From: ABC News, Jane Norman, posted Monday 6 September 2021
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded Australia “has a problem” with the way it treats women, describing a culture that not only excuses and justifies gender inequality but ultimately leads to violence against women.
Opening the two-day National Summit on Women’s Safety, Mr Morrison promised to be “open-minded and ambitious” and said victims and survivors would be “foundational” as the government develops the next national plan to reduce violence against women.
“Right now, too many Australian women do not feel safe and too often, they are not safe and that is not OK. There is no excuse, and sorry doesn’t cut it,” he said.
“There is still an attitude, a culture that excuses and justifies, ignores or condones gender inequality that drives ultimately violence against women, and that is on all of us.”
The Prime Minister said the collective goal was not just to reduce violence against women but to end it, describing the number of women killed by their current or former partners as a “national shame”.
“I don’t believe we can talk about women’s safety without talking about men,” he said.
“About the way some men think they own women.
“About the way women are subjected to disrespect, coercion, and violence.”