Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches Terms of Reference

Overview

Violence against women and children remains a national crisis in Australia. While there has been significant action and investment towards ending gender-based violence, including through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032(the National Plan), the recent increase in rates of intimate partner homicide shows the need to continually identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen our current approach and accelerate efforts to stop violence against women.

Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches

On 23 August 2024, the Australian Government received the final report from the expert panel appointed to undertake a rapid review of evidence-based approaches to prevent gender-based violence. The report provides specific and practical advice to strengthen prevention approaches, and builds on considerable work currently underway in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. The report makes 21 recommendations across 6 key areas for action by federal, state and territory governments. The recommendations will be taken forward as a priority for discussion by National Cabinet.

Expert panel

The expert panel was announced by Minister Rishworth and established on 28 May 2024 to provide practical advice to government on further action to prevent gender-based violence.

Drawing on existing evidence and best-practice approaches, the Panel’s work will address opportunities to strengthen prevention efforts and approaches across all forms of violence against women and children, including a particular focus on homicides.

The expert panel will be co-convened by Australia’s National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Ms Micaela Cronin, the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Office for Women, Ms Padma Raman, and the Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Mr Ray Griggs AO CSC.

Expert panel members

The review will be undertaken by an expert panel which brings together leading experts from multi-disciplinary fields with the mix of skills and expertise required to provide government with advice on approaches to the prevention of violence against women.

Dr Anne Summers AO

Dr Anne Summers AO

Dr Summers is Professor of Domestic and Family Violence at the University of Technology Sydney Business School. In this role, and while serving as the inaugural Paul Ramsay Foundation Fellow (2021-22), Dr Summers researches the pervasive impacts of domestic and family violence in Australia, its broader inequalities and economic implications to support and inform the development of policies and strategies to significantly improve the lives of women and break cycles of systemic disadvantage. Dr Summers is also a renowned journalist, author and advocate with an accomplished career in the fields of politics, media, business and the non-government sector. Dr Summers was the head of the Australian Government Office of the Status of Women (1983-86). She is the author of nine books including the renowned Damned Whores and God’s Police (1975 and still in print). In 1989, Dr Summers was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to journalism and to women.

Dr Todd Fernando

Dr Todd Fernando

Dr Fernando is a descendant of the Kalarie Peoples of the Wiradjuri Nation and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health. Holding a PhD in Medical Anthropology, Dr Fernando’s research focuses on the cultural and social experiences of LGBTIQ+ Indigenous Australians within Australian healthcare settings. Previously the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities from 2021 to 2023, Dr Fernando is a dedicated advocate for the safety, rights and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ communities. As Commissioner he played a crucial role in the development and implementation of the Whole of Victorian Government LGBTIQ+ Strategy. In 2018, Dr Fernando co-founded Koorie Pride Victoria, an advocacy organisation that campaigns for the social inclusion and advancement of Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ Aboriginal community. Dr Fernando is also a Patron of the LGBTIQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation.

Dr Leigh Gassner APM

Dr Leigh Gassner APM

Dr Gassner is a consultant and former Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner, with a 35-year career in Victoria Police. Dr Gassner managed significant cultural and organisational change processes, most notably leading a review of policing responses into violence against women. This work led to his chairing of the Victorian Government’s State-wide Steering Committee to Reduce Family Violence and the State-wide Steering Committee to Reduce Sexual Assault. He was also a Member on the Australian Government’s Violence against Women Advisory Group and Victoria’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Mental Health Reform. He has conducted national consultations on perpetrator intervention for government. Dr Gassner has previously chaired the Victorian Coroners Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths Panel and has also worked on gender-based violence in South Africa and China and gender equity in medical research. Dr Gassner’s interest lies in finding systemic change in social issues.

Ms Elena Campbell

Ms Elena Campbell

Ms Campbell is the Associate Director of Research at the Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University. Ms Campbell oversees a program of research focused on family, domestic and sexual violence and the interactions of legal and court processes with experiences and use of harm. Ms Campbell leads research focused on young people’s use of violence at home and in intimate relationships, as well as previous work focused on perpetrator accountability and support for the implementation of recommendations from Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence. Ms Campbell has particular expertise in working with populations that are pushed into contact with legal processes as a result of systemic and state-driven trauma, including First Nations communities and criminalised women. Ms Campbell previously worked as a legal advisor in the Victorian Government and as a consultant to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Ms Jess Hill

Ms Jess Hill

Ms Hill is an investigative journalist, educator and advocate on gendered violence and coercive control. Ms Hill authored See What You Made Me Do (2019), a comprehensive investigation of the phenomenon of domestic abuse and coercive control, which was awarded the Stella Prize in 2020. Ms Hill later produced and presented a three-part documentary series adaptation which aired on SBS, ‘See What You Made Me Do’ (2021). She also produced and presented a follow-up series on SBS, ‘Asking For It’ (2023), which explores consent and issues of sexual violence and authored the Quarterly Essay on how #MeToo has changed Australia. Ms Hill has spoken at over 350 public events about gendered violence, as well as educating magistrates, police, health and family law professionals on coercive control. Ms Hill sits on the National Women’s Safety Alliance Sexual Violence Working Group and is regularly consulted by the gendered violence sector and policymakers. She was named Marie Claire’s 2023 Changemaker of the Year and the 2024 NSW Premier’s Woman of Excellence.

Dr Zac Seidler

Dr Zac Seidler

Dr Seidler is a clinical psychologist, researcher and leading men’s mental health expert. Dr Seidler is the Global Director of Men’s Health Research at Movember and a Senior Research Fellow at Orygen at the University of Melbourne, which focuses on youth mental health. Dr Seidler is a leading expert on the intersection of men’s mental health and masculinity with perpetration of violence. Dr Seidler has dedicated his academic and professional career towards further understanding and creating mental health services that account for men’s mental health and masculinity, to help reduce rates of male suicide and domestic violence.

Terms of reference

The Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches will report back to government by the third quarter of 2024 and will report in line with their terms of reference.

COVID-19 Response Inquiry roundtable summary - health research

Date: Monday 13 May 2024

Host: Professor Catherine Bennett, Panel Member, Commonwealth Government COVID-19 Response Inquiry

Participants: The roundtable brought together health research representatives to discuss areas where the Australian Government did well in generating and using evidence, and key concerns identified in submissions where improvements can strengthen the use of research in future crises.

Working for Women Program grant opportunity

The National Women’s Alliances Grant Opportunity is open for applications, with up to $10.88 million available.

Under Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality (the Strategy), the Australian Government is increasing funding and offering longer term 5 year funding agreements to strengthen the National Women’s Alliances program.

Grants will be allocated to up to 6 organisations to provide collaborative, intersectional, evidence based gender expertise and strategic advice to Government.

Australian Government response to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee report: APS Inc: undermining public sector capability and performance

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Portfolio Budget Statements 2024 - 2025

The purpose of the 2024-25 Portfolio Budget Statements (PB Statements) is to inform Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to government outcomes by entities within the portfolio. Entities receive resources from the annual appropriations acts, special appropriations (including standing appropriations and special accounts), and revenue from other sources.

Secretaries Board communique: 7 May 2024

The Secretaries Board met today at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to discuss the following matters.

Strategic Outlook

The Board discussed government priorities, emerging risks and strategic issues.

The Board received an update on geostrategic issues from Ms Jan Adams AO PSM, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Mr Greg Moriarty AO, Secretary of the Department of Defence.