• Women and the Law
• Women and Ageing
• Families and Children
• Equality for Women
• Womens Safety Agenda—Elimination of Violence
  • Elimination of Violence in the Lives of Women
  • Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Help
  • Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Initiative
  • Domestic and Family Violence ClearingHouse
  • Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault
  • Australian Institute of Criminology
  • Previous Initiatives
    • Violence Against Women—Australia Says No
    • Partnerships Against Domestic Violence (PADV)
      • PADV Publications and Presentations
      • PADV Resources for Business
    • National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault
• National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
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• APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting 2007
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Location: Home  »  Womens Safety Agenda - Elimination of Violence

Women's Safety Agenda—Elimination of Violence

In the 2005 Budget the Australian Government announced its $75.7 million commitment to continue to take a lead role in eliminating domestic violence and sexual assault in the Australian Community.

The Women's Safety Agenda addresses four broad themes - prevention, health, justice and services. Together they aim to decrease the impacts of domestic violence and sexual assault upon the community by building on the achievements of the Partnerships Against Domestic Violence initiative and the National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault , increasing attention on preventing violence and early intervention and support for those affected by violence.

The measure includes:

Re-running the successful national Violence Against Women. Australia Says No campaign

This national multimedia campaign will build on the success of the 2004 campaign and will increase community awareness of the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. Through a 24-hour help line, the campaign will provide practical assistance to those experiencing violence, to friends and family who want to know what they can do to help and assistance to those wanting to change their violent behaviour.

Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Initiative

Grant funding is provided to organisations to deliver projects aimed at decreasing the impact of sexual assault and domestic violence by trialling and evaluating new preventative and response mechanisms and/or developing and promoting products to assist in best practice service delivery.

• Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Initiative 2007-08
• Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Initiative Grants 2005-06 and 2006-07

Continued funding for the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse and the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault

These national resource centres will continue to provide central points for the collection and dissemination of Australian domestic and family violence and sexual assault policy, practice and research.

Research projects on domestic violence and sexual assault

This element will fund research and pilot projects concerning domestic violence and sexual assault in the Australian community. It will enhance previously developed research and good practice.

Training for nurses in regional and rural areas

Practice nurses in regional and rural areas will receive training to assist them to identify and respond to domestic violence and doctors will receive assistance to release the nurses for this training. This will give people in regional areas access to a personal and confidential referral service.

Training for the criminal justice sector on sexual assault

This element will develop training for the legal sector to ensure that it is attuned to the sensitivities that accompany women's experiences of sexual assault. Research has highlighted the important role of the criminal justice sector in determining whether a victim of sexual assault proceeds through the legal system.

Dedicated resource at the Australian Institute of Criminology

This will continue the valuable research programme on various aspects of sexual assault.

Mensline

This funding recognises the demand on Mensline's services that will be generated through the re-running of the Violence Against Women. Australia Says No campaign and will provide counsellors at Mensline with training and materials on domestic violence.