The Andrews Labor Government is continuing its nation-leading work to end family violence and build a better future for Victorian women with an investment of more than $240 million in the Victorian Budget 2022/23.

This investment will continue to deliver on the Labor Government’s promise to implement all 227 recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence, building on a massive $3.5 billion investment since 2015.

The Government will expand critical refuge and crisis accommodation for victim survivors who cannot remain safely at home, with a $69.1 million boost for two refuges, six new crisis accommodation properties and support for three organisations to bolster crisis accommodation options.

More than $43 million will help Victoria’s family violence services provide critical support for families affected by family violence – including crisis assistance, specialised therapeutic support for children and young people, funding for Victoria’s 24/7 crisis service, and support for women on temporary visas.

Victoria will continue its best practice work directly engaging with perpetrators to break the cycle of family violence, with funding for a new pilot program to trial intensive intervention for high-risk offenders.

More family violence specialists will be able to better manage risk, with $30 million in funding to expand the Central Information Point – allowing consolidated information about perpetrators of family violence to be shared with frontline family violence services to keep victim survivors safe.

Some $33.4 million will support sexual assault victims with specialist sexual assault services, an expanded Sexual Assault Crisis Line, and interventions for children and young people displaying sexually harmful behaviours.

Funding of $18.9 million over three years will support Victoria’s flagship prevention agency, Respect Victoria, dedicated to stopping violence before it starts – alongside funding for new community-based consent education to prevent sexual violence.

A boost of $19.4 million will support Victoria’s women’s health services to continue their vital work in promoting the health and wellbeing of women and preventing family and gendered violence.

The Government will keep implementing Victoria’s nation-leading Gender Equality Act – supported by $8.3 million in funding.

This funding will also support the Women of Colour Leadership Program, ensuring our institutions better represent our diverse communities.

When it comes to gender equality, Victoria leads the nation. In 2021, Victoria became the first state to implement gender responsive budgeting and in this year’s Budget, $1.1 million will further embed this practice across government.

Gender responsive budgeting analyses and considers the impact of investment decisions on all Victorians to ensure funding outcomes are fairer for women.

In total, this Budget invests around $940 million in initiatives primarily focused on improving outcomes for women.

That includes initiatives to provide universal access to high quality VET in government schools and the Head Start apprenticeships, increasing the number of pathways for girls to take up courses in traditionally male dominated industries and vocations.

Funding of $1 million will go towards supporting female workers with more research into the gig economy, and to further the work of the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council.

In 2015, Victoria became the first Australian state to develop a Gender Equality Strategy – Safe and Strong – with the Advisory Council set up as a part of this strategy and charged with promoting gender pay equity across the public and private sector.