Terms of Reference

That the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquire into and report on family, domestic and sexual violence, including with a view to informing the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, the following:

a) Immediate and long-term measures to prevent violence against women and their children, and improve gender equality.
b) Best practice and lessons learnt from international experience, ranging from prevention to early intervention and response, that could be considered in an Australian context.
c) The level and impact of coordination, accountability for, and access to services and policy responses across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, local governments, non government and community organisations, and business.
d) The way that health, housing, access to services, including legal services, and women’s economic independence impact on the ability of women to escape domestic violence.
e) All forms of violence against women, including, but not limited to, coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse.
f) The adequacy of the qualitative and quantitative evidence base around the prevalence of domestic and family violence and how to overcome limitations in the collection of nationally consistent and timely qualitative and quantitative data including, but not limited to, court, police, hospitalisation and housing.
g) The efficacy of perpetrator intervention programs and support services for men to help them change their behaviour.
h) The experiences of all women, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, rural women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, LGBTQI women, women with a disability, and women on temporary visas.
i) The impact of natural disasters and other significant events such as COVID-19, including health requirements such as staying at home, on the prevalence of domestic violence and provision of support services.
j) The views and experiences of frontline services, advocacy groups and others throughout this unprecedented time.
k) An audit of previous parliamentary reviews focussed on domestic and family violence.
l) Any other related matters.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Committee Secretary
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs
PO Box 6021
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 2358
spla.reps@aph.gov.au