National summit to 'stop the rot' of domestic violence in Australia

CANBERRA - The Australian government will convene a national summit on women's safety in July.

The federal, state and territory ministers recently agreed to terms on the National Women's Safety Summit, which will shape a new national plan to prevent violence against women and children from family, domestic and sexual violence.

"This summit will further elevate the important national discussion we are having about women's safety and ensure that we bring all people along with us as we develop the next national plan," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Wednesday evening.

It comes three years after the last summit, which was attended by about 100 delegates and secured 328 million Australian dollars (about $249 million) in funding for the current plan that ends in 2021.

The new summit on July 29 and 30 is expected to be bigger as the government faces calls for greater action to prevent domestic violence.

Anne Ruston, the Minister for Women's Safety, Families and Social Services, said that delegates will have the opportunity to share their personal experiences and make suggestions for prevention and response measures.

"We need to make sure that we move from just reducing violence against women and their children to ending violence against women and their children," she told Nine Entertainment newspapers.

"We must have a goal towards zero and the next plan will be an ambitious blueprint to stop the rot that is domestic violence across our national landscape."

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, sexual assault is a major health and welfare issue in Australia and worldwide. Almost 2 million Australian adults have experienced at least one sexual assault since the age of 15.