability didn’t fit the narrow definition in the Victorian Disability Act (2006) in others, increased awareness of the Initiative could have helped.

Fortunately, the RCFV recognised the need to make a specific recommendation to extend eligibility to a wider group of women and children whose disability fell outside the Act⁵. As a result, the DFVCRI can now assist women and children who are experiencing family violence and have disability related needs including mental health, chronic health or ageing issues or have a temporary injury resulting from family violence.

The fund was created due to a recognition that disability services are not designed to respond to crisis needs. While Victoria’s new Flexible Support Packages support disability services to respond to family violence needs, they can’t offer the dedicated disability advice and liaison available through the DFVCRI.

The Disability and Family Violence Liaison Officer is located at Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre, and can help workers across the state assess whether a woman or child’s experience falls within the extended criteria for immediate supports. They can also provide secondary consultation and advise about longer term disability supports after the 12 week period, including flexible support packages. 

More information

Disability and Family Violence Liaison Officer, Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre

• 1800 015 188 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• Learn more about Safe Steps’ Disability Support.

Short-term funds can be provided for up to 12 weeks to a maximum of $9,000 per person. During this period, a family violence worker will work with the woman to develop a longer term plan to address the family violence risk.

1: http://www.rcfv.com.au/MediaLibraries/RCFamilyViolence/Statements/WIT-00… 2: Woodlock D, Healey L, Howe K, McGuire M, Geddes V and Granek S: Voices Against Violence Paper One: Summary Report and Recommendations (Women with Disabilities Victoria, Office of the Public Advocate and Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, 2014): 3-4: Ibid; 5: Recommendation 178 states that “the Victorian Government extend eligibility for the Victorian Disability Family Violence Crisis Response to assist people with disabilities who are victims of family violence and are not eligible for services under the Disability Act 2006 (Vic) but who nevertheless require assistance. Such eligibility should apply when these individuals do not have access to alternative supports.” 

Hosted at EY in Melbourne’s CBD, Safe and Equal alongside Thriving Communities Partnership held a morning tea attended by over 60 business leaders and sector experts, for a robust discussion on how to create sensitive and responsive workplaces for employees at risk of experiencing family violence. 

The morning commenced with a Welcome to Country from Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Diane Kerr and an opening address from David Larocca, Oceana CEO and Regional Managing Partner at EY, who highlighted that Are You Safe at Home? Day is a reminder that conversations on family violence are not just the responsibility of governments, but everybody in the community – including workplaces. 

David’s address was followed by an in-depth panel discussion hosted by Ciara Sterling (CEO, Thriving Communities Partnership), featuring insights from: 

• Rosie Batty AO, family violence advocate 
• Katie Alexander, survivor advocate 
• Caroline Wall, Head of Customer Vulnerability, Commonwealth Bank 
• Tania Farha, CEO Safe and Equal 

• Professor Kyllie Cripps, Director Monash Indigenous Studies Centre 

The discussion gave guests the opportunity to listen to and reflect on stories shared by panelists on what meaningful and effective change in an organisation can look like. 

The panel spoke to the significance of family violence as a workplace responsibility. Safe and Equal CEO Tania Farha reflected on the results of the recent National Community Attitudes Survey (NCAS), saying, “There’s still almost 50% of Australians who think family violence is not happening in their own community.” Head of Customer Vulnerability at Commonwealth Bank, Caroline Wall highlighted the parallels between the statistics and workplace environments – that it is confronting to consider that within any business, there may be a large number of people experiencing family violence, as well as a number of people perpetrating it. 

Survivor Advocate Katie Alexander shared her powerful story of both positive and negative experiences as a victim survivor in the workplace. Katie called for lived experience advocates to be included across the spectrum of employer responses – in the development of organisational policies and procedures, on the Board, as well as in workplace education and training. Katie also highlighted the need for choice and control in how a victim survivor discloses family violence at work, and the options presented to them.  

This was reiterated by Professor Kyllie Cripps from Monash University, who spoke of the multitude of different aspects that form an individual’s identity and the way they interact with the world. Due to systemic discrimination and marginalisation, the options for many people seeking family violence support can be limited. Kyllie encouraged business owners to take an intersectional approach to experiences of family violence in the workplace, saying, “we have to be mindful of the individual in front of us and what they’re carrying.”  

The need to go beyond leave provisions and to embed cultural shifts within a workplace was then discussed. Tania stated that without this shift, staff can never feel safe enough to disclose and seek support. Rosie highlighted that leadership from the top-down is key, as well as fostering a workplace culture of respect and equality for people to feel safe and able to do their best work. “At the crux of all of this is respect. When you feel respected, valued, and appreciated, you thrive,” said Rosie. 

