Ministers meet to discuss national response to violence against women and their children

Tanya Plibersek and Attorney-General Robert McClelland today met with their state and territory colleagues to discuss progress on national efforts to reduce violence against women and their children.

The Australian Government in April this year released Time for Action, the major report of the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

Governments are now working together to finalise a National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their children be released in 2010. The National Plan will set out measures to tackle the unacceptable levels of sexual assault and domestic and family violence in Australia.

The National Plan will give all governments and the community clear directions about helping Australian women and their children live free of violence, and in safe communities.

The Ministers today agreed that the National Plan will specifically address family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Communities.

They also agreed to prioritise actions in several priority areas including school based respectful relationship programs, improving perpetrator programs, and boosting efforts to reduce violence against Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders and their children.

Laws must be strong enough to hold perpetrators to account and offer safety for victims and their families.

We must also educate young people to stop the intergenerational effects of violence.

Sexual assault, domestic and family violence have serious and often devastating consequences for victims, their extended families and the community.

Through the development of a National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their children, the Rudd Government remains committed to providing national leadership on this critical issue.