Australia is known as a peaceful country, yet almost 40% of Australian women have experienced violence from a man during their adult life. And while managing risk in public spaces becomes routine for most girls from a young age, for the majority of women who experience violence it happens within their own homes. One Australian woman dies each week as a result of domestic violence, and it is the leading cause of illness, death and injury among women under 45.
However, after decades of protest, lobbying, research and reform, women’s safety is an issue that refuses to remain hidden in the shadows or behind closed doors. Violence against women has been propelled into the limelight of political debate around the world. Public authorities regard it as a human rights disaster and a global “pandemic” having massive implications for public health, economic well-being and political stability in every nation - while for feminists, the liberation of women remains an urgent struggle.
**On 25 November - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - the Melbourne Free University invites experts from across the policy, research and direct service domains to discuss the progress of, and prospects for, eliminating violence against women. **
