Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is in a national domestic and family violence crisis, and yet stories of inadequate policing responses and terrible treatment of victims survivors persist. On at least two occasions already this year women in Queensland have been murdered after repeatedly seeking police help. There is a clear need to improve gender balance in organisations responding to DV incidents. The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act and the federal Sex Discrimination Act confirm that affirmative action policies can be a legitimate way to address gender imbalance. However, as the most recent WGEA Gender equality insights 2021 report highlights, setting gender equality targets is not enough without cultural change to attract and retain women. Without genuine efforts to change the culture within the Queensland Police Service and give women confidence it is a workplace that will respect them and those who come to them for help, gender equality will not be achieved.