Nearly $1bn funding announced to support victim-survivors leaving violence, combat online misogyny and AI porn

The federal government had pledged a number of measures to combat violence against women, committing to permanent funding to help women escape violence and a suite of online measures including an age verification trial to block children accessing pornography.

The state and federal leaders met virtually this morning amid a crisis that has seen at least 28 women killed in acts of gendered violence this year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the national cabinet recognised the issue of violence against women was a crisis.

"This is, indeed, a national crisis and it's a national challenge and we're facing this with a spirit of national unity," Mr Albanese said.

"We want to change this [and] we all have to take responsibility. Because violence against women is not a woman's problem to solve, it is a whole-of-society problem to solve, and men in particular have to take responsibility."

The federal government committed more than $900 million for a program supporting victim-survivors leaving violence, and a suite of online measures to combat online misogyny and young people viewing pornography. 

Helping women leave violence:

The government announced $925.2 million would go towards permanently establishing the Leaving Violence Program over five years, "So those escaping violence can receive financial support, safety assessments and referrals to support pathways".

Financial insecurity is often linked to violence and can make it difficult for victim-survivors to leave a violent relationship.

"The heartbreaking reality is that there is no overnight solution to violence against women and children," the prime minister said. 

"My government is absolutely committed to making progress to end family, domestic and sexual violence in one generation through our national plan.

"Today's announcement builds on our efforts to ensure fewer women feel trapped in a violent relationship because they don't know if they can afford to leave."

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said the Leaving Violence Program would provide eligible victim-survivors with an individualised financial support package of up to $1,500 in cash and up to $3,500 in goods and services, as well as safety planning, risk assessment and referrals to other essential services for up to 12 weeks.

The announcement to make the program permanent comes after it was established as a pilot program in October 2021 under the name the Escaping Violence Program.

Online age 'assurance' trial:

The government announced online measures in a bid to tackle "misogyny and the harm it creates". 

One measure, a pilot of age verification technology to protect children from harmful content would address the "easy access to pornography for children and young people and tackle extreme online misogyny, which is fuelling harmful attitudes towards women", it said.

The pilot of "Age assurance" technology will be funded in the May budget. There were no further details on whether it was age verification for pornography.

Last year the eSafety commissioner handed down recommendations around age verification for online adult content, but the government had not yet adopted them.

The government will also move to introduce legislation that would ban "the creation and non-consensual distribution of deepfake pornography", something the United States had also recently introduced after a spate of AI pornography was spread over social media. 

The government has also announced additional funding for the eSafety Commission to help the pilot of the age verification technology.

"Taking steps to prevent access for minors to age-inappropriate content like pornography is one tool that can help protect young minds from damaging and misogynistic behaviours," Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said. 

"The pilot – coupled with work already underway to update our outdated classification scheme – will inform how governments at all levels can work collaboratively to address these harms."

First ministers agree to more information sharing about perpetrators

All the chief ministers and premiers agreed that response systems needed to be strengthened to prevent homicides, with a focus on high-risk perpetrators and serial offenders.

The first ministers said collaboration would be required across different governments and jurisdictions. Earlier in the week, multiple first ministers talked about the need for intelligence sharing. 

The first ministers agreed to the following: 

Police Ministers Council and the Standing Council of Attorneys-General will develop options for improving police responses to high risk and serial perpetrators, including considering use of focused deterrence and fixated threat strategies

Improving information sharing about perpetrators across systems and jurisdictions, led by the Commonwealth Minister for Women

States and territories will explore opportunities to strengthen national consistency and drive best practice approaches across jurisdictions, including relating to risk assessment and responses to sexual assault, led by Victoria and South Australia

Western Australia, Tasmania and now South Australia all run electronic monitoring for repeat violent offenders, but no announcements have been made on whether it would be adopted nationally. 

Commissioner Cronin said there were consistent themes discussed in the cabinet, and she was pleased to hear the commitment to come back next quarter to report on the efforts.

She said it would keep the issue in the spotlight and to keep efforts really on the national agenda to end domestic and family violence.

She emphasised that the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, which was agreed upon by federal, state, and territory leaders in October 2022, should not be a "set and forget" plan.

She said relevant bodies needed to keep a constant eye on what was "Emerging and changing", including technology changes, which must be prioritised.

The commissioner pointed to the round-table that she will hold in Canberra next Tuesday, which she said would be attended by "researchers, people from the policing, from the judiciary, from the service sector, and people who have direct lived experience of homicide, domestic and family homicide".

Original Story By | Georgia Roberts