Less than a year ago, Prime Minister Albanese declared gendered violence a national crisis, yet the issue has been absent from major election campaigns. Public outrage continues to mount as the national death toll climbs: 104 women were killed in 2024, with a further 22 lives already lost in 2025.
After weeks of political silence, the major parties have finally addressed Australia’s domestic violence crisis during the federal election campaign. Labor has announced a multi-billion dollar policy package, but experts say it still falls short of tackling the systemic roots of violence.
Researchers warn that this lack of sustained political focus signals a broader failure to treat violence as a systemic crisis, rather than a series of isolated incidents.
Image: Image: Shutterstock – HTWE
Produced By: Zac Nikolovski
Featured In Story: Dr. Patrick O’learey – Co-director of Griffith University’s Disrupting Violence Beacon
First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 23 April 2025