May 2015 - ABC AM
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Women's rights advocates want a full overhaul of the way government deals with domestic violence to stop the large numbers of women being killed.
So far this year 34 women have been killed in Australia - including two in New South Wales who were allegedly killed by their partners in the last week.
Activists say governments need to prioritise anti-violence programs and give them the funding they need. They say domestic violence tears at the fabric of society.
Michael Edwards has this report.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Of the 34 women violently killed in Australia so far this year, its estimated two thirds were killed by a partner, ex-partner or family member.
Helen Brereton runs the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service in New South Wales.
HELEN BRERETON: We know that domestic violence is the leading cause of death and injury and illness for women in Australia. The statistics have been growing steadily over time as more women are reporting.
So it's shocking to hear these statistics but what is less shocking just for me is just how widespread this issue is.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: In the past week two women in New South Wales have allegedly been killed by men close to them.
Grandmother of five, Linda Locke died in hospital last Tuesday after her de facto partner, Jamie Walker, allegedly bashed her in their western Sydney home.
Two days before, an 18-year-old mother was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, in the western New South Wales town of Brewarrina.
Helen Brereton says domestic violence is reaching epidemic levels.
HELEN BRERETON: And its time really not to sweep it under the carpet, to have conversations about it and I think also we need stronger leadership from government, from our communities to really take some action.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Last year, according to the website Destroy the Joint, 81 women were killed - again many at the hands of a current or former partner.
Joanna Schulman is from the Redfern Legal Centre in Sydney.
JOANNA SCHULMAN: The reason we have such a problem with domestic violence in Australia is because of a lack of resourcing of existing programs. So we see the problem only getting worse.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Activists and community groups want all governments across the country to elevate the status of protection agencies so they're directly under the control of premiers and the Prime Minister.
They also want greater funding for programs aimed at reducing violence.
PAUL LINOSSIER: It is a national emergency; it is something that all governments and civil societies have to turn urgent attention to.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Paul Linossier is the chief executive of Our Watch, a group dedicated to ending domestic violence.
He believes the fundamental problem is attitudes towards women.
PAUL LINOSSIER: We need to go upstream and understand that behind men's control of women and the murder of intimate partners sits two key drivers; gender inequality and holding to traditional and rigid gender stereotypes.
We know from the international evidence that these two factors are the core drivers of men's violence against women. So in societies where gender inequality is less, there is lower levels of violence against women.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: A vigil is set to be held today in the Sydney suburb of Blacktown in honour of those women killed by domestic violence.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Michael Edwards reporting.
Listen to the interview on the ABC AM website.
