Overcoming discriminatory stereotypes

60. Working for Women is underpinned by the need to change gender attitudes and stereotypes (including for First Nations women, women from CALD backgrounds, older women, women with disabilities, and those who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community), and is complemented by state and territory governments commitments to address harmful gender stereotypes.
61. Government is driving change on gender norms, including under the National Plan; the PPL scheme; reducing gender segregation in industries and workplaces; developing evidence on society views on women and girls; demonstrated equality in Government leadership and public service; reform to improve representation of women in media and advertising.
62. The Government's Healthy Masculinities Trial and Evaluation will evaluate activities designed to encourage healthy expressions of masculinity among school-aged boys and young men, with a goal of reducing GBV and promoting more respectful relationships among young people.

Sexist portrayals of women in the media and online abuse

63. In response to the Respect@WorkReport, the Government provided $3 million to Our Watch,²² to deliver the National Media Engagement program which promotes ethical reporting of violence against women, provides guidelines and upskilling for journalists. Our Watch undertakes primary prevention training in workplaces, media, educational institutions, the sports sector, and governments. In 2024, Our Watch reported Australian attitudes toward violence against women and gender inequality have improved since 2013.²³
64. Women and girls are more likely to be targets of online abuse, with one-in-3 women experiencing online abuse in a work context. In 2021, Australia passed the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth), empowering Australia's eSafety Commissioner to request/require social media companies, and other online platforms and services, to remove serious online abuse, image-based abuse, cyberbullying, and harmful content targeted at adults and children.
65. Australia's eSafety Commissioner operates regulatory schemes to address different forms of online harm, including the Adult Cyber Abuse Scheme; Image-Based Abuse Scheme; Cyberbullying Scheme; Online Content Scheme, which regulate illegal and restricted content. Approximately two-thirds of adult cyber-abuse complaints to the eSafety Commissioner originate from women.
66. The Government has worked with the online dating services industry to develop a voluntary, industry-led code (commenced October 2024) requiring them to take steps to address and prevent harms to users on their platforms. The eSafety Commissioner will assess the codes' effectiveness in July 2025 and will provide advice to the Minister for Communications on whether further action, including regulation, is required.
67. The Government has invested in preventing and responding to technology-facilitated abuse, including:
    • the Preventing Tech‑based Abuse of Women Grants Program;
    • Safe Phones initiative to assist women leave FDV without the fear of being tracked;
    • National Roundtable on Online Dating Safety to improve safety for Australians using online dating platforms;
    • establishing Online Harms Ministers Meetings to coordinate policy across Government;
    • strengthening criminal offenses against non-consensual sharing of artificially-generated or real sexual material online, for example in Criminal Code Amendment (Deepfake Sexual Material) Act 2024.
68. On 29 November 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 was passed through Australian Parliament, putting the onus on social media platforms,²⁴ to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 years of age, from having social media accounts. Platforms will face fines of up to $49.5 million for systemic breaches.
    • The Bill makes clear that no Australian will be compelled to use government identification for age assurance on social media.
    • The Bill has been designed following consultation with young Australians, parents, experts, industry, community organisations and National Cabinet. to ensure fundamental protections are in place to support young people who face online harassment and negative effects on health and wellbeing.
    • New laws come into effect no later than 12 months from passage of the Bill to allow social media platforms time to implement required systems.

Preventing and protecting women and girls from forced marriage

69. Australia's response to forced marriage forms part of the Government's strategy to combat modern slavery, including human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices, criminalised in the Criminal Code (Cth)²⁵ (Criminal Code) that defines forced marriage as a slavery-like practice.
70. The AFP can refer people who are in or at risk of forced marriage to the Support for Trafficked People Program (STPP), delivered by the Australian Red Cross, for assistance with accommodation, medical, mental health, legal, migration, skills development or social support needs. The Government is implementing the Additional Referral Pathway pilot (to November 2025) to enable eligible victims and survivors to access STPP without having to engage with law enforcement.
71. In 2022, Australia's Standing Council of Attorneys-General agreed to address forced marriage through a coordinated national response, including developing options for a model to enhance civil protections and remedies.
72. The Government committed $12.1 million over 5 years from 2023‑24 ($3.8 million annually ongoing) to establish the Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program, providing caseworker support, counselling, temporary accommodation and financial support for those at risk of, or who have experienced, forced marriage.
73. Australia runs awareness raising on forced marriage including grant‑funded projects and initiatives under the National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery, to encourage people to seek help and report suspected cases to the AFP.
74. The Government committed $2.2 million over 4 years from 2024–25 to extend ''Speak Now', Australia's national forced marriage community education service, in collaboration with frontline workers, to prevent forced marriage and other forms of modern slavery.
75. The Government regulates Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants, requiring professional development annually. Since 2022, celebrants must complete activities on real consent focused on forced marriage and capacity. The Marriage Act was amended in 2024 requiring celebrants meet separately with each party to establish consent, introducing remote witnessing of Notice of Intended Marriage as a permanent option under the Marriage Act.