- Published:
- Saturday 16 May 2015
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Fiona Richardson, today unveiled plans to develop a Victorian Family Violence Index, a world first.
The Andrews Labor Government has commissioned Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) to define what measures, statistics and data should be included in the index.
Relevant measures, statistics and data for the Index may include hospital presentations, police data, the number of convicted perpetrators, homelessness and community attitudes towards women and violence.
The Victorian Family Violence Index will set a benchmark for government and society to be measured against and, as with other government indexes, provide guidance for decision makers on how and where to allocate resources.
Family violence is a national emergency. It’s our number one law and order issue and it can happen to anyone.
It is the leading cause of death and disability in Victorian women under 45 and costs the economy more than $3 billion each year.
Despite this, existing data collection around family violence has been isolated and there is no way to measure how effectively we are using our resources.
The Victorian Family Violence Index will provide a real measurement on how we are addressing family violence and eradicating this crime.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Fiona Richardson
“Just as the road toll informs us on how we are performing on road safety, we need a measure on our effectiveness in addressing family violence.”
“With one in three women affected by violence, it is clear we are beyond crisis point, yet have no way to measure how we are performing over time on stopping violence.”
“The Victorian Family Violence Index will tell us what is working and what is not and help direct policy and funding to adequately address this national emergency.”