Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For a number of years now during the week that includes 25 November I have stood up in this House and spoken about the highly significant and deeply worrying issue of violence against women. It is at around this time of every year that we are all reminded of the disturbing statistics indicating that, in their lifetime, one in three women in our country will experience physical violence and one in five will experience sexual violence.

As a husband, a father of one daughter and a very proud grandfather to three little girls, I am petrified at the thought that, going by that statistic, one of my precious girls is likely to experience violence in her lifetime. I think that personalising these statistics—thinking about them in terms of your own family and the women and girls that we love—may give us a better appreciation of the horrific and heartbreaking situations, and the consequences, of domestic violence in our community. Amnesty International statistics show that, in Australia, domestic violence puts women aged between 15 and 44 at risk of serious health issues and premature death. Domestic violence is rated higher than most other issues within the community. It is heartbreaking to think that poor health, as well as premature death, can be brought about by people whom these women feel closest to. New South Wales police report that 70 per cent of victims of domestic violence are women, 80 per cent of offenders are men and most female victims are assaulted by their male partners. When people are ill or sick, partners should be the ones they turn to. I find it unimaginable that, in so many cases, it is the partners who are causing this illness in the first place.

Research shows that, of the number of young women who witness domestic violence in the home, 50 per cent will grow up to take an abuser as a partner. What I find more chilling is that, of the number of boys who grow up in a home where there is as an abusive relationship, 60 per cent will become abusers themselves. So the cycle does not end; it continues. In 2010 in my electorate, there were 792 reported cases of domestic violence in Liverpool and 735 in Fairfield. In Liverpool there was an increase of 9.4 per cent and, in Fairfield, there was an increase of 6½ per cent, compared to the figures for the previous 12 months. The majority of these statistics do not take into account the non-physical forms of violence, such as emotional and financial intimidation, which can also have long-term negative impacts on their victims. These are actual reported cases of abuse. Even more worrying is that many incidents of violence against women go unreported. In a number of cases, the victims have, sadly, been silenced, simply out of fear. Society at large should take a proactive role in encouraging victims to raise their voice and say: 'Enough is enough.'

This Friday is White Ribbon Day. The White Ribbon campaign calls on all men to take on the challenge and to question the attitudes and behaviours that allow violence to continue in our community. It encourages men to act as role models and take a lead in communicating that violence against women is never, ever acceptable. I am proud to say that a number of events have been organised in my electorate to commemorate this important day. The event at Miller Square, organised by Jimmy Mtashar, from the Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre, and a similar event in the Freedom Plaza, Cabramatta, organised by Dr Simon Emsley from the Cabramatta Community Centre, are aimed at drawing attention to the issues of domestic violence, particularly in multicultural communities.

Earlier this year, a young woman, Zara Maxwell-Smith, was working in my office as part of the Australian National University Internships Program. During her time working with me she compiled a report on issues associated with domestic violence in the south-west of Sydney. The report findings, based on interviews with various service providers and community leaders in my electorate of Fowler, suggest a strong connection between high domestic violence statistics and the strongly multicultural nature of my electorate. The report suggests that current migration practices might be lacking when it comes to conveying information about domestic violence and Australian law to people migrating to Australia. This finding is supported by similar findings made in a 2009 report evaluating Australia's cultural orientation program. The report identifies a number of points in the migration process where further information about domestic violence should be communicated to people moving to Australia. It is paramount that we ensure that victims from non-English-speaking backgrounds have greater access to services and that the system does not fail our newest arrivals to this country. Empowering interaction with the law is critical not only for the victims but also for the perpetrators of domestic violence. They need to understand the ramifications of such a crime, which is really a crime against our community. For many cultural groups, awareness of the law can potentially influence their attitudes so that domestic violence is seen to be unacceptable and it is less prevalent throughout the community.

Domestic violence has been shown to occur in an intergenerational cycle. As I have already mentioned, 60 per cent of young men growing up in abusive households are more likely to become abusers and 50 per cent of women growing up in abusive households are likely to take an abuser as their partner, so it is absolutely imperative that steps be taken to reduce the prevalence and impact of domestic violence. If we do not do that, we know it is going to be perpetuated as the cycle continues.

We need to ensure that White Ribbon Day is not just another day on the calendar but a day on which people make a change—a change in attitude; a change for the better. As I have said before in this place, violence against women is the most widespread human rights abuse in the world. It cannot be dealt with in any way other than ensuring there is complete awareness and discussion of this and a commitment to stamping out this level of violence. In Australia the cost to the economy of domestic violence against women and children was estimated at $13.6 billion in 2009. If it is not addressed, by 2021 that cost is likely to rise to a staggering $15.6 billion. It must be recognised that while living free from violence is everybody's right, reducing violence is everybody's responsibility.

In conclusion, this coming Friday I will join with many Australian men and take the white ribbon oath. I will swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women. It is a very simple thing for all of us men to do in this place. I would encourage all men throughout the community to take that pledge. We all have a responsibility for leadership in our communities and I think we should be taking steps on this principal issue of human rights to show strong and unwavering leadership. I would also encourage the men of this place to show their commitment by wearing a white ribbon on White Ribbon Day, to be prepared to stand up and show leadership in their communities and not to be afraid to say that we abhor any violence against women. Violence against women is never, ever acceptable in this country.

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