Lai Heng Foong FACEM’s Post

National Cabinet met in Canberra today to agree practical next steps to accelerate action to end gender-based violence in a generation and deliver on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. National Cabinet agreed a comprehensive $4.7b package that harnesses important opportunities to work together to prevent violence and support legal services. It brings together efforts and funding to: ✅ Deliver much needed support for frontline specialist and legal services responding to gender based violence. ✅ Innovative approaches to better identify and respond to high-risk perpetrators to stop violence escalating. ✅ Address the role that systems and harmful industries play in exacerbating violence. These actions are guided by the valuable contributions of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches. The recommendations of the review have guided immediate actions and First Ministers have agreed to use the review’s recommendations to inform strengthened efforts across all governments to deliver the National Plan. Governments will progressively respond to the review with the collective response overseen by Women and Women’s Safety Minister’s Meeting over time. National Cabinet agreed to negotiate a renewed, five year National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses, to commence on 1 July 2025 and deliver over $700 million in new matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories. The new agreement will support greater flexibility for states and territories to direct funding to meet local need, and will be accompanied by stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms. It will include a focus on nationally coordinated approaches to support prevention activities through frontline services, including funding for: ✅ Specialist services for women. ✅ Services to support children exposed to family, domestic and sexual violence to heal and recover. ✅ Working with men, including men’s behaviour change programs for perpetrators of gendered violence. Delivering on commitments made at the May National Cabinet on gender based violence, First Ministers today agreed to deliver innovative new approaches to better identify high risk perpetrators, share information about them across systems and state boundaries, and intervene early to stop violence escalating. Acknowledging the role that systems and industries can play in exacerbating violence, State and Territory First Ministers agreed to review alcohol laws and its impact on family and domestic violence victims to identify and share best practice and reforms and to report back to National Cabinet on progress.

Last week I wrote to the Ministry of Justice seeking a continued funding commitment for the provision of specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence support for victims. Uncertainty about future funding is putting service providers - and therefore victims - at risk. In a letter to Alex Davies-Jones MP, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, I said: “I am writing to you about the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence funding, including the ISVA/ IDVA funding streams, which are due to come to an end in March 2025. You have recently informed us that the Ministry of Justice will not confirm a future funding decision regarding whether this funding may be continued – either in full, or in part – or whether it will be discontinued entirely, until December. “As I am certain is the case in other areas, this funding is key in enabling the provision of vital specialist support to victims of crime in the Thames Valley. “The funding is supporting many specialist roles, including Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) which are fundamental in helping victims navigate support and engage with the criminal justice process. It is delivering specialist services such as supporting victims of stalking and is reaching underrepresented groups who have experienced sexual violence or domestic abuse including older people, disabled victims, victims from ethnic minority groups and children and young people. “From speaking to our services in the Thames Valley, the prolonged uncertainty around a decision on future funding is unfortunately already having an immeasurable impact with some services beginning to lose staff or having to close their doors to new referrals. “The demand for specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence support is continuing to increase and is becoming even more critical. Should services begin to close, we will not be able to meet this level of demand through the core provision for victims commissioned by PCCs. “I appreciate a decision on future funding will not be confirmed until December, however I urge you to consider the potential impact of any reduction in funding on victims and renew funding at the same or a higher level than in previous years. This will allow critical services to continue with their crucial and specialist work helping victims/survivors of crime cope and build resilience.”

Last week, we attended the launch of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's Annual Report 2023. The report was launched by Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, TD. The report has shown that the National Rape Crisis Helpline recorded 18,605 contacts in 2023, its highest-ever number in its 45-year history. This is made up of: 📞16,218 counselling calls 📩262 emails 📱1,306 text messages 💬805 webchats 📝14 social media contacts (Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC), 2024) This data alone shows the need for support for those affected by sexual violence. CEO of Cuan, the newly-established Domestic and Sexual & Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) Agency, Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe spoke at the launch on the “importance of the victim/survivor voice” and said that CUAN will be looking at “what can we do that goes above and beyond what is already there to support people”. Read the report here: http://bit.ly/DRCCAR2023

