Australian Prime Minister Calls Violence Against Women A National Crisis

Following days of protest in numerous major cities, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese declared violence against women a scourge and a national crisis.

Anthony Albanese, who was meeting with state premiers, promised a slew of measures and resources to combat toxic male extremist views, curtail deep false pornography, and provide victim assistance.

Albanese urged Australians, “We all have to take responsibility for stamping out violence”.

So far this year, 28 women have been killed in the country, with one death occurring every four days.

In comparison, 14 women died over the same period last year.

The killings have provoked a reckoning, with domestic violence survivors and support groups calling for stronger regulations in nationwide protests last week.

On Wednesday, Albanese announced new legislation to prohibit deep fake pornography, as well as increased cash for the country’s web watchdog to test age verification tools.

He also pledged Aus$925 million (US$598 million) in funds to improve support services for those fleeing violent situations.

According to new Australian government data, 34 women were killed by a former or current partner between 2022 and 2023, a 28 percent rise over the previous year.

However, last year’s figure remains one of the lowest in the 30 years of data collection.

Domestic violence rates in Australia are lower than the OECD average, with Argentina, Turkey, and the United States being among the worst offenders, as per the data from 2019.

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