Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a statement about one of the most critical issues facing Australia today, and that is the issue of family violence. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign which commenced on 25 November, the day that the United Nations General Assembly has designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. We can make no bones about this: family violence is gendered violence. It is true that there are some men in the Australian community who experience this, but we know that one in three Australian women will be the victims of family violence at some stage throughout their lives.

I want to acknowledge Australian men who have used this opportunity over the last couple of days to make their own voice heard on their opposition to family violence. I particularly point out the member for Gellibrand, who has shown really significant leadership in starting a parliamentary group against family violence, joined by the members for Hasluck and Mallee.

Some of us in Australia like to believe that family violence can be seen in some groups but not in others. But, actually, when you look at the reality and when you look at the data, what you find is that family violence does not discriminate. We see it across all socioeconomic communities. We see it across all cultural communities. We see it in the city and in the country. We see Australian victims of family violence who come from all different walks of life.

We have come a long way in our understanding about the causes of family violence. We know that it is men that cause family violence because of their decision to use violence in their relationships. We know that family violence is about power. What studies all over the world show us is that it is countries where women are not able to control economic resources, where women do not have positions of leadership and where women and men are fundamentally not equal that family violence is the biggest problem. I think that suggests that there are lots of gender issues in this country that we need to look at very seriously because, when we understand the research, we understand that all of these problems are related.

What is a little bit worrying is that, when we look at survey data, we do see evidence that there continues to be confusion in the Australian community about what it is that causes family violence. We know that there are sizeable portions of the Australian population today who will still say that there are circumstances in which violence against women can be excused. We know that eight in 10 people continue to say that they cannot understand why women who are experiencing violence do not just leave the relationships, which indicates a complete misunderstanding of how these relationships work and the type of manipulation that goes on.

I want to mention the important work of groups in Hotham who are doing work on this, including two councils, who are leading through their enterprise agreements: the City of Monash and the City of Greater Dandenong. Family violence is a scourge on the community, and I encourage all those there to speak out against it. (Time expired)