NTV | #ShiftTheBurden: 2022 Victorian Election Statement

About the campaign

Family and domestic violence is everyone’s problem. But it begins – and ends – with men.

After 30 years working with men who use violence, we know that we cannot stop family and domestic violence until we stop men using violence and abuse.

For too long, victim-survivors have carried the burden of navigating a system that meets their cries for help with disbelief or bureaucracy; a system that requires women to relive their trauma by repeatedly sharing their stories; a system that puts women at risk because it focuses on what women should do to avoid violence, instead of what men should do to stop using violence.

We need to shift the burden: to remove it from the victim-survivors and place it firmly on the men who use violence.

Significant political leadership and investment in prevention, early interventions and men’s behaviour change must happen if we are serious about reducing – and ending – the scourge of family and domestic violence.

At No to Violence, we believe the next Victorian Government must act on five key initiatives that will keep more women and children safe and realise our vision of a world free from male violence. No to Violence is calling for:
1. Evaluation of family safety contact as a specialist and integral part of all perpetrator intervention services
2. Investment in evidence-based practice through data collection, research, evaluation, and translation of evidence into action ($2.2 million over five years)
3. Increased resourcing for NTV’s Men’s Accommodation and Counselling Service (MACS) to expand the scope and footprint of the program ($10 million over five years)
4. Expand and support the development of a highly skilled and sustainable perpetrator intervention workforce ($12.5 million over five years)
5. Provide, at a minimum, five-year contracts for all perpetrator intervention service providers