The fight against gender-based violence has historically been led by women.
But one state is changing tack, introducing Australia’s first parliamentary position with the sole responsibility of changing men’s behaviour.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced this week that Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson would be appointed parliamentary secretary for men’s behaviour change, as part of the state’s response to .
Here’s what the new position will involve, how advocates have responded, and what they hope will come from it.
What will the parliamentary secretary for men’s behaviour change do?
The role will largely focus on the influence the internet and social media are having on boys’ and men’s attitudes towards women, as well as building respectful relationships, Richardson said.
While Richardson will work closely with Vicki Ward, the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Allan said tackling gender-based violence was a “whole of government responsibility”.
Richardson said he felt “honoured” to be taking on the role.
“We need to make sure that no one loses their life to violence against women,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
“We know the cultural change in attitudes towards women and respect for women is so very critical.
“I hope I can bring, along with all my colleagues – but also all of our community, that change over time.”
In a statement shared on social media, Richardson said it shouldn’t be left to women to take responsibility for men’s violence.
“The significance of this role is not lost on me,” he wrote.
“We know that the time to act on men’s violence against women is now and it starts with us men and boys.”
“We must make Victoria a safer place for women and children and work to end the tragedy of deaths of Victorian women at the hands of men.”
We know that the time to act on men’s violence against women is now.
Tim Richardson, Victorian parliamentary secretary for men’s behaviour change
Time for men to do the ‘heavy lifting’
Phillip Ripper, CEO of the men’s behaviour change agency No to Violence, welcomed the announcement, saying women had been doing the “heavy lifting” in the gendered violence space “for too long”.
“It is absolutely critical that men right across this country stand up and take responsibility for what is essentially a men’s issue,” he said.
“For too long, it’s been too easy for men to take a backseat, to sort of think ‘It’s someone else’s problem, it’s a women’s issue’. Well, it’s not.
“This is an issue for men, and men need to step up everywhere and it needs to be people like Tim (Richardson) standing up and saying, ‘As a man, I’m going lead this work because we have to do better’.”
Serina McDuff, acting CEO of Respect Victoria, described Richardson’s appointment as a “smart and welcome move”.
“It reflects the importance of making sure that men are part of prevention and intervention efforts to stop violence against women, and all forms of gendered violence,” she said.
This is an issue for men, and men need to step up everywhere.
Phillip Ripper, CEO No to Violence
McDuff said the internet — and social media, especially — was an important setting to create behavioural change.
“We know that it is also where so many of us — men and boys included — live a large part of our lives, so it is very influential,” she said.
“At the same time, social media can also be a mirror for attitudes and behaviours that already exist in our society, and that are being reinforced in the places where we live, work and learn — so we need to make sure we are tackling the wider issue of behaviour change offline too.”
From mid-June a new phase of the federal government’s campaign will be rolled out, with a specific focus on challenging violent and misogynistic online content targeted towards boys and young men.
Victoria’s ‘landmark’ actions against violence
In 2015, Victoria became the first state in Australia to hold a royal commission into family violence.
The government has since implemented all 227 of the royal commission’s recommendations and invested $4 billion in the prevention of family violence.
Ripper said the “landmark” inquiry was just one of the “many ways” Victoria had led the nation in addressing family violence.
“It really demonstrated how much work needs to be done, the scale and magnitude of the problem in every community right across Australia, every suburb, every street, family violence is present,” he said.
“We are really only now starting to grapple with the big issues and putting men’s use of family violence in the frame is a really important part of changing the course of many families and the future of children and men and women across this country.”
Twenty-nine women have been killed in Australia since the beginning of the year, according to advocacy group Destroy the Joint’s project Counting Dead Women. Three of those women were from .
Ripper said key to disrupting violent patterns of behaviour was gaining more evidence about what interventions work for which men, and then putting “significant” investment into those programs.
“We’re calling on Tim (Richardson) to make one of his first priorities the establishment of a statewide strategy, dealing with people who use family violence,” he said.
“We need something that brings together all the aspects of the government’s work, and to identify existing gaps and to create a clear pathway forward to tackle men’s use of family violence.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual, family, or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
, operated by No to Violence, can be contacted on 1300 766 491.
