Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Cash, Lines and Waters, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 25 November:

(i) is the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is also White Ribbon Day, and

(ii) marks the start of the United Nations, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world, leading to 10 December, Human Rights Day;

(b) recognises that the White Ribbon campaign is a national male-led campaign to end men's violence against women and is now active in over 60 countries around the world;

(c) acknowledges that:

(i) one in three women in Australia have been physically attacked in their lifetimes, and these attacks are most likely to have been in the women's own home,

(ii) across the world, violence against women and girls remains one of the most serious and the most tolerated human rights violations, both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality and discrimination,

(iii) prevention strategies have a proven effect on levels of violence and if we engage the whole community in prevention and give them skills for respectful relationships, we will reduce the costs associated with violence, and

(iv) social policy initiatives and law reform addressing gender inequality are central to reducing attitudes that support violence against women; and

(d) reinforces the need for cross party support at all levels of government in the response to end the scourge of family violence.

Question agreed to.