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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 669 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

Women are more likely to experience violence from a current or previous partner than from a stranger or acquaintance, and that violence is often part of a repeated pattern of abuse over many years rather than an isolated incident. In a submission to the Select Committee on the Status of Women in the ACT, the Chief Police Officer of the ACT noted that women and girls account for 45 per cent of victims of crimes against the person; and they comprise 43 per cent of the victims of assault and 86 per cent of the victims of sexual assault.

A large portion of crimes committed against women and girls are perpetrated by someone known to them. Close to half of all assaults against females were perpetrated by offenders known to the victim, and of the 119 sexual assaults against females during 2001, 75 were committed by an offender known to the victim. However, crimes against the person constitute only a small portion of the total number of crimes reported in the ACT, and that is important to remember as well.

That violence still remains one of the most serious issues facing women across the world is both disappointing and a major concern. It is these women we need to reach. We can never take our eye off the ball while there are any women who are isolated, disadvantaged and need our support.

Tomorrow I am hosting two forums looking at addressing issues of violence for women in our community, and I hope to see as many members as possible attend these forums. The areas to be covered at will include: children and domestic violence; women across the lifespan; indigenous family violence; working with men; and collaborative approaches.

Whilst improving the quality of life for women is very much a responsibility of government, we recognise that the entire community has a role to play if we are to move forward. An example of working with the community is the Office of Women working in partnership with women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop an indigenous women's action plan. As a result of this process, the Ngunnawal Country Indigenous Women's Circle has been formed. The circle is a working group with flexible membership and open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living in the ACT and surrounding regions. The Office of Women is supporting the circle to develop their action plan and to form links with other programs across government and across the community.

With International Women's Day only a few days away, it is appropriate to reflect on the vital role that the achievements and contributions of women play in making our ACT community a better place for all of us. Too often the contributions of women do not receive adequate recognition. In the recent Australian honours, women received only 33 per cent of the total nominations and only 34 per cent of the honours awarded.

The ACT International Women's Day Awards will be presented tomorrow. These awards will provide an opportunity for the community to celebrate and highlight the often invisible and taken-for-granted achievements and contributions of our local women. They also serve to encourage the community to think about nominating women in formal recognition of their efforts and achievements.

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