Australian policy & key documents on violence against women
Commonwealth Government
Below are the Commonwealth Government's current strategic documents for addressing family violence and violence against women.
- 12-year national plan to reduce violence against women
The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 – 2022(2010), Commonwealth of Australia- Third action plan to enact the national plan
The Third Action Plan 2016-2019 (2016), Commonwealth of Australia.
- Third action plan to enact the national plan
Victorian Government
Below are the Victorian Government's current strategic documents for preventing family violence and violence against women. Note: these documents also include response and early intervention content.
- 10-year plan for a safer Victoria for all Indigenous families and communities
Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families: Towards a safer future for Indigenous families and communities - 10 Year Plan (2008), State of Victoria - Findings and recommendations from Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence
‘Chapter 36: Prevention’, Royal Commission into Family Violence: Report and recommendations, Volume VI (2016), State of Victoria, pp 1-70. - 10-year plan to end family violence - prevention, response and early-intervention
Ending family violence: Victoria’s plan for change (2016), State of Victoria- Prevention-specific strategy & first action plan
Free from violence: Victoria's strategy to prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women (2017), State of Victoria
Free from violence: First action plan 2018-2021 (2018), State of Victoria
- Prevention-specific strategy & first action plan
- Gender Equality Strategy
Safe and Strong: A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy (2016), State of Victoria - Industry Plan for workforce development - prevention, response and early-intervention
Building from Strength: 10-Year Industry Plan for Family Violence Prevention and Response(2017), State of Victoria- Workforce Development Frameworks to support the Industry Plan
Prevention workforce: Preventing Family Violence & Violence Against Women Capability Framework (2017), Family Safety Victoria
Response and early intervention workforce: Responding to Family Violence Capability Framework (2017), State of Victoria - Workforce Census that informed the Industry Plan
Census of Workforces that Intersect with Family Violence (2017) Family Safety Victoria
- Workforce Development Frameworks to support the Industry Plan
- Diversity and intersectionality framework - prevention, response and early-intervention
Diversity and Intersectionality Framework (2016), State of Victoria
Key frameworks (non-government)
- Australia's leading framework for the primary prevention of violence against women
Change the Story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia (2015), Our Watch, VicHealth & ANROWs - Solutions based resource for preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (follows on from Change the Story)
Changing the Picture: A national resource to support the prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children (2018), Our Watch
Key research and documents (non-government)
- Research from ANROWS, Australia’s leading national researcher on women’s safety
Publications (various years), Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) - Australia’s national survey on attitudes to violence against women (released every 4 years)
Australian’s attitudes to violence against women: Findings from the 2013 National Community Attitudes towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS) (2014), VicHealth - Support resources for Change the Story
- Practitioner handbook for Change the Story
Putting the primary prevention of violence against women into practice: How to change the story (2017), Our Watch - Toolkit on delivering community prevention programs
Community based prevention of violence against women and their children (2016), Our Watch - Prevention monitoring handbook
Counting on Change: A guide to prevention monitoring (2017) Our Watch
- Practitioner handbook for Change the Story
- Intersectional resources
- Research report on addressing violence against Indigenous women
Innovative models in addressing violence against Indigenous women (2018), ANROWS - Key report on preventing violence against immigrant and refugee women in Australia
On Her Way: Primary prevention of violence against immigrant and refugee women in Australia (2011), Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health - Guide to engaging immigrant and refugee communities in violence prevention
Working with immigrant and refugee communities to prevent violence against women (2017), Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health - Practitioner guidelines for preventing violence against women with disabilities
Inclusive planning guidelines for the prevention of violence against women with disabilities (2017), Women with Disabilities Victoria
- Research report on addressing violence against Indigenous women
- Managing resistance and backlash handbook
(En)countering resistance: Strategies to respond to resistance to gender equality initiatives (2018), VicHealth - Communicating prevention messages
Speaking publicly about preventing men's violence against women: Curly questions and language considerations (2015), Women's Health West
Regional strategies & action plans
Rural
- Barwon South West - Great South Coast PVAW Strategy 2013-2017 and; G21 Preventing and Addressing Violence Against Women and Children Strategic Plan 2016 – 2020
- Gippsland - Gippsland Regional PVAW Action Plan Dec 2015-Dec 2016
- Goulburn North East - Hume Region PVAWC Strategy 2013–2017
- Grampians - Communities of Respect and Equality: A plan to prevent violence against women and their children in the Grampians Region 2016 – 2020
- Loddon Mallee - The Loddon Mallee action plan for the primary prevention of violence against women 2016-2019
Metropolitan
- Eastern Metropolitan Melbourne - Together for Equality & Respect: A Strategy to Prevent Violence Against Women in Melbourne’s East 2013-2017
- Northern Metropolitan Melbourne - Building a Respectful Community – Preventing Violence against Women – A Strategy for the Northern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne 2011-2016
- Southern Metropolitan Melbourne - Preventing Violence Together: A Strategy for the Southern Metropolitan Region 2016 – 2021
- Western Metropolitan Melbourne - Preventing Violence Together: The Western Region Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women 2010
Contact us
Get in touch with Gender Equity Victoria for more information.