Over the past three years, Victoria has continued its legacy of national leadership in preventing family violence, gendered violence and all forms of violence against women, with strong commitment from both the Victorian Government and the domestic, family and sexual violence sectors. However, this work requires long-term and transformational change; there is much work still ahead of us.
This report identifies the importance of prevention within the broader family and sexual violence system. It highlights that above all, prevention has not yet been funded at the scale required to achieve population-level outcomes. Despite this, Victorian prevention efforts have made significant strides, and advances have been made notwithstanding systemic challenges and concerning trends. Victorian prevention activity and its many contributors have been resilient, adapting to challenges by deepening partnerships, leveraging research and innovation, and evolving to meet growing demand.
Eight key themes have been identified and verified through key informant interviews, sector consultations, reports and evaluations, and sensemaking workshops with stakeholders. These include the need for:
- prevention investment
- enabling policy and legislation
- strengthening the prevention system
- growing and supporting the workforce
- building evidence and data
- recognising and enabling community-led and specialist prevention work
- community awareness, understanding and behaviour change
- evolving prevention practice and approaches.
Fifteen recommendations have been made to the Victorian Government based on these themes to ensure that crucial momentum is not lost. The recommendations aim to protect the progress already made and set priorities for continued leadership and investment. By building on what works, strengthening and safeguarding essential prevention system infrastructure and courageously addressing persistent and emerging challenges, Victoria can continue to set the standard for what a whole-of-society approach to prevention looks like.
At the heart of prevention are the experiences of those impacted by violence – those who have had their lives taken from them, those who have had their loved ones taken from them, and those that have experienced or are living with gendered violence or the threat of it right now. Overwhelmingly, Victorians want change, and this has driven the state to be a leader nationally and internationally. To move us closer to a Victoria where everyone is safe, equal and respected, we need a renewed focus and sustained investment in the system, workers and evidence that enable this essential prevention work.