left to right: Rebecca Harrison and Samantha Dunn. Rebecca is to be commended for her efforts, she wants to see action on this issue and highlight it to the broader community.
It is an issue that is prevalent in our society with 1 in 7 girls between the ages of 12 and 20 being the victim of a sexual assault.
It was clear from the forum that one of the keys to tackling the issue was greater awareness of what constitutes sexual assault. Greater awareness leads to more reporting and more support for victims of this terrible crime.
These figures are alarming. We need a long term plan to address this issue in our society. Focus has to be given to women’s support services, including sexual assault centres across regional Victoria.
The issue is so alarming that it is time for a national inquiry into sexual assault and uniform sexual assault laws so we can truly start to address this issue in our state.
Funding is also needed for initiatives involving men and boys to address the issue of violence against women, including education from early primary school level.
This is a critical issue and much needs to be done. So many girls are affected that we need a two pronged approach. One to deal with the here and now and a longer term strategy to stop it getting worse.
For too long the Government has not given this issue the attention and resources it needs. It’s time to say enough is enough.
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