Amid a shocking series of gendered violence deaths this year, the Victorian government says it has directed $3.2bn of funding to women’s health and economic issues.
According to the Counting Dead Women Australia project, at least 28 women have died in violent acts in 2024, 27 allegedly at the hands of men.
In 2023, 64 women died in Australia in violent acts.
So far this year, five of the 28 deaths have been in Victoria.
The Victorian government framed this week’s state budget as its “helping families” budget, including a cash payment for the parents of government school students.
“Because economic security is a social determinant of health, we are cautiously optimistic that measures within the budget to offer economic relief to families and strengthen women’s economic inclusion will contribute to increased access to health and wellbeing,” Victorian women’s health peak body chair Tricia Currie said.
Broadly, the government has highlighted within the budget five key areas receiving $3.2bn; health services and addressing the pain gap, forging economic security in women-dominated industries, cost-of-living relief, homelessness and the prevention of family violence.
Research has found 40 per cent of Victorian women live with chronic pain, and one-in-three women experience health conditions that affect their ability to work and keep a job.
“It’s time we stopped treating women’s health like some kind of niche issue. We deserve to have our pain believed and treated,” Premier Jacinta Allan says in the budget papers.
The Monash Medical Centre got nearly $500m for a redevelopment in Tuesday’s budget. Included in that were new birthing suites and maternity inpatient services with better connections to the neonatal intensive care unit.
The budget provides funding boosts for regional mothers and people with eating disorders.
The majority-female nurse and paramedic workforces receive $109m for better patient flow in emergency care, and the state stumped up $18m for more teachers.
Ms Currie, the Victorian Women’s Health Services Network chair, said cost-of-living pressures disproportionately affected women.
She believed the budget’s focus on cost of living would “continue momentum towards a safer, more equitable Victoria”.
“While we still have a long road to travel towards a gender equal Victoria, as has been keenly demonstrated by the devastating toll of gender-based violence this year, the state government continues to show leadership in this space.”
The government says in the budget papers it has committed to an extra $269m of funding to prevent family violence and support women’s safety.
However, Sexual Assault Services Victoria has criticised the budget, saying the government promised a sexual violence strategy in 2022.
“Sexual assault survivors have every right to expect more. The status quo isn’t good enough,” chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn said.
Prevention of Family Violence Minister Vicki Ward conceded more needed to be done.
“We’re proud of our nation-leading reforms and we will continue working to keep women and children safe. We know that there is so much more to do. We want a Victoria that is free from family violence,” Ms Ward said.