Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to UN Committee Against Torture, 17 October 2014 7 Violence against women LOIPR: para 13 – steps taken to effectively implement laws on violence against women Relevant provisions of the CAT: Article 2 Key issues: • Violence against women remains a critical and endemic issue in Australia with statistics suggesting that 41 per cent of women aged 18 and over have experienced violence in their lifetime • The Government has taken significant steps to improve responses to violence, such as through amendments to family law legislation to respond more effectively to domestic and family violence and child abuse; and through the introduction of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22. • The Commission remains concerned that a range of support services for women experiencing violence continue to be under-resourced, and there continue to be inadequate levels of specific support available for women living in rural and remote areas, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disabilities, as well as lesbian, trans and intersex women. • The Commission commends the Australian Defence Force for implementing measures to reduce the incidence of violence against women and sexual harassment in the armed forces. In particular, the Commission welcomes the establishment of the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office (SeMPRO) and the commitment of senior leadership to eradicating violence against women within the armed forces. Recommended action: That all Australian governments fully implement the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, including by ensuring appropriate services and funding are provided to particularly vulnerable categories of women. That the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children is independently and consistently monitored and evaluated. That governments in Australia ensure that there is rigorous monitoring of the implementation of Coronial Inquest findings, to address systemic failures to protect women from domestic violence. 28