Australia Faces Unprecedented Challenges: Solutions Seem Elusive

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Tuesday marked the start of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, and triggered fresh funding from the federal government towards ending domestic and family violence, but advocates say there is still a long way to go.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a $41.8m funding boost for 1800RESPECT, the national domestic, family and sexual violence support service, which has reported a 3,000 per cent increase in demand for its services since it first began operating under the Gillard government in 2010.

“The Albanese Labor Government is proud to have invested more than any Government ever — over $4 billion — in keeping women and their children safe,” Plibersek said in a statement.

“There is more work to do, but record funding for frontline services, paid domestic violence leave, making the Leaving Violence Program permanent, housing and legal support for women escaping violence and programs to stop the violence at the start are making a life-changing difference.”

Sherele Moody, the journalist and researcher behind Australian Femicide Watch, told SBS News it would be a mistake to assume that what the federal government has previously called a “national crisis” is over.

“We are in a national ‘women being killed’ crisis, whether it’s domestic and family violence, whether it’s stranger violence, more women are being killed now than they have in the past 10 years that I’ve been documenting cases,” she said.

The grim reality of escalating violence against women continues to cast a shadow over the nation, with experts like Moody expressing deep concern over the rising number of murder cases. Speaking to SBS News, Moody conveyed the urgency of the situation, pointing out that current measures are failing to curb the violence. “And nothing is fixing it,” she emphasized, highlighting the need for more effective strategies to address this alarming trend.

Moody, who has been closely monitoring these developments, indicated that additional suspected murders could further increase this year’s already distressing tally. The situation is dire, leaving little room for optimism. “There is little to celebrate,” Moody remarked, underscoring the broader impact of such violence.

With five weeks left in the year, two separate advocacy groups have counted fewer domestic and family violence murders in 2025 than in 2024.

Counting Dead Women, a project by advocacy group Destroy the Joint recording the number of women allegedly murdered in domestic and family violence, estimated 43 women have been killed so far in 2025, compared to 80 deaths in 2024.

An alternative count run by researcher Sherele Moody, Australian Femicide Watch, counts every woman who dies by murder, manslaughter or neglect, regardless of the perpetrator’s gender or whether domestic and family violence was a factor. This year, she counted 62 women allegedly murdered and 24 children. Last year, the figures were 105 women and 21 children.

Beyond the horrific loss of life, Moody stressed that for every woman tragically killed, countless others suffer from injuries and psychological trauma. Her words serve as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of this issue and the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to ensure the safety and well-being of women everywhere.

Moody warned there is little to celebrate.

“Every one of those 62 was loved and deserved to live.”

Moody said she is monitoring around 15 or 16 further deaths where the police determination is at odds with how the family feel, and she expected more deaths to come to light.

She added: “For every woman killed, there are thousands more injured or harmed psychologically.”

‘Fund the bloody frontline’

Sarah Rosenberg, founder of With You We Can, which supports victims of sexual violence navigating the legal system, felt that awareness of domestic violence has increased this year.

“I think there’s been improvement in understanding for sure, but has that translated into tangible action?”

“No, because we’re still not funding action in the first place, and we’re caught up in red tape of inquiries rather than doing what needs to be done.”

In 2022, the Albanese government launched the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032 with the aim of ending domestic and family violence in one generation. It followed the 2010-2-22 national plan.

The 2022-2032 plan was followed in 2024 by a Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches, with a $4.7 billion funding boost to support putting the recommendations into practice.

Rosenberg said there was plenty of “low hanging fruit” – things that could be implemented immediately like improving victim compensation and helping victims access legal support, but the key to all of it was to “fund the bloody frontline”.

A report published by the University of Western Australia’s Public Policy Institute at the end of October found an extra $240 million is needed to end the funding shortfall for frontline and support services for survivors of sexual violence.

Rosenberg said that while the shortfalls still exist, the burden for ending the crisis falls on the victims and over-strained services.

“It’s always on us to do the work, and we’re just begging to be heard over a sea of institutional jargon and the deployment of buzzwords like trauma-informed and administrative KPIs rather than outcomes that are actually reflecting improvement in victims’ lives,” she said.

If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.