Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, and the 16 days of activism that follow, can the minister update the Senate on the importance of addressing gender based violence?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bilyk for the question and for raising this matter today. Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is an important day for us to acknowledge one of the widespread human rights abuses that exist worldwide. This day also commences the 16 days of activism.

We mark this day as part of a global call to action to end violence against women. Worldwide, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner. This is even higher when including sexual harassment. This statistic is mirrored by the Australian experience, where one in three women have experienced violence by an intimate partner, one woman dies every 10 days in Australia at the hands of her former or current partner, and one in two women in Australia have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. First Nations women are 11 times more likely to be killed due to experiencing family violence than non-Indigenous women and are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of this violence. We know that this violence is compounded for women from some backgrounds who also experience other forms of discrimination, like ableism, homophobia and racism. It doesn't just have a human cost. It also costs the economy, at $26 billion a year, half of which is borne by the victims themselves.

This violence against women and children is not inevitable, and we can and must take action to end it. It's why we're working with states and territories on a collective goal—to end violence against women and children in a generation—through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 that was released on the 17 October this year and agreed by the Commonwealth states and territories. Together, we can take action to achieve an Australia and a world where all women and girls live free from fear and violence.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, a first supplementary question?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that response. Can you outline for us what the Albanese government is doing to address gender based violence?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Bilyk, for the supplementary. The government is already taking action to support the national plan. There is $1.7 billion of investment through the recent budget to support initiatives under the national plan, including funding for consent and respectful relationships education and 500 frontline service and community workers to support women and children experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence. That was a policy designed and advocated for by my colleague Senator McAllister in the previous term of parliament.

We've also introduced paid family and domestic violence leave. We're implementing the recommendations, all of them, from the Respect@Work report, including legislating a positive duty on employers to provide workplaces free of harassment. We're investing $1.6 billion from the returns of the Housing Australia Future Fund, including to support women escaping DV and older women at risk of homelessness. We're also developing a standalone First Nations national plan for family safety under the leadership of Minister Burney and Minister Rishworth. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, a second supplementary question?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, can you outline what role we all have to play in achieving an Australia free from gender based violence?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Bilyk. While we are proud to be investing record Commonwealth funding to end gender based violence, we know we cannot end it and do it alone.

The National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children provides a blueprint for our collective action and outlines the shared role we all have to play in ending violence against women. It's a joint initiative. The national plan also highlights that everyone must play a role in ending this violence, across government, communities, workplaces, sporting organisations, business and the media. If we all pull in the same direction and pull together, change is possible.

I put on the record my support and respect for all of the advocates who've been working year after year, day after day, to end violence against women and children and to make sure that the issue of ending violence against women and children is never off the national agenda.