Good afternoon everyone and thank you for having me here today.
I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and acknowledge their custodianship.
I pay my respects to the Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge anyone here who has lived or living experience with family, domestic, and sexual violence.
The voices of victim-survivors are central to all our efforts, and I offer my deepest thanks to those who share their experiences as a platform for change.
I would also like to recognise here with us today:
- Holly Donaldson, CAPHIA Executive Director and the CAPHIA Board of Directors
- Lisa Hall, Sheelagh Lawler, Rebecca Johnson and the University of Queensland Public Health team
- Associate Professor Courtney Ryder, Injury Prevention Discipline Lead at Flinders University and CAPHIA Board Member and Director
- Jack Feng, Chief Student Entrepreneur, University of Queensland, Mindmuse.care Co-Founder, and
- Damian Topp, Challenge DV Board Member, Chief Executive Officer PA Research Foundation.
As we all know, family, domestic and sexual violence is an issue that remains pervasive within our society.
It has long term and far-reaching impacts - affecting children, families, friends, work colleagues, communities and society as a whole.
Ending violence requires sustained and collective efforts across all parts of society.
The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in Australia have committed to these efforts through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.
This is our national policy framework which seeks to end violence against women and children within a generation.
Within the National Plan, family, domestic and sexual violence is called out as a health issue.
Victim-survivors may experience physical injuries including lifelong disability and increased pain, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, fear.
These issues will no doubt continue to affect them throughout their lives.
Viewing family, domestic and sexual violence through a public health lens presents the opportunity to understand its multifaceted nature.
It also helps us to better understand the significant and often lifelong health and wellbeing impacts for victim-survivors, family members and communities.
Family, domestic and sexual violence is preventable when addressed within a systemic framework.
In 2022, the Albanese Labor Government appointed the first federal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.
Commissioner Cronin just last month tabled her first yearly report to Parliament. The report noted that of workforces that respond to domestic, family and sexual violence, 90 per cent are medical professionals and allied health workers.
Health services which are person-centred, trauma informed and coordinated across public health services with other support services can enable effective support and treatment while ensuring safety is a priority.
And importantly at this conference, we can consider what can be done to enhance healthcare workers' knowledge of family, domestic and sexual violence.
Because we know that primary health care professionals are often a first point of contact, and therefore play a vital role in prevention, early identification and responding to family, domestic and sexual violence.
It’s vital to look across all service support systems and how they interact to support those that need help.
As I stand here at a university, it would be remiss of me not to mention the important role universities play when it comes to ending gender-based violence.
As with all workplaces, universities also have an important role in reducing, preventing and responding appropriately to sexual harassment and violence.
The Albanese Government recently introduced legislation to establish an independent National Student Ombudsman to investigate student complaints and resolve disputes with universities, including in relation to sexual assault and sexual harassment.
A National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence will also be established.
Universities also have a critical part to play in furthering the research and evidence we need.
Everyone across our community has a part to play and I commend the students and judges participating in these Hackathon pitches, and all of you here today - students, academics and educators - for your work and your interest in this important issue.
I encourage you all to think broadly about how we can prevent gender-based violence, knowing that where a person interacts with a service – be it a GP, a counsellor, or a police officer – might be one of the only opportunities we have to help them.
I look forward to getting feedback from these pitches, and hope you enjoy the rest of the forum.
Thank you.