As the panel took questions from the audience and gave their final thoughts, the key message was clear: all organisations can make a difference, but it requires nuance, consideration, action and reflection. 

Simultaneously, Safe and Equal hosted three webinars across South Australia and Northern Territory (in partnership with Northern Territory Council of Social Services and Embolden Alliance), Victoria and New South Wales (in partnership with Domestic Violence NSW) and Western Australia (in partnership with Centre for Womens Safety and Wellbeing). Over 240 attendees from across Australia joined us throughout the day.

Emma Morgan, Strategic Projects and Engagement Manager, and Rebeca Carro, Lived Experience Program Officer, explored what family violence is, what the signs are, and how to have safe and respectful conversations with colleagues about family violence.  

The webinar also included a powerful interview between Bec and Olga, exploring Olga’s particular experiences of being supported and not supported in their workplace while they were experiencing family violence and what that meant for their journey to safety. 

Resources shared throughout these webinars included: 

• Video series 
• Family violence service directory 
• eLearn 

We will be back for Are You Safe at Home? Day on 10 May 2024. Keep up to date with the campaign by subscribing here.  

Continue your learning with our free Are You Safe at Home? eLearn  

The Are You Safe at Home? eLearn is self-paced and takes 20 minutes, so it fits into a busy work schedule. It’s designed to equip you with the skills to recognise and respond to family violence. Register for the eLearn here.  

 Supporting Safe and Equal Workplaces  

To learn more about how Safe and Equal can work with your organisation to recognise and respond to family and domestic violence, please visit our website or reach out to Robyn Stone, Business Partnerships and Engagement Advisor, at robynstone@safeandequal.org.au.  

Make a donation  

We all have a role to play in ending family violence in our community. Your donation can strengthen our work in preventing and responding to family and gender-based violence. Make a secure donation to Safe and Equal using your credit card on the GiveNow website. Donate here.   

Start the conversation  

Most importantly, you don’t have to be an expert to support someone experiencing family violence. You can start small by opening up the conversation, listening and offering support. You can ask the question, ‘are you safe at home?’. 

What is your professional background? How did it lead you to prevention work?  

My introduction to working in the prevention of family violence space was serving as the Secretariat of the Victorian Government’s then-Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum and later, in a policy officer role within the Office for Prevention and Women’s Equality – Respect Victoria Establishment Team (then Department of Health and Human Services).  

I moved to local government, coordinating a 12-month community-led, place-based project with the City of Kingston which engaged cultural and faith diverse community leaders in training to prevent family violence and promote gender equality in their organisations and communities. From there, I’ve been leading Council’s work to prevent family violence, including the implementation of their Prevention of Family Violence Action Plan 2019-2021 and more recently, Year 2 and 3 annual actions to prevent family violence under Kingston’s Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2025. 

When did you become passionate about gender equality?  

Personally, it was probably when I wasn’t allowed to join the same Scout troop as my older brother because I was a girl and they didn’t have any female leaders. This led to the recruitment of their first female leader and my pioneering as the first female Scout of that unit!  

Professionally, it was my role in helping establish Respect Victoria and gaining a deeper understanding of the research and evidence-base around the overwhelming and disproportionate rates of men’s violence against women and children in Victoria. I am a passionate advocate for the role we can all play to challenge gender inequality (and other social justice inequities), which drive family and gender-based violence. 

(I think the recent implementation of Gender Impact Assessments across public sector agencies, including teams and departments not normally engaged in this space, will be instrumental in helping embed an intersectional lens in program and service delivery, and advance gender equality in Victoria)!  

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on now: 

We recently briefed Council on key outcomes of its 16 Days of Activism campaign for 2022, which included an engaging webinar on ‘Equality and Respect in Sport: Promoting gender equality on and off the field’ (recording available here). We’re continuing to work with Active Kingston on how we can support local clubs to promote gender equality and diversity, including through upcoming initiatives with Proud2Play.  

Our free online (and hardcopy) primary prevention toolkit has also launched, developed with the Kingston Family Violence Working Group. The toolkit includes a poster series in English and eight other languages and a set of social media tiles that promote equality and respect across a range of settings (see www.kingston.vic.gov.au/services/health-and-support/prevention-of-family-violence > ‘Promoting equality and respect). 

What skills do you use in your role?  

Brief writing, presentation skills, project management, time management, stakeholder engagement and coordination, understanding of the policy and legislative landscape in Victoria and within our region, and active listening to ensure Council is adequately responding to community need.  

What do you like about working in primary prevention? What drew you here? 

