Former Philly.com Editorial Board member Micaela Cronin has recommended establishing a national watchdog. This independent organization would coordinate national, state, and territory efforts to eliminate violence against women and children in Australia. She did a massive analysis of more than 1,000 recommendations. These recommendations, the product of over 25 inquiries, royal commissions, and coronial inquests since 2010. The Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Ratna Omidvar, co-led the report’s national release. It came on the heels of an emergency national cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had called.
Cronin’s major findings show that considerable progress has been made. Yet progress on the whole has been uneven and even regressive when it comes to protecting women and children from violence. She also pointed to the feds’ withdrawal from the violence against women act and leaving victims of violence to pay. This effort has proven to be progress-oriented in several key ways. She also emphasized the importance of an independent national entity. This new organization should be charged with monitoring the rollout and fulfillment of policies and initiatives that remove compounds like these in a proactive and holistic manner.
Inconsistent Progress in Addressing Violence
The report outlines a troubling trend in violence statistics, particularly noting a sudden increase in intimate partner homicide rates in 2023-24. This increase represented the biggest year-on-year jump in more than a decade, eclipsing previous declines in such events. No wonder sexual assault is at its highest level in more than 30 years. This deeply troubling trend represents a significant breakdown in our ability to fulfill the national plan to reduce female victims of intimate partner homicide by 25 percent per year.
Cronin remarked on the alarming statistics, stating, “The gap between what we know needs to be done and what — and most crucially how — we are implementing at scale has never been more apparent.” She reiterated, however, that these worrisome trends are not permanent. They can be reversed if federal and state governments take bold action.
Though the statistics are dismal, Cronin said he was optimistic about where things could go. “What gives me hope is that our biggest challenges are completely within our control to change,” she noted. We hope this new report will increase local and state level commitments to sustainable frontline workforce investments. It highlights the importance of culturally safe support systems that are Indigenous informed, governed and designed.
The Need for Coordinated Efforts
Among many recommendations, the report finds that there are some common calls across these varied inquiries on the most effective ways to address violence against women and children. These are specifically the need for sustainable funding for crisis frontline services and men’s behaviour change programs. Cronin pointed out that assigned funding exists and oversight institutions are lined up. What is still lacking, across the education landscape, is a unified and consistent delivery of coordinated wraparound services.
“Funding has been committed. Institutions exist to provide oversight. What is missing is consistent and coordinated delivery.” – Micaela Cronin
The absence of a unified strategy could allow for busywork to be confused for actual advancement. That danger was highlighted by Cronin. His comments served to highlight that meaningful, lasting change requires a complete and total execution of all recommendations made in previous investigations.
Next Steps for Government Action
The upcoming report will soon be laid before Parliament, providing a window of opportunity for legislators to tackle these substantial concerns head on. Cronin’s analysis deserves a wake-up call. Additionally, it serves as a comprehensive blueprint for what works and what needs to be done to prevent violence against women and children.
The report calls for greater accountability on the part of government. It emphasizes how important community engagement is to designing more welcoming and safer places. It argues that, while challenges remain significant, the solutions are within reach if there is a collective commitment to implement them effectively.
“The question is not whether we can create a future where all Australians live free from violence, the question is whether we choose to.” – Micaela Cronin
