Domestic violence summit postponed amid NSW outbreak

The national women’s safety summit has been delayed as NSW extends its coronavirus lockdown.

Australian of the year Grace Tame is expected to appear at the national women’s safety summit. Picture: Justin Lloyd

A national women’s safety summit — which will help shape Australia’s next blueprint for tackling domestic violence — has been delayed as NSW extends its lockdown until the end of this month.

The event will feature speakers including Scott Morrison, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, Australian of the Year Grace Tame, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar.

The two-day forum, originally scheduled to take place in Parliament House late this month, will now be held on September 6 and 7.

Women’s Safety Minister Anne Ruston said the postponement would enhance delegate’s ability to consult on the next national plan through face-to-face interactions.

“Through the National Summit on Women’s Safety 2021 we have an opportunity to shine a light on the violence that women from all walks of life experience in the shadows and behind closed doors, and to create real change and genuine advances for women and girls,” she said.

The event is due to be attended by more than 300 delegates, including stakeholders and state and territory leaders. Roundtables at the event will form consultation for the next national plan to end violence against women and their children. Australia’s 12-year framework to reduce domestic violence expires next year.

The government will host the women's summit virtually if it cannot go ahead face-to-face in September.

“Should the Summit need to take place virtually I want all women to be assured of this government’s absolute commitment to listening to the wide-ranging ideas and experiences of all participants in developing the next National Plan,” Senator Ruston said.

The Australian understands federal parliament is set to resume next month despite MPs from several states being unlikely to attend after Canberra was slapped with travel bans in response to Sydney’s coronavirus outbreak. MPs who cannot attend parliament in person would be able to participate remotely, similar to the process followed during Victoria’s stage-four lockdown last year.

The rescheduling of the women’s summit comes as the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership hosts its own forum at the Australian National University on Thursday to discuss the gendered workplace at Parliament House.

A group of Australian and international academics, politicians and public servants will use the summit to create a new code of conduct, which will be submitted to Kate Jenkins’ review into parliamentary culture.

Research fellow and summit convener Blair Williams told The Australians the summit would look at the impediments to creating a gender-equal parliament in Australia, as well as how other international parliaments had addressed these issues.

“It’s important to look at other countries and see what they’re doing — the Canadian parliament adopted a harassment policy for staff in 2014 and New Zealand adopted seven clear commitments,” she said.

“If we look at what these countries have done, there’s a path already paved and we can follow it here.”

Athlete and motivational speaker Turia Pitt, who addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, lauded the courage of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and Ms Tame in speaking out about gendered experiences of assault and harassment.

“I feel empowered by their vulnerability and I feel enraged on their behalf,” she said.