Australia agrees priorities for new plan to combat violence against women
Australia’s National Cabinet has described rates of intimate partner homicides and sexual violence as unacceptably high. Governments have agreed on the priorities for the next five-year plan within a 10-year strategy aimed at ending violence against women and children.
As ABC News Australia reports, states and territories are to report later this year on measures concerning responses to sexual violence and court procedures, respectful relationships education, standards for men’s behaviour change programmes, emergency housing and alcohol reforms.
Risk assessment
Governments have also approved a new nationwide risk assessment system for family and domestic violence. It is intended to ensure that warning signs are identified consistently, regardless of whether a person turns to the police, a family doctor or a hospital. At the same time, states have been given two years to align their own systems with the new framework.
More than a dozen independent parliamentarians have appealed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to strengthen the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission. They propose granting the body legislated powers to request information, track the implementation of recommendations and audit spending. In their view, this would make it possible to assess the effectiveness of measures and oversee the work of the nine governments responsible for implementing the plan.
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Technological risks
Chanel Contos, founder of the advocacy group Teach Us Consent, called on the federal government to make social media algorithms a feature that users must choose to activate themselves. According to her, young boys and men are increasingly being shown content that portrays women and minorities as the cause of their problems.
Smart glasses and other wearable devices capable of discreetly recording their surroundings have become another challenge. Activist Gina Martin, who secured the criminalisation of upskirting in England, is campaigning in Australia against Kmart’s $89 Anko glasses. Her petition calling for sales of the devices to stop has gathered more than 56,000 signatures. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has asked the privacy commissioner to treat the issue of smart glasses as a priority because of risks to women and children.
Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek also expressed concern over the rise in sexual violence in cases where both the victim and the perpetrator are under 18. According to her, the new plan must respond not only to longstanding problems in policing, housing, courts and support services, but also to new forms of gender-based harm.