I believe primary prevention is such as an important part of the work to end family violence in Australia and ‘stop it before it starts’. I like that primary prevention can empower people as advocates in this space, with increased knowledge and capability to recognise and challenge the underlying drivers of family and gender-based violence and contribute to positive change.  

What have you found useful in the work that Safe and Equal & PiP do to support prevention workers?  

Previous training workshops to build the foundations of understanding family violence 101 have been valuable for groups such as our internal Family Violence Staff Support Officers. Safe and Equal’s leadership around the statewide 16 Days of Activism has also been incredibly valuable to supporting key initiatives in Kingston.   

What advice do you have for someone new to the PVAW sector?  

To quote Change Our Game Ambassadors, Lauren Foote and Mel Jones OAM, who were such valuable contributors to our recent 16 Days of Activism webinar, ‘Ripples [of this work] can spread pretty far’, ‘The dividends will probably show long after we are in these positions but that as we know is the way of social change sometimes’. 

Whose work do you admire?  

I admire the work of many women who are leading and advocating in this space at the national and state level, including author Jess Hill, Kit McMahon (WHISE), Amy Prendergast (Respect Victoria), Dr Ramona Vijeyarasa (architect of the Gender Legislative Index), Dr Manjula O’Connor (Australasian Centre for Human Rights and Health and author) and our male allies, including Dr Michael Flood (XY Online) and AFL player and Our Watch Advocate, Ben Brown.  

Join the 3,400+ practitioners who are influencing social change in Victoria. Subscribe to receive our monthly Partners in Prevention bulletins and stay up to date on upcoming events and activity.

Sign up here

This article was published in Council to Homeless Persons’ Parity: “Safe at Home” March 2023 Edition.

Authors: Courtney Wamala, Personal Safety Initiative Coordinator and Kate Mecham, Policy Manager – Safe and Equal

Research into homelessness and family violence has demonstrated that providing victim survivors with a Safe at home response is crucial to enabling them to maintain some stability following the experience of family violence and can reduce homelessness among victim survivors. ₁ In order to support victim survivors to remain safely in their homes, a full system approach needs to be applied to remove the perpetrator from the property, keep them in view and ensure that they are being held accountable for their behaviour. This full system approach requires family violence support services, housing services, the police, the court system, child protection and any other relevant services (e.g., mental health, alcohol, and other drugs etc.) to come together and consistently turn their attention to the perpetrator, how their actions are impacting on the victim survivor’s safety and to seek to address that behaviour.  As part of the full system approach, and to assist victim survivors to remain safely in their homes, specific programs have been developed and implemented in Victoria, including the Personal Safety Initiative (PSI) and the Flexible Support Packages (FSP) programs.

The PSI and FSP programs were funded and implemented in Victoria following the Royal Commission into Family Violence after it was identified that one of the ways to support victim survivors to remain safely in their homes would be through the implementation of security responses in the home and provision of brokerage to support this.

The PSI program provides targeted security advice and responses for victim survivors of family violence. There are 17 PSI Coordinators across the state, each with extensive knowledge of family violence and security responses that can be implemented to assist victim survivors. Victim survivors can be referred by a case manager to the PSI program for a safety and security audit to be conducted on their home, which will then identify security measures that should be installed on the home based on the perpetrator’s behavior and the layout of the property. Security measures can be installed on a property that the victim survivor shared with the perpetrator or on a new property if the victim survivor was required or chose to relocate. Security measures that may be recommended include but aren’t limited to security doors, CCTV, technology sweeps of devices, bug sweeps of homes and cars, dash cameras, additional locks, and personal safety devices. Brokerage to fund the installation of these security items can be provided through the FSP program.

FSP providers are also located in regions across the state of Victoria and work closely alongside the PSI Coordinators – in some cases they are located in the same agencies. Brokerage provided by the FSP program is not limited to funding security items. Rather, the program was created to provide victim survivors (both adults and children) with a brokerage program that is holistic and can fund any items that will aid with their recovery from family violence, such as food vouchers, counselling sessions, educational costs, housing costs and legal costs. In the context of safe at home responses, having access to this flexible brokerage money can be critical to help a victim survivor establish themselves in their home independent of the perpetrator.

PSI and FSP are great initiatives to support victim survivors who wish to remain safely in their homes. However, these programs can only do so much. Rates of homelessness among women and children remain high and family violence continues to be the main reason that women and children report they seek support from a homelessness service. ₂ As noted above, a whole system approach needs to be applied to aid with the safety of victim survivors. However, research conducted by McAuley Social Services on safe at home responses₃ found that in addition to needing a whole of system response, there are systemic and structural barriers that impact on victim survivors’ ability to stay safe in their homes and get on the path to recovery from family violence.

