The Albanese Labor Government is investing $15 million in First Nations-led research on domestic and family violence, as part of our concrete action towards ending violence against women and children within a generation.
This targeted investment is the next stage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32 and reflects the need for concrete action by culturally informed data and evidence eco-system, created and managed by First Nations peoples.
First Nations women and children are disproportionately impacted by family and domestic violence. They are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised due to violence than non-Indigenous women and six times more likely to die as a result of family violence.
We don't need another Royal Commission to tell us that concrete action is needed.
SNAICC, the National Voice for Our Children, has made clear that the safety of children should not be politicised or used as a platform to advance a political position.
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory has said that rather than another inquiry, resources would be better used in services for local communities - this investment will insure that the Government is delivering services and support to where it is needed.
Target 13 under the National Agreement to Close the Gap is to reduce the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by 50 per cent by 2031.
Current data collection is insufficient to measure progress on this target.
The first step to reducing these disproportionate rates of violence is to fully understand the scope of the problem. By funding improved - and importantly, First Nations led - data collection processes, the Albanese Labor Government will strengthen the evidence base and work towards creating a safer future for First Nations women and children.
This is significantly different from the former government's plan to establish an Indigenous Personal Safety Survey run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which ignored the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to exercise authority over and govern the creation, collection, ownership and use of their data.
The $15 million research investment will be delivered over five years and aims to develop a data set that can show a national picture for First Nations women and children, whilst being nuanced for community differences and embedding culturally sensitive data collection and reporting practices.
An improved evidence framework will also allow the Government to better track progress.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth emphasised the importance of First Nations people leading the approach to data collection in communities.
"It is vital that First Nations peoples lead and own the research that helps to understand the nature and extent of experiences of violence for First Nations women and children," Minister Rishworth said.
"This not only means that we can gain a much stronger picture of the nature and extent of family violence, but that First Nations people have sovereignty over the research and resulting data that will help shape solutions and strategies to end violence against First Nations women and children.
"Through a First Nations-led research approach, the Government will drive meaningful change, shaped by First Nations voices and grounded in data that reflects the priorities, knowledge and wisdom of First Nations cultures.
"With community-led data, we can take effective, targeted action to end family, domestic, and sexual violence for First Nations women and children, better measure our progress against Closing the Gap targets and take significant strides towards a safer Australia."
A key priority of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan is to improve safety outcomes and self-determination of First Nations communities by supporting the right of First Nations people and organisations to govern the creation, collection, ownership and use of data on family violence.
