COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children

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The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to take urgent collective action to reduce violence against women and their children.

On 1 April 2016, the COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children submitted its final report to COAG, containing six areas for action and 28 recommendations.

At this meeting, COAG gave its in principle support to the six areas identified for further joint action:

National leadership to challenge gender inequality and transform community attitudes.
Empowering women who experience violence to make informed choices.
Recognising children and young people as victims of violence against women.
Holding perpetrators to account for their actions and supporting them to change.
Providing trauma-informed responses to violence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Providing integrated responses to keep women and their children safe.

COAG agreed that jurisdictions would consider the recommendations in each of these areas in developing the Third Action Plan of the National Plan.

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Questions and answers

How big is the problem of violence against women and their children?

The prevalence of violence against women in Australia is unacceptable. One in six women will experience physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner in their lifetime, and on average, one woman a week is killed by a current or former partner.

Information on the rates and experience of violence against women and their children in Australia is available in the ANROWS fact sheet.

Information on attitudes towards violence against women is available in the National Community Attitudes to Violence against Women Survey.

What are existing efforts by government to reduce violence against women?

The COAG endorsed National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (National Plan) brings all Australian governments together to achieve a significant and sustained reduction in violence against women. The Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (the National Plan) is currently under development, and is due to be released later this year.

Further information on the National Plan and the work of all Australian jurisdictions is on the National Plan Website.

On 25 September 2015, the Commonwealth Government announced a $100 million Women’s Safety Package to combat violence against women. The Package is the first part of a longer term solution to reducing domestic violence.

How does COAG work and what is COAG doing to reduce violence against women?

In April 2015, COAG agreed to take urgent collective action to reduce violence against women and their children in Australia.

Information on how COAG works is on the COAG website.

Information on COAG’s recent discussions on reducing violence against women and their children is in the April 2015 COAG communique, and the July 2015 COAG communique.