Background
From 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, individuals and communities across Western Australia have an opportunity to show their support for ending violence against women, including family, domestic and sexual violence through 16 Days in WA – Stop Violence Against Women (16 Days in WA).
Our campaign draws inspiration from the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international initiative to end violence against women and girls across the world.
In Western Australia, 16 Days in WA aims to raise awareness, motivate positive action and highlight organisations, agencies, communities and individuals taking action to end violence against women.
The campaign is a State Government initiative which began in 2017.
Key messages
- Violence against anyone is unacceptable.
- We all have a responsibility to stop family and domestic violence.
- Stopping family and domestic violence means promoting gender equality and respectful relationships.
- Play your part to help keep your family and community safe.
Facts and statistics
- An estimated 305,400 women in WA (30%) have experienced physical, emotional or economic abuse by a cohabiting partner with:
- 19% having experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
- 24% having experienced emotional abuse.
- 16% experiencing economic abuse.
- Aboriginal women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised because of violence than non-Aboriginal women.
- A national study on child maltreatment shows 39.6 percent experienced exposure to domestic violence as a child.
- The number of family and domestic violence incidents WA Police attended has increased: 55,926 in 2021-22 to 58,994 in 2022-23.
- A recent national survey on victims shows in WA:
- the number of victims of assault increased by 11% to 42,826 victims, the highest number in 31 years. 64% of assaults were family and domestic violence related (27,237 victims).
- 28% of all sexual assault incidents were family and domestic violence related.
- The national homicide monitoring program showed five intimate partner homicides in WA for 2022-2023,. This was the third highest across the country (behind New South Wales (11) and Queensland (9)). All victims were female.
- A longstanding national study on Australians attitudes to violence against women (including family and domestic violence) showed that between 2017 and 2021:
- rejection of violence against women significantly increased in WA but plateaued in Australia despite an improvement over the longer term
- rejection of domestic violence plateaued in both WA and Australia, despite an improvement over the longer term.
(Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics; Family and Domestic Violence System Reform Plan; Australian Institute of Criminology)
Did you know?
- Family violence continues to be a driver of gender inequality, including in the areas of employment, participation and financial security.
- Family and domestic violence is also the leading cause of homelessness for women and children and a significant factor impacting health, inclusion and participation for people with disability.
- Family and domestic violence is experienced at disproportionately high rates by Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse women and children, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTIQ+.
- Coercive control is family and domestic violence. Coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviour, not just a single behaviour or incident.
- Technology-facilitated abuse is a form of domestic, family and sexual violence in which perpetrators control, stalk and harass their victims using digital technology.
- National survey results highlight that work on awareness, understanding and attitudes regarding violence against women and gender inequality needs to continue in WA.
- There are still concerning proportions of people whose attitudes undermine women’s leadership, reinforce rigid gender roles, limit women’s personal autonomy, normalise sexism and deny gender inequality is a problem.
