BREAKING: New $220 Million Plan to Tackle Epidemic of Domestic Violence Against First Nations Women and Children
- Australia’s first national plan specifically aimed at protecting First Nations women and children from domestic violence has been launched, with a $220 million investment over four years.
- The plan, co-designed with Indigenous people and governments, will provide crisis response teams, emergency accommodation, and support services for survivors.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 27 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence, and seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide.
The Australian government has unveiled a landmark $220 million plan to address the devastating epidemic of domestic violence against First Nations women and children. The 10-year road map, titled “Our Ways — Strong Ways — Our Voices,” has been co-designed with Indigenous people and governments to provide critical support services and tackle the root causes of this crisis.
The plan’s launch comes as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face staggering rates of domestic violence, with 27 times the rate of hospitalisation due to family violence compared to other Australian women. They are also seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide. The statistics are nothing short of heartbreaking, with one woman dying at the hands of her partner every week in Australia.
Muriel Bamblett, a Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung, and Boon Wurrung elder and CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, has been a driving force behind the plan. She says it addresses the complexity of family violence and acknowledges the past, looking at systems that work against Indigenous communities. “We really want to address some of the barriers to safety and justice [and] look at long-term strategies to build on the strengths that exist in communities,” she explains.
The plan will provide critical support services, including crisis response teams, emergency accommodation, therapeutic support, and behaviour change and education programs. It will also help fund services to assist victim-survivors to leave violence safely and receive ongoing support. A monitoring and evaluation framework will be developed, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives from each state and territory.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
This plan is a critical step forward in addressing the national shame of domestic violence against First Nations women and children. It recognises the need for community-led approaches, self-determination, and targeted reforms led by First Peoples. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that this plan is long overdue, and its implementation will require sustained commitment and accountability from governments at all levels. As Hannah McGlade, an associate professor from Curtin Law School, notes, “It does need that continued commitment and accountability to ensure that state and territory and the federal government do deliver.”
The plan’s focus on delivering specific, targeted reforms led by First Peoples is a crucial recognition of the need for Indigenous-led solutions. As Dr McGlade explains, “Self-determination is really about our community’s rights as well to be heard, be driving responses, be driving safe responses to violence, including early intervention and prevention.”
Security analysts say that addressing domestic violence is critical to national security, as it has a ripple effect on communities, perpetuating cycles of violence and trauma. Law enforcement insiders warn that the current system is often ill-equipped to respond to the unique needs of First Nations communities, exacerbating the problem. Industry observers believe that this plan is a crucial step towards healing and rebuilding trust between governments and Indigenous communities.
The plan’s implementation will require a concerted effort from governments, Indigenous organisations, and the community. As Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy notes, “There are families across the country, like those in Lake Cargelligo, who are still in desperate need of support, of love, of healing, of being surrounded in good ways to come through the other side.”
While this plan is a welcome step forward, it’s essential to acknowledge the unfinished business of addressing the root causes of domestic violence. As Kerrynne Liddle, opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, notes, “The standalone plan began under a Coalition government and was finally delivered by Labor nearly four years later. It is fair to say that those experiencing domestic and family violence would say it has taken far too long.”
As Australia moves forward with this critical plan, it’s essential to remember that the road to healing and justice is long and complex. However, with sustained commitment and accountability, we can work towards a future where First Nations women and children live free from harm and violence.
domestic violence
First Nations
Australian Government Department of Social Services
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