First, the justice system needs to provide a stronger and more consistent response when holding perpetrators accountable for their actions and behavior. Too often victim survivors face barriers when reporting ongoing incidents of family violence and breaches to Intervention Orders, resulting in either the perpetrator not being charged or charged inappropriately. Many victim survivors also find it difficult to find legal support, further compounding the challenges they face when dealing with the justice system. There are limited legal support options available for victim survivors and these supports can be expensive. Lack of access to legal support significantly reduces the likelihood that victim survivors will get just outcomes, increases the chances of perpetrators weaponising the legal system against them, and significantly increases the stress and trauma experienced by victim survivors.

Second, the current programs in place to work with perpetrators are not providing the results needed. These programs are rarely well coordinated with victim survivors and victim survivor programs. More research and evaluation of effective programs needs to be developed to improve the way services work with perpetrators. Strengthened links and collaboration with victim survivors and victim survivor programs is also needed to ensure the work being done in perpetrator specific and allied services is contributing to victim survivors feeling safer. Alongside this, strengthened coordination across allied services, such as alcohol and other drug and mental health services, which have contact with perpetrators is also needed. These services have a valuable role in information sharing to inform safety planning for victim survivors and reinforcing a whole of system response to keep perpetrators accountable for their behavior, not collude and demonstrate that violence is unacceptable. This can help ensure that the work being completed with the perpetrator within perpetrator specific programs is reinforced.

Third, many victim survivors face economic barriers to staying safely in their home. We know that women are more likely than men to be under employed, in insecure work, working in lower paid, traditional female dominated industries, and paid less than their male counterparts in similar roles.₄ We also know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, women were more likely to lose their jobs and that women’s rates of employment have been the slowest to bounce back. ₅ This economic exclusion, coupled with the high costs of housing and the impacts of financial abuse as part of family violence, results in many victim survivors being unable to afford to stay in their home without the perpetrator’s additional income. This can lead to victim survivors defaulting on mortgage payments or accruing rent arrears and potentially ending up homeless. Moving into cheaper private rental properties or social housing are rarely options due to the lack of affordable housing and long social housing waitlists. If we want more victim survivors to be able to stay safely in their homes, we need economic reform that increases income support payments to livable levels and increases access to well-paying jobs for women. We also need systemic reform to the housing market and policy to make housing more affordable and we need significant and sustained investment from all levels of government into expanding the volume of social housing stock.

To increase victim survivors’ ability to remain safely in their homes, if they wish to do so, we need a whole of system reform that continues to fund programs like PSI and FSPs and brings a wide range of community services, together with police and courts to work toward victim survivors’ safety and perpetrator accountability. We also need government policies that intentionally and actively seek to reduce the systemic and structural barriers that still prevent many victim survivors from being able to stay in their homes and put them at risk of homelessness.

No single solution on its own will enable a safe at home response. It requires sustained political will at all levels of government and an ability to think of solutions beyond the homelessness and family violence sectors. However, in Victoria, we already have many of the ingredients we need for success: family violence literacy, common risk assessments and information sharing to keep the perpetrator in view are all increasing. Many of the reforms that came out of the Royal Commission into Family Violence have laid the groundwork for us to strengthen safe at home responses. Family violence and homelessness among victim survivors is preventable. Ensuring people experiencing family violence can remain safely in their homes is a critical part of that puzzle.

This op-ed was published in Council to Homeless Persons’ Parity: “Safe at Home” March 2023 Edition.

Author: Louise Simms, Executive Director – Policy, Communications and Engagement

Family violence is unique in the community services context. It is the only social issue whereby the agent of risk is another person; someone who is actively making choices to cause others to experience fear and danger. Perpetrators use violence to gain and maintain power and control, and they adapt their tactics based on the strategies victim survivors put in place to protect themselves. 

This is the operating context for family violence services – we call it ‘dynamic risk’. The role of the family violence system is to identify, assess and manage family violence risk. To do this effectively, our systemic responses should be just as dynamic.

With no two individual experiences of family violence the same, service responses – including Safe at Home responses – must be flexible to meet people wherever they are on their journey to safety. This flexibility, and the restoration of agency and choice, is critical for victim survivors’ long-term recovery. 

But what does it mean to truly meet a victim survivor where they are? 

While all experiences of family violence are different, something all victim survivors can relate to is the erosion of their sense of self. This kind of abuse chips away at a person’s autonomy and their ability to make decisions – something that can take years to rebuild, long after the immediate threat has been resolved. Many victim survivors talk about the experience of having a perpetrator tightly control or remove every possible freedom in their lives, and the impact this has on their confidence and their capacity to leave an abusive relationship and regain independence. When a service system is inflexible and unable to provide choice or autonomy for its users, it mimics the power and control of family violence and can make it very difficult for victim survivors to feel safe and secure. 

