Consultation on the Second Action Plan (National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032)

Opening Soon

Family, domestic and sexual violence consultations. Have your say

The Australian Government, working with states and territories, is developing the Second Action Plan under Australia’s National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032 (the National Plan).

Ending gender-based violence is a national priority. Everyone deserves to live free from fear and violence.

Violence is shaped by social norms, structural and gender inequality and power imbalances that sit beyond any one system and beyond government alone. It requires action from all of us.

There are currently more than 583 initiatives underway across the country under the First Action Plan. (This builds on the first National Plan from 2010 to 2022.)

Due to sustained community effort and advocacy over decades, real progress has been made.

There is broader awareness and understanding of both the prevalence and impact of violence.

More people are reaching out for help. We have more evidence of what works and what doesn’t.

Every government across Australia is committed to ending violence through the National Plan.

The Australian Government has made record investments to prevent and respond to family, domestic and sexual violence to strengthen frontline services, support victim-survivors and expand prevention efforts.

But too many people continue to live with family, domestic and sexual violence, every day.

There is more to do.

Building the next Action Plan – together

Evidence, reviews and inquiries give us strong direction.

Real progress also depends on listening carefully, learning together, and being clear about where collective effort can make the greatest difference over the next five years. We want to hear from you and shape the direction together to set a strong foundation for the work ahead.

We want to hear from a wide range of people, and we will be consulting broadly, including people with lived experience, frontline workers, peak bodies, policy experts, academics, employers, and the broader community.

We must learn from what is working from our long-term effort, from the new work underway and critically assess where there are gaps, and emerging new challenges to tackle.

At the same time, work is underway on related action plans, including:

We are designing these action plans to work together. This is crucial, as people affected by violence often deal with many overlapping services at the same time – such as health, justice, housing and community services – and may also be living with the lasting impacts of past abuse.

Consultations will take a “tell us once” approach so that people don’t have to tell their story or advise us multiple times. To support First Nations women, children and communities, governments will also work through shared decision-making mechanisms to develop complementary First Nations action plans under Safe and Supported and under Our Ways.

Introductory video from the Minister

Watch the video below to hear from Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek about the upcoming consultations, and how everyone has a role to play in ending violence in Australia.


Transcript (PDF 81kB) | Transcript (DOCX 18kB)

How to get involved

Consultation will take place over the coming months online and in person, with opportunities to contribute via surveys, submissions and attendance at consultation sessions. By sharing your ideas and experience, you’ll help ensure the Second Action Plan is grounded in evidence, lived experience, cultural knowledge and the realities of frontline practice.

More information will be shared once the consultation process formally begins.

Learn More

Seeking support

We understand participating in consultations may be difficult. If this raises any issues or you need support, there are services available:

  • 1800RESPECT is the national sexual assault, domestic violence and family violence counselling service. This service is free, confidential and available 24/7. Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au
  • 13 YARN is a support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping, and is available 24/7. Call 13 92 76 13 or visit 13yarn.org.au.

Information on the National Plan

The National Plan sets the national policy agenda for addressing violence against women and children in Australia for the next 10 years.

How we are taking action

The First Action Plan Activities Addendum

The First Action Plan Activities Addendum shows progress against the 583 activities under the National Plan’s First Action Plan.

Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Action Plan Activities

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan Implementation Update outlines how we are progressing the 186 activities against the National Plan’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-25.

How we work with States and Territories

The Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021–30 Federation Funding Agreement (FDSV FFA) is a key partnership agreement between the Australian Government and state and territory governments for delivering critical services to those who need them most.

How are we measuring change

The National Plan is underpinned by the National Plan’s Outcomes Framework 2023-2032 (Outcomes Framework), Theory of Change 2022-2032 (Theory of Change) and Performance Measurement Plan:

Outcomes Reporting

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Plan Outcomes reporting brings together information from a range of sources on violence against women and children in Australia.