The Women and Women’s Safety Ministerial Council (the Council) was convened today for its final meeting of 2025, during which Ministers reiterated their joint commitment to gender equality and ending gender-based violence.
The Council acknowledged the 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign calling for action and awareness raising about gender-based violence commencing with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. Ministers noted 2025 public reporting on progress of efforts underway to implement the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (the National Plan) will be released during the 16 Days of Activism, in recognition of the importance of transparency and accountability on efforts towards ending gender-based violence.
The Council also recognised the upcoming holiday period, and that holidays often see an increase in rates of violence against women and children. Ministers acknowledged the impacts on many women and children, and the frontline services they access, and reiterated their commitment to preventing and responding to these patterns of increased risk to women and children’s safety.
Community attitudes towards gender equality
The Council discussed how the effectiveness of programs to address resistance to gender equality are being measured and agreed that gender equality can only be advanced through engagement with the community, particularly men and boys. Ministers agreed that messaging efforts should be evidence-based and that there is opportunity to improve national consistency on gender equality messaging and to collectively contribute to expanding the evidence on what works. Ministers agreed to prioritise a focus on this policy area for jurisdictions to create a mechanism to share best-practice approaches on a regular, ongoing basis.
The Council heard from Dr Rebecca Huntley, an eminent researcher on social trends, on how her ‘Gender Compass’ research segments the Australian community according to their distinct attitudes to gender equality. These practical insights can be used to effectively target communications to different parts of the Australian community to help build support for gender equality.
The Council were also briefed by the eSafety Commissioner, Ms Julie Inman Grant, who spoke to eSafety’s world leading approach and work to combat rising resistance to gender equality in online spaces. Ms Inman Grant spoke of the breadth and seriousness of technology facilitated abuse and its widespread prevalence.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission
The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Ms Micaela Cronin, provided a briefing on the Commission’s Yearly Report to Parliament (Yearly Report), tabled in Federal Parliament on 30 October 2025.
The Commissioner acknowledged the significant investment and efforts made by all governments and noted there is still work to do. The Commissioner noted the opportunity for governments to use the Yearly Report’s findings and recommendations to inform considerations in the development of the National Plan‘s Second Action Plan.
National Roundtable on Sexual Violence in Australia
Assistant Minister Kearney updated the Council on the outcomes of the national roundtable on sexual violence in Australia that was held on 10 November 2025. The roundtable, convened with the Working with Women Alliance, was attended by advocates, peak bodies, specialist service providers, victim-survivors and representatives from across the Commonwealth Government and recognised the need to work collaboratively across all sectors and parts of government to address sexual violence.
Council report to National Cabinet on the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches
The Council endorsed the Rapid Review progress report to National Cabinet, due by the end of 2025, which details governments’ collective efforts to progressively respond to each of the 21 Rapid Review recommendations.
The report demonstrates the depth and breadth of work underway and helps identify where gaps remain that will require further efforts and future focus, including through the Council’s future work program and actions under the National Plan’s Second Action Plan. The response also includes actions being undertaken across a range of portfolios in recognition of the need for cross-sector engagement and cohesive action to prevent gender-based violence. Ministers agreed to invite FARE, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, to brief the Council at its next meeting.
Ministers acknowledged the report builds on an update of Commonwealth efforts to respond to Rapid Review recommendations, published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s website on 30 October 2025. Recognising the value and importance of transparency on government responses to the Rapid Review, Ministers agreed to publish an update that demonstrates Commonwealth and state and territory efforts to collectively respond to the Rapid Review.
National Plan progress and finalisation of Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence
Minister Plibersek acknowledged the ongoing efforts by state and territory governments to implement the National Plan and thanked them for their continued support to drive meaningful change to improve the safety of women and children.
Ministers considered the intersections between Target 12 (children in out-of-home care) and Target 13 (family violence) under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the need to respond in an aligned way to accelerate change. Ministers affirmed the need for sustained progress to address the drivers of children entering out-of-home care, and to support families experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage, including family and domestic violence.
Ministers agreed to a joint meeting with Community Services Ministers in early 2026 to consider collective opportunities to address child protection and family safety, including bilateral initiatives to reduce entries into out-of-home care, particularly for First Nations children.
Ministers supported the opportunity to work closely on a holistic and integrated approach to child protection and family safety in the Second Action Plan. It was agreed that the Second Action Plan also needs to respond to new evidence and emerging priorities in a changing safety landscape, including children and young people and engaging men and boys.
Ministers also agreed that timely delivery of Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic, and Sexual Violence is crucial, and Minister Plibersek thanked Ministers for their assistance progressing the final draft through their governments as a matter of priority.
Annual reporting to National Cabinet
As a Ministerial Council, the Council is expected to report annually to National Cabinet on their work and progress against their priorities. To inform the Council’s report, Ministers discussed the Council’s key achievements for 2025, key priorities for 2026 and agreed endorsing this report out-of-session in early 2026.
Attendees
- Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
- The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP (Commonwealth)
- The Hon Rebecca White MP (Commonwealth)
- The Hon Ged Kearney MP (Commonwealth)
- Dr Marisa Paterson MLA (Australian Capital Territory)
- The Hon Jodie Harrison MP (New South Wales)
- The Hon Fiona Simpson MP (Queensland)
- The Hon Katrine Hildyard MP (South Australia)
- The Hon Jane Howlett MP (Tasmania)
- The Hon Simone McGurk MLA (Western Australia)
The Hon Robyn Cahill OAM MLA (Northern Territory), the Hon Jinson Charls MLA (Northern Territory), the Hon Amanda Camm MP (Queensland), the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP (Victoria) and the Hon Jessica Stojkovski MLA (Western Australia) sent their apologies. Minister Cahill and Minister Hutchins were represented by Senior Officials.
The Commonwealth Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Ms Micaela Cronin, attended the meeting in an ex-officio capacity.