In many ways, this replication of a ‘power over’ dynamic and removal of individual agency is embedded in the way our family violence system is structured and funded. The system is focused on minimising risk and is not set up to restore choice and autonomy as a priority. Most policymakers have never accessed the systems they design, and the result is a system that does not respond to victim survivors as experts in their own needs and safety – something we must consistently challenge if we want to see change. 

One of the ways we can do this is by expanding the approaches available to enable victim survivors to remain safe in their own homes, if this is what they want to do. How we do this can look incredibly different – it can mean safety and security adaptations and so much more. For example, it could be creating opportunities for financial literacy and supporting access to employment, because, as we know, financial and economic stability is crucial for a victim survivor’s recovery from abuse. It could be ongoing, long-term counselling, or increased access to legal support. 

Systemic and structural barriers exist across the family violence service landscape, including within Safe at Home responses. Programs can only do so much to keep victim survivors safe and hold perpetrators accountable without a whole-of-system effort to bring together a wide range of community services, as well as police and justice responses all working towards a common goal. Part of this is the recognition that what enables a Safe at Home response looks different for everybody. 

Anything the service system can do to restore a victim survivor’s sense of agency in their safety and recovery is valuable and should be prioritised. Much of this can be supported by meaningful engagement with people’s lived experiences of family violence and of accessing support services. By embedding lived expertise in system and service design, we can shift to a ‘power with’ approach, remain accountable and identify areas for improvement, while also creating opportunities for victim survivors to engage with the system as consultants, advocates and leaders. 

Agency, autonomy and choice are key elements in someone’s recovery from family violence. When, at its core, a family violence system does not view those who use it as the experts in their own safety needs, it renders victim survivors unable to make decisions about their lives and hinders an integral component of their recovery. 

Family violence is complex, and the way we respond to it requires nuance and a long-term, concerted effort from our service system via a wide range of responses. Safe at Home responses are an integral part of this, though they are by no means the only response. We need to view being ‘safe at home’ as a guiding principle that informs the structure of our family violence system, one that is equipped to provide flexible and tailored responses that centre the expertise and agency of all victim survivors. 

Source: Personal Safety Survey, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023. 

Author: Marina Carman

In March this year, the reports on the latest rounds of two major national surveys about family and gendered violence were released. Safe and Equal’s Executive Director of Primary Prevention, Marina Carman, takes us through the results of both surveys, why they are important, and the data gaps that remain. 

• The Personal Safety Survey (PSS) is conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is based on earlier surveys focussed on women, but has been conducted population-wide in 2005, 2012, 2016 and in 2021-22. A total of 11,905 people completed the latest survey, drawn from a random sample of households. The survey includes people aged 18 and over, with questions about the nature and extent of violence experienced since the age of 15.  
• The National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) is conducted by ANROWS. It began in 1987, and is conducted every four years. The 2021 survey included 19,100 people aged 16 and over, through a random selection of phone numbers. The survey includes questions about how participants understand violence against women, their attitudes towards it, what influences their attitudes, as well as attitudes to gender equality and preparedness to intervene. 

Both surveys are conducted periodically (every four years), and use roughly the same questions each time. So they give us a snapshot at particular points, and allow for tracking of broad societal level changes. These surveys are key sources of data to inform reporting against indicators in the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032. 

Why is this important? 

Statistics can be a powerful way to convince people about a social problem, and particularly to argue for the prioritisation of government policy and investment. Numbers that quantify how many people experience family and gendered violence are critical for gaining attention and arguing the need for change. Meanwhile, numbers that tell us about attitudes towards violence are important in tracking progress in changing attitudes that drive violence, and helping us prevent it in the future. 

But numbers only tell part of the story. They give us a greater understanding of family and gendered violence, but we also need to understand how best to use them, and their limitations as well. 

When using and quoting statistics, the best available data will be the most ‘representative’ data. The most representative data is population-level data – and it is expensive and time-consuming to collect and analyse – so it’s extremely valuable. 

What do we know from the PSS? 

In the 2023 release, many measures of experiences of violence against women were stable, but levels of violence by cohabiting partners and sexual harassment were down. The survey was completed during the pandemic when many people were either locked down or working more from home. 

The sample size is significantly smaller (11,905 down from 21,250 in 2016). The ABS notes on methodology suggest that this was due to resource issues and additional requirements introduced to keep participants safe (private interviews). But the sample is still large and representative. 

