Women's safety

Gender-based violence is a critical national issue in Australia and occurs across all, demographic and age groups. The Australian Government is committed to taking action to stop violence against women and children.

First Nations people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disability who experience gender-based violence can face complex challenges where gender inequality overlaps with other disadvantage or prejudice.

Responding to gender-based violence requires a range of measures from education and prevention to frontline services. Financial and legal assistance to support survivor recovery is also necessary.

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32 (National Plan) was released on 17 October 2022.

The National Plan sets out a national framework and whole-of-government approach for ending gender-based violence. It provides the foundation for a whole-of-society approach to end gender-based violence in one generation.

The National Plan focuses actions on prevention, early intervention, response and recovery to help break the cycle of violence and support victim-survivors, including through the family law system. Governments at all levels are working together to increase coordination of policy responses, build our evidence and data collecting capabilities, and improve integration of systems and services.

On 16 August 2023, the Australian Government released the First Action Plan 2023-2027 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025, which outline actions by all levels of government to implement the National Plan. The dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan outlines actions to address the disproportionally high rates of family, domestic and sexual violence experienced by First Nations women and children. The Outcomes Framework 2023–2032 was released alongside the Action Plans to increase our ability to monitor and report change over the life of the National Plan.

The Second Action Plan under the National Plan is under development and is expected to be released in 2027. It will set out the next 5 years of work under the National Plan, and will be developed alongside action plans that implement Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036; Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021–2031; and the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030.Developing these family and child safety action plans will build on what we have heard to date – including through many reviews, commissions and inquiries – and the evidence of what has, and hasn’t worked, and where we need to focus our attention and effort. The action plans will build on what works, strengthen connections across systems, and deliver practical solutions that have the greatest impact.

For more information on the National Plan, visit the Department of Social Services website.

Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036

Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036 (Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices), Australia’s first standalone First Nations family safety plan, was released on Tuesday 10 February 2026.

Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices is a 10-year national strategy that sets the long-term policy reform agenda to address the disproportionately high rates of family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices was developed in genuine partnership with First Nations communities and stakeholders. Implementation of Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices is being overseen by Our Ways Strong Together: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Peak.

The First Action Plan to support implementation of Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices is under development.

For more information on Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices, visit the Department of Social Services website

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission

The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission is committed to supporting the National Plan’s goal of ending violence against women and children in a generation.

The Commission works towards this goal through 4 key objectives:

1. Promote the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 and monitor its impact.
2. Amplify the voices of people with lived and living experience of violence.
3. Foster collaboration and coordination across governments and communities.
4. Provide strategic advice to strengthen policy and practice.

The Commission is informed by what is important to people with lived and living experience, and what the research, data and frontline workforce tells us needs to happen.

The Commission uses these inputs to take collaborative action to influence systems and governments to end domestic, family and sexual violence. 

For more information on the Commission, visit the Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commission website.

For data on gender-based violence in Australia, read the Status of Women Report Card 2026.

Support services

If you need an interpreter to access one of these services, call the free and confidential Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450. For more information visit the TIS National website, .

• 1800RESPECT is a national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling and information referral service, available 24 hours a day.
  If you or someone you know has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online at 1800respect.org.au.
• 13YARN is a national crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. They offer a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.Contact 13YARN  24 hours/7 days on 13 92 76.
• Mensline Australia is a telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men, 24 hours/7 days on 1300 78 99 78
• Kids Helpline is a free, confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25, available 24 hours/7 days on 1800 551 880.
• Report online harm – if you are experiencing abuse, cyber bullying, image-based abuse or other harms on digital platforms, you can report it to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
• Lifeline provides 24-hour short-term crisis support and suicide prevention. They provide confidential one-on-one support with a trained crisis supporter. Contact Lifeline 24 hours/7 days on 13 11 14.
• National Debt Helpline – If you are struggling with your finances, the National Debt Helpline offers free advice from trained financial counsellors. The Helpline can also put you in touch with the right service you require, such as legal services, crisis food and accommodation services, and health services.

Support resources

• Help and support for ending violence provides information on support services available to anyone affected by domestic and family violence, to help them access the support they need, when they need it. This includes a full list of Australia-wide and state and territory support services.
• Guide to Prevention and Action on Financial Abuse within the Financial Service Sector – a free resource, supported and released by the Office for Women, to assist the financial services sector and related sectors to better understand how their financial products may be used in the financial abuse of women. The guide was developed in consultation with women who have lived experience of financial abuse.
• National Education Toolkit for Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting Awareness – produced by The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, this toolkit aims to support community awareness and outreach.