23 November 2012, Hobart, Tasmania
The Hon. Pru Goward, MP, Minister for Women, New South Wales, chaired the third meeting of the COAG Select Council on Women’s Issues (the Select Council) in Hobart, hosted by Tasmania, on Friday 23 November 2012.
Women’s Ministers reasserted their commitment to work collaboratively to progress national reform through:
- implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
- developing and recommending a national framework for gender equality and
- establishing National Centre for Excellence on Violence against Women and their Children.
National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (National Plan)
Ministers discussed the status of the National Plan actions. Ministers welcomed the considerable progress that has been made against the national actions identified under the National Plan Implementation Plan, which was released in September 2012.
Ministers also discussed the importance of progressing work on perpetrator interventions in collaboration with the Standing Council on Law and Justice.
Ministers agreed to finalise their first report to the Council of Australian Governments on the progress against the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.
It was acknowledged that the report demonstrates strong progress against the agreed national actions as well as work within each jurisdiction to prevent and respond to violence against women. The report also highlights the importance of work across the community to respond to this issue.
The Select Council agreed to establish the National Centre of Excellence, as a key joint commitment under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The Centre will be established in NSW from January 2013, with the Commonwealth providing initial funding of up to $1 million. From mid 2013 the Centre will receive annual funding of $3 million, with the Commonwealth providing $1.5 million annually and the remaining $1.5 million provided by States and Territories on a cost shared basis. Ministers commended the work undertaken by all stakeholders who participated in the national consultations to assist in developing the design of the Centre.
Ministers endorsed the document ‘Defining the data challenge for Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence’ which has been developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Ministers also agreed to continue working together on improving data collection.
Ministers agreed to do further work related to media reporting on violence against women to support the outcomes of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22.
National Framework for Gender Equality
Progress on the National Framework for Gender Equality was discussed in detail by the Ministers.
Ministers endorsed the draft National Gender Equality Framework for consultation with relevant COAG Councils.
National Approach to Promote the Leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women
Ministers discussed the development of a national approach to promote the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Women in Trades
Ministers also agreed to identify and promote strategies to improve representation of women in non-traditional trades through an Officials working group.
Female Genital Mutilation
Ministers discussed the issue of female genital mutilation and expressed their abhorrence of this illegal practice.
Ministers discussed the next steps required to protect women and girls from this practice. Jurisdictions agreed to share information on responses and strategies being undertaken to address this issue and prevent this illegal practice.