The National Cabinet of the Australian Government has set out a $4.7 billion package of measures to tackle the “national crisis” of gender-based violence that has become “a source of national shame”, after a ‘rapid review’ of the potential prevention measures to end domestic, family and sexual violence highlighted not only a problem of “overwhelming” scale and complexity, but also “many areas ripe for meaningful reform”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports. ❝An end to siloed ways of working has been demanded, with a promise to increase information sharing between agencies and recommendations made to identify where violence and abuse can be prevented ‘before it happens, when it occurs and before it becomes fatal’.❞ ❝The National Cabinet agreed to negotiate a renewed, five-year National Partnership Agreement on family, domestic and sexual violence responses, and deliver over $700 million in new matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories.❞ ❝The Government will work with sector experts to identify gaps in support for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed DFSV [domestic, family and sexual violence], to inform the design and implementation of new and revised initiatives and interventions.❞ ❝Even this categorisation as a ‘crisis’ belies the problem’s true scale. In particular, the untold number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children who are missing, presumed murdered, remains a source of grief, questions and national shame.❞ - Unlocking the Prevention Potential: accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence report ❝The scale of the challenge and the complex nature of DFSV [domestic, family and sexual violence] may seem overwhelming. The fact that the Review could identify so many areas ripe for meaningful reform over such a short period of time, however, is also a sign of promise.❞ - Unlocking the Prevention Potential: accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence report [SUBSCRIBER ARTICLE] https://lnkd.in/eUn4s5qx #lawenforcement #policing #police #crime #violenceagainstwomen #domesticviolence #familyviolence

💫 It has been an exciting few weeks for our research team and our primary prevention hub! In collaboration with the The School of Public Policy and FearIsNotLove we released our second report in a series to stop the perpetration of domestic violence https://lnkd.in/gNvvEtRn As a result of our research project, the Edmonton Journal published an Op Ed on the research findings https://lnkd.in/gDMSiM4M Then, on Sunday, Conversation Canada just released our "Looking to prior encounters with the police can help prevent domestic violence" https://lnkd.in/gAZtF_Yq All of this to say, it is time to remove the burden from victims and focus our attention on the people and systems that cause harm because the costs of raising perpetrators hurts everyone. If there is a few takeaways from the research it is: 👉 We need to offer services and supports to men right after their first encounter with police (regardless of the type of the offence) but FOR SURE right after their first domestic violence encounter with police. 👉 We need a city-wide prevention strategy focusing on men and boys in the settings they live, learn, play, work, and worship as our social conditions and peer relationships influence our behaviours. 👉 We need to agree that domestic and sexual violence is a public safety matter (not a private matter)– that means Ministries of Justice and Public Safety should prioritize policy and funding towards prevention efforts and supporting men (resources should not come from the Status of Women portfolio).

On Wednesday, Micaela Cronin tabled the First Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence Commission Yearly Report, marking a significant milestone in the 10-year National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children. This report underscores the urgent need to support resource-strapped services and engage men in all aspects of ending violence, including efforts to redefine masculinity. The sobering statistics shared by Micaela in her National Press Club address highlight the gravity of the situation: a shocking 11% increase in sexual violence in just the past year, with First Nations women 33 times more likely to be hospitalized and six times more likely to die. Alarmingly, 60% of LGBTQI+ individuals will experience family, domestic, or intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Additionally, the Australian Institute of Criminology reports a 28% increase in women killed by intimate partners over the last two years. Why is this important? These issues are not just critical in the broader community but are particularly pressing within the veteran community, where trauma, stress, and the impacts of service can exacerbate the risk of violence. We need to get better at talking to our men and listening to them. Men must be part of every aspect of ending violence, and this requires leadership from both men and women. Trauma-informed intervention options, better information sharing, and improved risk assessment and management are essential. Finally, prioritising data collection is crucial. We need accurate data to understand where services are needed, measure their effectiveness, and ensure we are truly making progress in ending gender-based violence. This is about ensuring safety, not just for women and children in the broader community but also for those within our veteran community who have given so much to our country. To watch the press club address visit: https://lnkd.in/ebmyCA5Z To view the report visit: https://lnkd.in/eB9yszEV #stoptheviolence #fdv #IPV #StoptheViolence #FDV #IPV #veteranfamilies #defencefamilies Micaela Cronin | Gwen Cherne

