Rapid review of prevention approaches: Australian Government, state and territory collective response – 28 November 2025

Governments are committed to systemically addressing the drivers of gender-based violence and making significant and meaningful inroads to ending violence against women and children in Australia.

Theme 2: The prevention potential

Recommendation 4

The Commonwealth and state and territory governments to expand their approach to prevention to acknowledge the global evidence base to leverage all prevention touchpoints more effectively. This should include:

  1. an independent review and expansion of Change the Story beyond primary prevention, with a focus on accommodating the evolving global evidence base around the prevention of violence across early intervention, response and recovery; and
  2. establishing a five-year co-funded Prevention Innovation Fund, understanding what works better in an Australian context and at a community level.

Update as at 28 November 2025

The National Plan references Our Watch’s Change the Story as a key framework to support primary prevention strategies and activities. The current Action Plan supports a range of broad prevention activities and efforts across the four domains of the National Plan. This has been strengthened since the delivery of the Rapid Review Report, and will also be considered through development of the Second Action Plan.

As of 30 September 2025, Our Watch has released and is implementing Change the Picture and Change the Landscape, with a dedicated LGBTIQA+ prevention framework currently in development. These frameworks expand and deepen the application of Change the Story by providing tailored, intersectional guidance for diverse communities.

The New South Wales Government launched the Pathways to Prevention: NSW Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence 2024 – 2028 in September 2024 and is the first dedicated whole-of-government domestic, family and sexual violence primary prevention strategy for NSW ($38.3 million).

The Northern Territory Government works in partnership with Our Watch to support an NT Primary Prevention Officer (PPO) to build primary prevention capability. The PPO hosts a Community of Practice with primary prevention grant recipients who deliver community-based projects across the NT to address the drivers of FDSV.

The Northern Territory Government also announced a new grant to support Aboriginal-led responses to FDSV prevention initiatives ($1.2 million). The three-year grant will support increased awareness, knowledge and understanding of healthy, safe and respectful relationships, including understanding non-physical forms of FDSV in remote communities.

Case study: Aboriginal-led Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) prevention initiatives fund (Northern Territory Government)

The Northern Territory DFSV Aboriginal Advisory Board were consulted to design guidelines to inform the grant funding process for Aboriginal-Led Prevention Grants. The board also informed the assessment of applications received from Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) through a grant funding process. A total of 24 applications were received and scored, and the panel deemed 3 ACCOs successful. They are Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporations (ARDS) Dalkum Yolgnu Gurrutu (Strengthening Yolgnu Kinship), Katherine West Health Board – ‘Strong Men Leading Change’ and Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation – ‘Ngalmuka Healing - Our Way’. The projects are funded over three years from 2025-2028.