Action against family violence
Eliminating violence towards women and girls is one of the priorities of 16 Days of Activism.
Australians are being urged to listen to victim-survivors, challenge harmful attitudes, and help make justice accessible as an international campaign against violence towards women and girls begins on Wednesday, 25 November.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marks the start of the United Nations’ annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign continues until Human Rights Day on 10 December.
The 2026 theme is “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Ensure justice, protect survivors, end impunity.”
UN Women says violence affects one in three women globally, yet justice remains beyond the reach of many. This year’s campaign calls for women to be heard and believed, protected from further harm and given access to affordable support, fair investigations and meaningful remedies.
The message has particular relevance in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in four Australian women had experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15, based on the 2021–22 Personal Safety Survey.
Almost nine in 10 hospitalisations involving treatment for an assault by a partner in 2024–25 were for women.
The figures remind us that violence can affect women at every stage of life. Older women may face additional obstacles when seeking help, including financial dependence, social isolation, poor health, limited mobility, or fear of losing their home and community connections.
Justice, the campaign stresses, involves more than a conviction or court judgment. It begins when a woman is treated with dignity, can report abuse safely, and is able to obtain legal assistance, health care, secure accommodation, and ongoing support.
The campaign also recognises the growing overlap between abuse in the physical and digital worlds. Technology may be misused to monitor a person’s location, control access to accounts or money, send threats, or repeatedly harass someone.
The eSafety Commissioner advises that technology-facilitated abuse can include cyberstalking, online threats, account control and the use of tracking devices or applications. Someone who believes their phone or computer is being monitored should consider seeking assistance from a trusted device, because attempts to find help can sometimes increase the danger.
Australia’s response is being guided by the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032. The plan concentrates on prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing, with the long-term goal of ending violence against women and children within one generation.
Priorities include improving support for victim-survivors, making legal assistance more accessible, strengthening accountability for people who use violence, and addressing the inequality and harmful attitudes that allow abuse to continue.
There are practical ways individuals and community groups can support the 16 Days campaign.
Australians can learn how to recognise warning signs, listen without blame when somebody speaks about abuse, promote respectful relationships, and share reliable information about support services.
Workplaces, seniors’ organisations, sporting clubs. and neighbourhood groups can use the campaign resources provided by the Department of Social Services. People can also wear orange, the campaign’s designated colour for a future free from violence, or visit one of the Australian landmarks being illuminated during the 16 Days.
For older Australians, starting a respectful conversation with adult children, grandchildren, friends, or neighbours can be a small but valuable action.
The most helpful response is often to listen, believe the person, respect their decisions, and assist them to contact a specialist service rather than confronting the alleged abuser.
Anyone experiencing or at risk of domestic or family violence can contact 1800RESPECT free and confidentially, 24 hours a day, on 1800 737 732, by text on 0458 737 732, or through online chat or video call. In immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
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