Any changes downward in prevalence are good but reported levels of violence against women are still high. In addition, other research and data have suggested an increase in family and gender-based violence during the pandemic, so it is currently unclear what these results mean in terms of trends over time. In any case, we need sustained action to drive change home over the long-term. 

What do we know from the NCAS? 

Results from the 2021 survey of the NCAS show that understanding and attitudes regarding violence against women and gender inequality have improved slowly but significantly over time. Improvements in understanding of violence against women and rejection of gender inequality are closely related to rejection of violence against women, though the latter has improved more slowly. 

Attitudinal rejection of sexual violence improved, and there was higher recognition of some forms of technology-facilitated abuse, stalking and behaviours that constitute coercive control. However, rejection of domestic violence has remained unchanged since 2017, and participants were more likely to recognise domestic violence than to understand that it is disproportionately perpetrated by men against women.  

In the latest survey, compared to previous ones, significantly fewer respondents recognised that men are more likely to commit domestic violence and that women are more likely to experience physical harm from domestic violence. This is a key finding in informing the targeting of future messages and interventions. 

While most respondents reported attitudes that reject gender inequality, less progress has been made with certain attitudes held by a minority (i.e. attitudes that undermine women’s leadership, reinforce rigid gender roles in specific areas, limit women’s personal autonomy, normalise sexism and deny that gender inequality is a problem). Similarly, some attitudes that condone violence against women were more likely to be reported by a minority of respondents (i.e. attitudes that minimise the seriousness of violence, shift blame onto victims and survivors, mistrust women’s reports of violence, objectify women and disregard consent). 

Women and non-binary people had higher understanding and rejection of violence against women and rejection of gender inequality than men. Other demographic factors were also examined and there were differences in responses according to gender, age, sexuality, country of birth, formal education, employment, etc. However, the contribution of demographic factors wasn’t found to be the most important thing predicting or shaping the results. 

The NCAS report outlines a detailed set of implications, many of which support the need for primary prevention initiatives aimed at reinforcing the gendered nature of violence, addressing backlash and resistance, and adopting a ‘gender-transformative’ approach to target gender norms and other drivers of violence. The NCAS is particularly useful in providing details about specific attitudes that are slower to change, and where intervention is particularly needed. 

What do we still need to know? 

The PSS doesn’t tell us enough about the experiences of a range of communities. 

• Household sampling and telephone interviews can limit the inclusion of people without a fixed address or in care settings. 
• Some communities may be less likely to be fully open about sensitive issues if being interviewed, compared to an anonymous survey (e.g. LGBTIQ+ communities). 
• This was the first time the PSS asked about sexual orientation. It didn’t ask about gender diversity. It also doesn’t provide reporting of results disaggregated (separated out) by any other demographic factor other than gender. 

In the 2021 NCAS a number of improvements were made, compared to previous surveys: 

• The survey implemented the 2020 ABS Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, and provided data from non-binary and gender diverse participants for the first time. 
• It also introduced new questions about recognition of particular forms of violence targeted at people because of their migrant or disability status, gender experience, sexuality or religion. 
• Separate reports will be released detailing results from participants by age, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants and people born in a ‘non-main English-speaking country’. 

These population-level surveys are really important – and while they can always be improved – they can’t ask and answer all questions. Surveys can tell us who experiences violence and by whom, what sort of violence and when, as well as how people think about violence at a point in time. But they can’t tell us everything – especially why or what works to change this. We have an evidence base that addresses these questions, and we need a broad and inclusive national research agenda to fill in gaps and build on this further to inform our efforts. 

How do we use statistics? 

Quoting statistics can be powerful. But it needs to be done carefully, so we’re properly acknowledging sources and representing the findings accurately. Overusing or relying too heavily on statistics can also present a negative picture, and this can make the current situation seem inevitable and even accidentally reinforce the ideas we are trying to change.  

To shift people towards change, statistics about violence need to be placed within a story that starts with a positive vision for the future, explains what drives violence against women and other forms of family and gendered violence, and ends with suggestions for action and practical solutions everyone can get behind.  

For more on statistics you can use in your work, see: https://dev2.safeandequal.org.au/resources/fast-facts-2022/ 

Author: Marina Carman 

This International Women’s Day, we are moving beyond morning teas to spotlight the work going on across the year to bring the gendered issues that women experience to light.  

Organisations from across Victoria are working hard to build a birds-eye view of the challenges facing both people experiencing violence and the services that support them. By building evidence and our understanding, we can find and promote inclusive, sustainable solutions to modern issues and build a safe and equal future for all. 

