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Every woman has the right to live free from men's violence, and it is everyone’s responsibility to make it happen.
Understanding what drives men’s violence against women is extremely complex. Broad issues such as structural inequalities, affirm attitudes and social conditioning all contribute to the overarching prevalence of the problem.
White Ribbon Australia knows that the foundation for changing social attitudes, behaviours and systems lies in being curious, getting informed, and promoting and delivering evidence-based actions for change.
What is Violence Against Women?
Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.
White Ribbon Australia uses the definition of violence against women found in the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Violence against women can have a devastating effect on their well-being, preventing them from fully participating in society. It impacts on families, the community and the nation.
Violence against women is a Gendered Issue
Women are far more likely than men to experience sexual violence and violence from an intimate partner, and with more severe impacts.
Women are more likely than men to be afraid of, hospitalised by, or killed by an intimate partner.
Around 95% of all victims of violence, whether women or men, experience violence from a male perpetrator.
Violence and abuse is not always physical
There are many ways in which a woman can be controlled. This includes, but is not limited to sexual, social, emotional, cultural, spiritual and financial abuse, as well as a wide range of controlling, coercive and intimidating behaviour.
Regardless of the form it takes, it is understood to be most often used by men and its impact is to limit a woman’s independence.
What do we mean when we say that violence is gendered?
One in two Australian women have experienced being sexual harassed.
Women are almost three times more likely than men to have experienced violence inflicted by a partner since the age of fifteen.
Family violence and/or intimate partner violence is the leading cause of serious injury, disability and death for women in Australia. On average, one woman a week is killed by her intimate male partner.
The 2021 national Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women (NACS) survey tell us many Australians don’t understand that domestic violence is predominately perpetrated by men against women. 41% of respondents believed that domestic violence is equally committed by both men and women. However, an estimated 41% of Australians have experienced violence, with 31% of that figure being women. Additionally, 1 in 4 women have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member
How can we create a violence-free future for women and children?
The 2021 National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women (NACS) survey showed that a majority of Australians do not think violence against women occurs in all communities, including their own. Only 47% agree that it is a problem in their own suburb or town. This needs to change.
Big change needs big actions
There are three levels from which such a widespread social and structural issue can be approached. Primary, secondary and tertiary action create a triple-prong approach, meaning the problem is addressed at multiple levels.
Primary prevention aims to stop the issue before it starts
Primary prevention essentially means getting ahead of the issue, so that violence doesn’t happen at all. Our approach works across communities, organisations and society as a whole to address the deep, underlying drivers behind the behaviour.
Examples of primary prevention include:
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– Government policy establishing frameworks and standards for preventing violence against women and promoting gender equality.
– Public information and awareness-raising in mass media, workplaces and communities.
– Educational programs in schools.
– Programs in workplaces
Examples of secondary prevention include:
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– Behaviour change programs for men who are violent or abusive
– Home visits from social workers for new mothers at risk of violence
Secondary prevention acts as early intervention
This approach is designed to stop an escalation in the early signs of violence and is considered successful when violence is avoided or stopped. This can be a victim leaving a violent relationship or the perpetrator stops the abuse.
Examples of tertiary prevention include:
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– Criminal justice responses to perpetrators
– Child protection responses.
Tertiary prevention aims to stop existing violence
This approach is used when recurring violence exists. It is designed to try and stop it altogether and/or minimise its impacts through direct intervention.
This work can directly support primary and secondary prevention. Tertiary prevention also indirectly contributes to prevention by helping shape community attitudes about men’s violence against women.
