Every woman deserves the right to feel safe in her workplace, in her community and in her home.
Sadly, we know that too many women and children in our community don’t feel safe in their own homes. Family violence does not discriminate and is pervasive into all corners of our society.
That is why we established the Royal Commission into Family Violence and committed to implementing all 227 recommendations. Preventing this violence before it occurs is key to the reform agenda, because we do not just want to reduce family violence, we want to see a Victoria free of it.
To do this requires sustained effort and investment in primary prevention to create a generational and cultural shift in the attitudes, behaviours and social norms that condone violence. This needs more than ongoing commitment from government. It also requires partnering with and building on the leadership and expertise of the family violence and prevention sectors, women’s health services, local government, Aboriginal and community-led organisations.
Respect Victoria, our new dedicated primary prevention agency, also has a critical role to play in building every Victorian’s understanding and ownership of their role in preventing family violence.
I would like to congratulate all involved for their combined efforts over the last year to create the foundations of the biggest platform for primary prevention Australia has ever seen. We know this work will take time, but we are determined and committed to achieving this vision. I am honoured to be on this journey alongside you and immensely proud of our achievements to-date.
Gabrielle Williams MP
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
Minister for Women
Updated