A new $4.7 billion national funding package has been announced to address family and sexual violence in Australia, as part of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. The package includes $3.9 billion over five years, starting July 2025, for legal and frontline services, with additional funding for trauma-informed support for children and men’s behavior change programs. Key initiatives include improving information sharing on high-risk perpetrators and reviewing alcohol laws to prevent violence escalation. The agreement emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of First Nations communities in this national crisis. It looks like the package might include $800 million for legal aid and measures to tackle high-risk perpetrators, focusing on preventing violence escalation and $351 million dedicated to a national partnership on domestic violence prevention. I really hope this has huge impact, but remain concerned due to workforce challenges in the sector. https://lnkd.in/gkQBiQGS

Today our CEO Phillip Ripper attended the roundtable in Canberra hosted by the Department of Social Services (DSS) Secretary, Ray Griggs AO CSC, and the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin. Against the tragic backdrop of 11 women dying at the hands of violent men in the past 16 days and many more women and children living in fear in their homes, around 50 experts from across the family violence sector and governments gathered to discuss the next steps in better engaging men and boys in domestic, family and sexual violence prevention and response. The importance of engaging men to stop domestic, family and sexual violence was highlighted as a key priority in the Commission’s first Yearly Report to Parliament in August. With this increased focus on engaging people using violence, today’s Canberra roundtable was designed to push this conversation forward; explore the question ‘What do we mean when we say we need to ‘engage men?’; and develop ‘clear and actionable recommendations to government on how to better work with men and boys to prevent and respond to DFSV’. With the crisis of men’s violence towards women continuing, innovative, flexible and tailored interventions to stopping men’s domestic and family violence are more critical than ever. Phillip is pictured here with Damian Green from Stopping Family Violence (Western Australia’s peak body supporting all the sectors and services involved responding to perpetrators of Family and Domestic Violence) who also brought his considerable expertise to the roundtable. 

SASVic welcomes the $4.7 billion announced today to address gender-based violence. It is a powerful sign of the progress we've made that National Cabinet has an ongoing focus on gendered violence. Congratulations to Anthony Albanese, Jacinta Allan and other premiers & first ministers.   Both the recent prevention rapid review & DFSV Commissioner have highlighted the need for a stronger focus on sexual violence. We await more details from this package to understand what investment there will be in responding to sexual violence & in specialist sexual violence services. We welcome the focus on children & young people. For decades, specialist sexual assault services have worked with children & young people, from crisis responses to therapeutic counselling. But services are hugely strained. We need the funding to employ more counsellor advocates.   We also welcome the focus on boys and men. Specialist sexual assault services do important, indepth work, for up to two years, with kids, mainly boys, who exhibit harmful sexual behaviour. In Victoria, the government only funds work with around 1,200 kids for harmful sexual behaviour (but services regularly work with twice that).   Across Victoria (and the country) sexual violence survivors struggle to get the legal & recovery response they need. The Victorian Government has promised to introduce Justice Navigators for survivors but three months on, we're still waiting to hear what the next steps are.   In Victoria, we're also still waiting for the goverment to meet its promise of a sexual violence strategy (promised in 2020 to be delivered in 2022). There are rumours the strategy has been shelved, but no official confirmation.   We're delighted to see legal assistance funding and we hope that this funding priorities the vital work this sector does with survivors. We would welcome legal services being resourced to provide legal advice to sexual violence survivors outside the domestic and family violence context.   Finally, we await further details on how governments will address the impacts of pornography and hold tech-companies to account on the rise of online misogyny and technology-facilitated sexual violence, like image-based sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material.