Dear COAG members, I present to you the Final Report of the COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children (the Advisory Panel). Over the last 10 months, the Advisory Panel has engaged extensively with stakeholders and experts both domestically and internationally in the development of this report. We have heard many accounts of the destructive impact of violence against women and their children in Australia. We have also heard of the significant efforts and good work of jurisdictions, service providers and local communities to address violence against women and their children. Despite trial efforts, rates of violence remain unacceptably high. Negative gender-based attitudes continue unchallenged. We need to do more to keep women and their children safe. Collective, long-term action is needed. In this report, the Advisory Panel recommends a new approach to achieve lasting change. Responses must focus on empowering women and their children. Women must have choice. Perpetrators of violence against women must be held to account and supported to change. The recommendations we have put forward are innovative, practical and deliverable, and are founded on a strong evidence base. I believe that through the implementation of our recommended approach, women and children in Australia will be safer. This report would not have been possible without input from community representatives, local organisations, experts and service providers. I thank those people for their very valuable contributions. We are also grateful for the advice we have received from various Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies. Our advice has been designed to inform the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce The information contained in this report will Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. help inform consultations on the Third Action Plan and the work of governments. To support this, I encourage COAG to release the report publicly. It has been a privilege to work with my fellow Advisory Panel members, all of whom have brought valuable and varied perspectives and expertise to this important work. I thank them for their hard work, extensive contributions and advice. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the support provided to the Advisory Panel through the secretariat in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Yours sincerely, Ken D Lay APM Chair
Dear COAG members, I present to you the Final Report of the COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children (the Advisory Panel). Over the last 10 months, the Advisory Panel has engaged extensively with stakeholders and experts both domestically and internationally in the development of this report. We have heard many accounts of the destructive impact of violence against women and their children in Australia. We have also heard of the significant efforts and good work of jurisdictions, service providers and local communities to address violence against women and their children. Despite efforts, rates of violence remain unacceptably high. Negative gender-based attitudes continue unchallenged. We need to do more to keep women and their children safe. Collective, long-term action is needed. In this report, the Advisory Panel recommends a new approach to achieve lasting change. Responses must focus on empowering women and their children. Women must have choice. Perpetrators of violence against women must be held to account and supported to change. The recommendations we have put forward are innovative, practical and deliverable, and are founded on a strong evidence base. I believe that through the implementation of our recommended approach, women and children in Australia will be safer. This report would not have been possible without input from community representatives, local organisations, experts and service providers. I thank those people for their very valuable contributions. We are also grateful for the advice we have received from various Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies. Our advice has been designed to inform the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. The information contained in this report will help inform consultations on the Third Action Plan and the work of governments. To support this, I encourage COAG to release the report publicly. It has been a privilege to work with my fellow Advisory Panel members, all of whom have brought valuable and varied perspectives and expertise to this important work. I thank them for their hard work, extensive contributions and advice. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the support provided to the Advisory Panel through the secretariat in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Yours sincerely, Ken D Lay APM Chair trial