Government Allocates AU$925M To Support Women Escaping Violence, Block Children From Accessing Porn

The Australian government has allocated a permanent fund of A$925.2 million to support women who have fled from violence. The fund will also be used to introduce a slew of methods, such as a trial to verify the age for blocking children from accessing pornography.

The announcement was made after the state and federal leaders held an emergency meeting to address the issue, as it was revealed that 28 women died in the country this year in incidents of gendered violence, ABC News reported.

The federal government announced that the amount would be used to set up the Leaving Violence Program over five years, with an aim to provide financial aid, safety assessments and pathways to support survivors. This is a follow-up on the pilot program, Escaping Violence Program, which was set up in 2021.

Calling the deaths a "national crisis," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said violence against women is a society's problem and the victims should not be forced to face the issue alone.

"This is, indeed, a national crisis and it's a national challenge and we're facing this with a spirit of national unity," Albanese said. "We want to change this [and] we all have to take responsibility. Because violence against women is not a woman's problem to solve, it is a whole-of-society problem to solve, and men in particular have to take responsibility."

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said the Leaving Violence Program would provide an individualized financial support package of up to $1,500 in cash, up to $3,500 in goods and services, and a safety planning, risk assessment and referrals to other essential services for up to 12 weeks.

Another measure would be an age verification technology that would be set up to protect children from harmful content. Planned on a pilot basis, the measure is aimed at preventing "easy access to pornography for children and young people and tackle extreme online misogyny, which is fueling harmful attitudes towards women."

Last Saturday, a massive rally was held in Sydney to protest violence against women. The protest occurred after five women were killed during a mass stabbing in April, as reported by Reuters.

"There is no overnight solution to violence against women and children," the prime minister said. "My government is absolutely committed to making progress to end family, domestic and sexual violence in one generation through our national plan."

A National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children was agreed by federal, state and territory leaders in October 2022.

The ABC News reports the national plan is divided into four stages of action -- prevention, that aimed to alter societal attitudes that drive violence, early intervention that would identify likely perpetrators and victims, and then intervene, response of various state agencies including police and the justice system, and finally, recovery and healing that aimed to work with victim-survivors, including children.

A similar attempt was made in 2010, but failed in meeting its goal of reducing prevalence. The new plan includes a wider set of metrics, including bringing in a change in societal attitudes. But, it does not detail what specific actions will be taken, or by whom, or how they will be funded, and this could lead to bureaucratic hassles.