Today we want to spotlight some of the research being done in Victoria to ‘crack the code’ to end family and gender-based violence: 

• Respect Victoria’s Prevention of Family Violence Data Platform: A comprehensive data repository, tracking trends related to the prevention and prevalence of family violence and all forms of violence against women in Victoria.  
• She’s a Crowd: A storytelling platform that uses gender data to make cities safer for women and gender-diverse people.  
• Crime Statistics Agency’s Family Violence Data Portal: Dashboards containing interactive visualisations of family violence data, detailed Excel data tables, interactive infographics with key statistics on family violence in geographic areas. 
• Safe and Equal’s Measuring Service Demand Project: A project aiming to capture and quantify current unmet demand within specialist family violence services, by developing and piloting a set of indicators to estimate service demand. 

This is the work going on across the state. On an individual level, there are ways that we can help to build the bigger picture for our community and workplace decision-makers: 

• Leveraging the research above to inform conversations and outcomes in your workplace 
• Funding organisations to continue this important work  
• Ensuring that emerging research captures diverse experiences 

Learn more and get involved with UN Women Australia’s #IWD2023 campaign here: https://unwomen.org.au/get-involved/international-womens-day/ 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women deserve to be safe in their relationships and communities. 

Ochre Ribbon Week raises awareness about the devastating impacts of family violence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

Statistics indicate that Indigenous women experience disproportionate levels of violence – both structural and interpersonal – and face significant barriers to seeking support. 

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Report, three in every five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are also 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence, and 11 times more likely to die due to assault, compared to non-Indigenous women.  

These statistics are shocking, and highlight how colonisation, systemic discrimination, structural inequality and racism intersect with gender inequality to increase and intensify First Nations women’s experiences of violence. 

At Safe and Equal, we recognise the critical work of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations in the specialist family violence sector and beyond, and we’re working to amplify First Nations women’s calls for action to end the violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially women and children.  

As 2023’s Ochre Ribbon Week comes to a close, we want to highlight the messages and advocacy from Djirra’s social media campaign, which includes information and education on Ochre Ribbon Week, National Apology Day, and what family violence can look like: 

You can show your support by following and listening to Djirra and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations on social media, including: 

• National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum 
• Elizabeth Morgan House 
• Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre 
• Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit 
• Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation 
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services 
• Koorie Youth Council (KYC) 
• #Closethegap Campaign 
• The Uluru Statement – the ‘Uluru Dialogue’ collective leading the official Uluru Statement and Voice to Parliament education campaign 
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service 
• Change the Record, Australia’s national Aboriginal-led justice coalition of Aboriginal peak bodies and non-Indigenous allies 

You may have seen it on the news or heard about it at work: the Australian Government has introduced 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave into the National Employment Standards. 

In short, paid domestic and family violence leave provides employees with paid time away from work so they can deal with the impacts of family violence. 

The leave is legislated and mandatory – meaning all employers have to offer it to their staff by the allocated deadline. For businesses with over 15 employees, this legislation came into effect on 1 February. For small businesses, the deadline to implement domestic and family violence leave is 1 August. 

The leave is referred to as ‘universal’ – meaning it is available to all employees, including casuals. It will also be available upfront – instead of accruing leave over time, an employee can access all 10 days of leave as soon as they need it, with the leave ‘resetting’ each year on an employee’s start date anniversary. 

The introduction of these leave entitlements shows how much Australians recognise the impact family violence has on the community, and the key role workplaces have in being part of the solution. 

We know that family violence is a prevalent and complex social issue, one that has devastating and long-lasting impacts on all parts of people’s lives. 

It also has a significant impact on the economy, costing Australia an estimated $1.9 billion per year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, between 55% and 70% of women who have experienced or are currently experiencing violence participate in the workforce. That’s around one in six female workers. It’s safe to say most – if not all – workplaces will employee someone who is impacted by family violence. 

Given these figures and how much time we spend at work (most women employed in Australia work over 20 hours per week), there’s clearly a crucial role for employers in preventing and responding to family violence. 

The introduction of paid domestic and family violence leave can make a world of difference to someone experiencing abuse. It means they will be able to keep their jobs while taking the steps they need to keep themselves safe.  

To be able to take paid time off to attend an appointment with a specialist family violence service, go to court to obtain an Intervention Order, or arrange a lease and move house, means a victim survivor has a real chance at safely escaping abuse and can begin their journey to recovery.  

The introduction of this leave is an important and long overdue change – but there is a lot that workplaces will need to consider beyond just making it available to staff. 

