About the campaign, Stop violence against women, Amnesty International Australia

About the campaign

Mark 1 August 2007, 09:48AM

Indonesian students protest outside the United Nations representative in Jakarta

All over the world women and girls suffer at the hands of the state, the community and the family. It's a scandal that violence against women is allowed, excused and overlooked.

Amnesty International is bringing together men and women in a campaign to stop violence against women in Australia and around the world.

See our list of support services around Australia for women experiencing violence.

Duty to protect

Amnesty International is calling on the international community, governments, local communities, and every single person in the world to end help end violence against women.

Governments have an obligation to eliminate violence against women. Our campaign holds them to account for their failure to protect women and urges them to live up to their duty to stop this violence.

In Australia, domestic violence puts more women aged 15 to 44 at risk of ill-health and premature death than any other risk factor; and more than one third of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lives.

Many worthwhile initiatives are addressing the problem, but more needs to be done.

Women across the country can't count on receiving the same level of protection against violence, or the same resources to deal with abuse. There is currently no national strategy to coordinate efforts or expertise among Australia's states and territories, different government agencies, and with the non-government sector.

A National solution

Violence against women is a national problem and it needs a national solution.

In 2005 Amnesty International began a campaign for a National Plan of Action to eliminate violence against women. Almost 200 organisations nationally endorsed our call and 30,000 people signed our petition.

After coming to power in November 2007 the Federal Government committed to developing a National Plan. They appointed a National Council who are currently drafting a report for the government.

We conducted research into international standards and good practice to presented the findings to the National Council. (link to Setting the Standard). We believe that a National Plan will only be effective if it meets international standards by;

Taking a Structural Approach - It must take an ‘all of government' approach. It must treat violence against women as a societal problem based in sex discrimination. It must address the diversity of women.
Being Strategic - It should include a defined set of objectives, targets, indicators, activities and commitments.
Be sustained - There must be ongoing funding that represents the severity of the problem. There needs to be a permanent leadership body to oversee the plan.

And the plan must cover

Prevention - Including ongoing education and public awareness raising
Provision of services - Available, comprehensive services that cover the physical, mental and social wellbeing of victim / survivors as well as protection from further violence.
Prosecution - The plan should establish nationally consistent legal and police responses which treat violence against women as a human rights violation.