Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Gendered violence

Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (19:18): (1038) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence. The action I seek is for the minister to investigate further opportunities to help women seek help efficiently when experiencing domestic violence. As we celebrate International Women’s Day and commemorate the hard work and success of women all around the world, we must also shed light on the women who are trapped in complex and often terrifying family situations. Too frequently we are confronted with the heartbreaking stories of women who have lost their lives as the result of domestic abuse. We often learn that these women took every appropriate step to protect themselves and that despite these efforts they were sometimes not able to get the justice or the security which they deserved.

According to statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2022, one in two women reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment, while one in six women were victims of domestic abuse. Data from the Crime Statistics Agency reveals that breaches of intervention orders are not isolated incidents but rather a small yet deeply concerning part of a much larger and more alarming trend. According to reports, 2010 individuals were alleged to have breached a family violence intervention order between July 2023 and June 2024. Over the past five years this represents an increase of 64 per cent, emphasising the urgent need for effective and comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of women. It is imperative that we have the resources and preventative measures to secure safety for women.