In Monash University’s 2021 report Safe, Thriving and Secure: Family Violence Leave and Workplace Supports in Australia, access to paid domestic and family violence leave is highlighted as an important part of a broader framework of workplace responses to family violence. The report describes the significant work required across Australian workplaces to embed a culture and policy environment that is safe and respectful and supports victim survivors to thrive in their jobs. 

Employers will need to consider how leave can be requested and accessed discreetly; for example, under the legislation this form of leave cannot be displayed on a payslip. Both employers and colleagues need to be prepared to respond safely and effectively when someone in the workplace shares that they are experiencing violence. This includes knowing what specialist support is available and approaching the conversation with sensitivity, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality.   

More broadly, it’s critical employers cultivate a compassionate, trauma-informed and supportive culture within the workplace to ensure victim survivors feel safe and able to disclose abuse. This involves ongoing training for all levels of staff that supports an increased understanding of family violence, how to be an active bystander, and staff rights and responsibilities in relation to an accessible domestic and family violence leave policy. 

These skills are complex and nuanced and require time and consideration to embed properly. If you’re thinking about how to implement domestic and family violence leave in your workplace, there are lots of supports available. 

Workplaces have a real opportunity to support the big-picture change that’s needed to eliminate family and gender-based violence. Employers who develop a trauma-informed understanding of family violence, and prioritise a workplace culture of support, safety and respect will not only increase staff retention, performance and engagement, but will give victim survivors the best chance of recovering and thriving.  

For more information on how you can implement a tailored and accessible domestic and family violence leave policy in your business, check out Safe and Equal’s workplace family violence services. 

We’re co-hosting a culturally safe and affirming space at Carnival, where people can relax, yarn and learn more about inclusive family violence support services for LGBTIQA+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.  

Family violence is when your partner, ex, carer, family member or someone you’re in a ‘family-like’ relationship with uses threatening, controlling or violent behaviour that makes you scared for your safety and wellbeing. 

Family violence experienced by LGBTIQA+ people can include a range of verbal, emotional, psychological, financial, physical, and sexual abuse, intimidation and threats. People use a wide range of abusive behaviours to maintain power and control in relationships. No matter what form it takes, family violence is never acceptable. 

Everybody deserves to feel safe and respected at home and in their relationships. However in Australia, LGBTIQA+ people are reported to experience family violence at similar, if not greater rates than those in heterosexual relationships. 

Because of biphobia, homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism and heteronormativity, there are different risks and barriers that may stop LGBTIQA+ couples, parents and young people from accessing support for family violence. Learn more about family violence tactics and barriers to support for LGBTIQA+ communities here.  

This Midsumma Carnival and beyond, we can make a difference by recognising and celebrating LGBTIQA+ people, relationships and families. We all deserve to feel safe at home.  

If you’re a LGBTIQA+ person experiencing family violence, you are not alone. You can access support from these services:

Switchboard – QLIFE
Phone counselling for the LGBTIQA+ community between 3 pm to midnight every night.
1800 184 527

Victoria Police LGBTI Liaison Officers
LGBTI Liaison Officers (also known as GLLOs) are located at police stations throughout the state. They have been provided with extra training to support members of the LGBTIQA+ community.
Call 03 9247 6944 to find out your closest LGBTI Liaison Officer.

Suicide Call Back Service
24-hour telephone counselling to anyone who is feeling suicidal or anyone who is supporting someone who is feeling suicidal
1300 659 467

Lifeline
24-hour telephone counselling to anyone who is in crisis or feeling suicidal.
13 11 14

Safe Steps
24-hour family violence response line for anyone.
1800 015 188

Sexual Assault Crisis Line
24-hour telephone crisis counselling service for people who have experienced both past and recent sexual assault.
1800 806 292

DirectLine
24-hour drug and alcohol counselling and referral service
1800 888 236

Midsumma is Australia’s premier queer arts and cultural organisation, bringing together a diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ artists, performers, communities and audiences.

Their primary event, Midsumma Festival, runs over 22 days in Melbourne’s summer (January/February) each year with an explosion of queer events that centre around hidden and mainstream queer culture, involving local, interstate, and international artists. Visit the Midsumma website for the 2023 program.

Midsumma Carnival is an iconic outdoor celebration that has become one of the biggest highlights in the LGBTIQA+ annual calendar. The event provides a fitting opening to a three-week Festival each year. In itself, Carnival is a huge single-day event running from 11am until 10pm in Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne’s CBD, with a massive set up and overall coordination required for delivery each year. Midsumma Carnival attracts a broad attendance across age ranges and demographics, truly celebrating a day of inclusion and diversity in all its forms. This popular annual event is free to the public. For more info, check out the Midsumma website.