Joint Media Release: Funding for Research Prevention to Eradicate Domestic and Family Violence

The Morrison Government is investing $15 million over the next three years in Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).

This funding will support ANROWS to produce, disseminate and promote new research into domestic and family violence and sexual assault.

ANROWS was established in 2013 as an initiative of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010‑2022.

Minister for Families and Social Services Paul Fletcher said ANROWS plays an important role in ensuring that domestic and family violence services and policy makers have access to high quality research.

“Our Government’s first priority is to keep Australians safe. An integral part of achieving this is building a strong body of evidence-based research on domestic, family, and sexual violence, in order to determine what works in addressing the scourge of domestic violence in the community,” said Mr Fletcher.

“This funding will also enable ANROWS to undertake targeted research on specific groups experiencing violence, such as women with disability, women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.”

Under the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan, ANROWS will receive $5.64 million to undertake a range of research and evaluation projects.

An additional $4.3 million will support ANROWS to carry out the 2021 round of the National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS), and undertake further research into the 2017 NCAS findings.

In addition, the Commonwealth will provide ANROWS with $1.7 million in core funding per annum, for the next three years, bringing the total Commonwealth investment in ANROWS to $15 million.

The Morrison Government recently announced the largest ever Commonwealth investment of $328 million investment in the Fourth Action Plan, which includes a total of $9.2 million in research funding, including the $5.64 million for ANROWS.

The remaining funding will support key agencies such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to undertake ongoing work to address data gaps and produce high quality reports on family, domestic and sexual violence. It will also support evaluations of the National Plan and National Plan partner, Our Watch.

Minister Fletcher also announced a commitment of $480,000 for the Penrith Women’s Health Centre if the Morrison Government is re-elected.

“This funding commitment will improve the safety and resilience of women and children in Penrith and surrounds experiencing or at risk of family and domestic violence, through allocation of additional caseworkers and physical resources,” said Mr Fletcher.

Federal Liberal Candidate for Lindsay, Melissa McIntosh welcomed today’s announcement and highlighted the importance of this commitment for Penrith.

“The statistics on this issue are shocking – one in six women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15. This figure increases to nearly one in four women when violence by boyfriends, girlfriends and dates is included,” Ms McIntosh said.

“Whether it’s at home, in the workplace, in our communities or online, all women and children deserve to be safe.” 

“This additional support for the Penrith Women’s Health Centre will improve resilience for vulnerable women and children experiencing or at risk of family and domestic violence – who require assistance from community support services.