Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to address the issue of domestic violence in Australia. Yesterday was White Ribbon Day. Nine years ago the United Nations General Assembly declared that 25 November would be observed as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with the white ribbon becoming the global symbol of solidarity.

The origins of 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women go back more than four decades, when three sisters from the Dominican Republic were killed for their political activism. The sisters became a symbol of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America, with 25 November proclaimed as the date to not only commemorate their lives but also promote global recognition of gender based violence.

Violence against women is the most widespread human rights abuse in the world. Every day, thousands of women and girls are abused in their own homes. They are raped in armed conflict or murdered by someone known to them. They are attacked for speaking up and ostracised for defending women’s rights. Current statistics show that at least one in every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Unfortunately, the abuser is usually someone known to her.

White Ribbon Day has been a great success in Australia. The symbol of wearing a white ribbon is a pledge that we will never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. This particular campaign is aimed at engaging with men and boys to promote a culture of nonviolence and respect. Yet, despite the overwhelming success of the white ribbon campaign, with more than 300,000 ribbons sold in 2006 alone, it is disturbing to see the recent trend in gender based violence across the country, which suggests that an estimated 1.3 million Australian women experienced partner violence in the 2005 calendar year. That is 17 per cent of all women.

Domestic and intimate partner violence negatively impacts on all areas of women’s lives. As well as the acute physical harm women experience, the fear associated with the violence can impact on their health, self-esteem, wellbeing, parenting and employment. One of the most disturbing trends of violence against women in Australia and around the world relates to partner homicide. According to the 2005-06 Australian Institute of Criminology National Homicide Monitoring Program annual report, of 74 intimate partner homicides in that calendar year, four out of five involved the male offender killing his female partner. This is an appalling statistic that urgently needs to be addressed.

As recently as this week, we heard that the number of New South Wales women and children killed in domestic disputes has hit a 10-year high, with the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recording 29 domestic related murders in the past year. The same report shows that there were 27,000 domestic violence related assaults recorded in the last year, with only 30 per cent of those assaults formally reported to the authorities. It is clear that we need more than just a national, 24-hour phone number to combat domestic violence in Australia. We need to be talking about it and looking at how we can move forward.

While I acknowledge the government’s commitment to establishing the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, we need to see a national, integrated, long-term approach as the focus of the government’s policy agenda. We need to see a commitment to key education and prevention programs, substantial financial assistance and formal recognition of domestic violence in federal legislation to combat violence against women in this country.

Yesterday Minister Plibersek was formally presented with the White Ribbon Foundation’s report An assault on our future: the impact of violence on young people and their relationships. This report presented some very disturbing statistics. It identified that one in seven girls aged 12 to 20 have experienced sexual assault or rape, with half a million teenagers revealing that they live with violence in their home—reiterating that a large proportion of girls and women are subjected to physical and sexual violence in the context of sexual and social relationships.

I am deeply concerned about the findings that suggest that attitudes towards intimate partner violence are worsening among young men and boys within our community. While the majority of young males who participated in the survey see violence in relationships as unacceptable, I am still concerned that 14 per cent of young males agreed with the sentiment: ‘It’s okay for a boy to make a girl have sex with him if she has flirted with him or led him on.’ It is for this reason that I encourage the Minister for the Status of Women, as part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, to further develop national antiviolence public awareness and education campaigns and programs, with a specific focus on the role of men and boys in ending violence against women and girls.

While there are many factors that impact on the levels of violence against women in our communities, if we are serious about eliminating gender violence we must also address the issue of hostile gender norms and the sexist attitudes that exist in some corners of our communities before we can expect to see societal change in relation to violence. Nine years on from the declaration by the UN General Assembly, the White Ribbon Foundation of Australia has done a fantastic job in promoting the purpose of the day. It was wonderful to see so many men in the media, sports, politics, workplaces and schools across the country wearing their white ribbons yesterday and speaking out about violence against women.

We must all do all we can to stop violence against women. Part of our strategy must focus on young people, creating the personal and social change needed to engender a society where women can live free from violence. The Australian Greens are committed to programs that assist community and women’s services, as well as to collaborative efforts between state and federal governments and key community groups to prevent, educate, intervene and assist with recovery from violence.

It makes good policy to have a comprehensive strategy to eliminate violence against women through the implementation of violence prevention programs aimed at young people, in schools, communities and through the media. The programs should address the identified social and personal factors which contribute to violence against women, to educate young people about violence and its impact on individuals in society and to actively discuss healthy and respectful relationships. We need to ensure that any program introduced as part of an essential curriculum in all schools actively engages young people in developing positive and healthy attitudes in relation to gender and relationships.

While I stand here today as a proud feminist, not afraid to speak out about the injustices of the past and present, we must not for a moment forget the hundreds of women across Australia who live in constant fear of violence in their own homes and who require strong leadership to develop and legislate on policies for reform. With one in three women being victims of violence, we all know someone—our friends, our mothers, our sisters. I urge the government to act on the recommendations put forward in the White Ribbon Foundation report and hope that in developing a new policy agenda the government gives further consideration to young people and their attitudes towards combating violence against women. It is our young men who must lead the way.