The federal government’s decision to appoint an expert panel to help prevent violence against women has been welcomed by the Victorian Women’s Health Services Network.
Chair of the Women’s Health Services Network, Tricia Currie, said the move aligns with their commitment to ending violence and fostering a safer, more equitable society.
“The federal inquiry and expert panel rapid review present an opportunity to address the pervasive issue of violence against women,” said Ms Currie.
“ We are prepared to contribute our expertise to this review, with the goal of identifying and implementing effective prevention strategies.”
To ensure the review’s effectiveness, the network has outlined recommendations it wants the expert panel to focus on.
They include:
Addressing the gendered drivers of violence; maintaining a universal approach to primary prevention while complementing it with targeted strategies for hard-to-reach groups; using the views of those with lived experience of violence to inform the inquiry’s findings and recommendations; addressing the role industries such as alcohol and gambling have in exacerbating gendered violence and using trauma-informed approaches in all prevention and early intervention strategies.
Ms Currie said the inquiry provided an opportunity to promote and implement evidence based strategies to combat gendered violence.
A well-resourced and evidence-based approach is necessary for making progress in preventing violence against women and creating a safer society for all”, she said.
The full set of hopes and expectations from the Victorian Women’s Health Services for the expert panel can be found here: www.whsn.org.au/blog/whsn-support-rapid-review-prevent-violence-against-women
