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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-10-19 Daily Xml
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Gender-Based Violence

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. How is the government working on a national level towards preventing and ending gender-based violence?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:00): I thank the member for her question and also thank her for her tireless advocacy and support for women and girls in our community. The horrific scourge of domestic, family and sexual violence is persistent, it is deeply unacceptable and it is a compelling call to action. It is the responsibility of every government, every person and every sector to work to prevent and end it.

On Monday, we took a step forward in these crucial efforts. I was extremely proud to represent our government at the launch of the new National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. This plan is ambitious and it outlines a bold vision to end the scourge of domestic violence, of harassment and disrespect toward women in one generation. It is firmly framed around preventing and ending gender-based violence and creating a safe community for girls and women.

It has priority areas of focus across the continuum of prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing. Together with every government around the country, we have committed to this ambitious plan. Importantly, the plan is strongly informed by input from victim-survivors. It is they who are at the heart of this plan and it is they whom we must all keep in our minds and hearts as we go about making change.

I deeply acknowledge the courage of those who spoke their truth so that others may not have to experience the violence that they experienced and so that others are empowered to speak up. At the launch, an extraordinary woman, Lula Dembele, on behalf of the Coalition of Survivors shared these powerful words and call to action:

We are your mothers, your sisters, your brothers, your aunties, your cousins, your children, your partners, your colleagues, your friends, your family, your kin, your community.

Do not continue to shame us for what other people have done to us. We did not ask for abuse. We have resisted violence, or done what we needed to do—to protect ourselves, our families. To survive.

Stand with us, do not look away when we show you our pain. See what is happening all around you every day, from the sexist comment, or homophobic joke, to the excuse 'boys will be boys'.

I say to Lula and all survivors that we see you, we hear you, we will act and we will walk with you as we work to ensure no woman experiences violence. As Lula said, 'It is time to transform pain into action.'

The plan has a key focus on coercive control, aligning with the commitments of this government to criminalise this insidious behaviour. Underpinning the national plan are six cross-cutting principles:

advancing gender equality;

working with victim-survivors;

closing the gap;

person-centred coordination and integration;

intersectionality; and

people who choose to use violence being held accountable.

Everyone has a role to play in bringing these principles to life, in working to prevent and end violence against women. We know that governments alone cannot progress change. We need everyone to work with us: business, industry, schools, universities, media, sporting clubs, faith-based organisations and, indeed, people in every corner of every community to address gender inequality.

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