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Understanding the issue of violence against women

1 minute read

All violence is unacceptable whether it occurs in the home, the workplace or the sporting field, and whether it is perpetrated by men or women. 

However, we need to focus our prevention efforts on the most common forms of violence and pay attention to the gendered nature of this violence. This means addressing the many forms of violence against women.  

Violence against women takes many forms for example, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and financial. Here are some of the facts behind the issue.

  • On average, one woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner.1
  • 1 in 3 Australian women (30.5%) has experienced physical violence since the age of 15.2
  • 1 in 4 Australian women (23.0%) has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner.3
  • 1 in 5 Australian women (18.4%) has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.4
  • Australian women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner.5

Next step

The role of gender equality