Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is launching a five-year plan to address the next steps towards ending violence against women.
The Australian National Research Agenda (ANRA) to End Violence Against Women and Children 2023-2028 is a national framework, which will guide researchers, funders, policymakers, survivor advocates and social impact organisations who work in the domestic and family violence space.
The framework, co-designed by victim-survivors, practitioners and researchers, follows ANROWS’ mandate to expand research and evidence base on prevention, intervention and responses and support for violence against women, outlined in the government’s National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032.
Dr Jane Lloyd, acting CEO of ANROWS, said the ANRA is strengthened by the involvement of victim-survivors in designing the framework.
“Having victim-survivors be at the centre of that was key,” Dr Lloyd said.
“For people experiencing violence, the shortcomings and successes of our systems can radically alter the trajectory of their lives. They must be central to research processes, we can’t lead change without them.”
The ANRA will research on three main forms of violence against women: sexual violence, coercive control and economic abuse.
The populations in focus for the research organisation include people who use violence, children and young people, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The ANRA aims to investigate how systems and society perpetuate violence against women through structural inequalities, gender relations, norms and attitudes. The framework also aims to highlight the importance of trauma-informed, victim-centred systems.
Justine Elliot, the Assistant Minister for Social Services and Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, said the ANRA should inform and guide all people who are involved in the space of domestic and family violence.
“In order to achieve our shared goal of ending gender-based violence, it is vital we expand the research and evidence base on identifying, responding to, and healing from violence,” Elliot said.
“I thank ANROWS for leading this important work, and urge the research community to use the ANRA as we all work together to fill these critical evidence gaps.”
The latest framework from ANROWS comes off the back of a horror month for violence against women.
According to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women, 47 women have been killed by violence this year. At the end of October, five women in Australia were killed in just ten days.
Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon said those deaths were “the tip of the iceberg” that is a “national crisis”, as she joined the individuals and organisations calling for stronger government action towards ending violence against women.
“Australia’s National Plan commits to ending gender-based violence in one generation,” she said last month.
“To achieve this, we urgently need increased action, funding and political attention on the insecurity of women and children in their homes and workplaces.”
If you are concerned about your behaviour, or about someone using violence, call Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
If you or someone you know is in need of help due to sexual assault or family and domestic violence contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
In an emergency call 000.