Western Australia is leading the nation in a statistic no one wants to claim and the implications of that leadership are becoming impossible to ignore.
Family and domestic violence offenders have reached record levels, rising 20 per cent in the past year alone and 71 per cent since 2021–22, marking the sharpest increase of any jurisdiction in the country. The trajectory is clear and it is accelerating.
This is not abstract. And it is not happening ‘over there’, somewhere else.
It is happening in our homes, in our communities and increasingly, in our workplaces.
For many women, the workplace is more than a job. It is where they find stability, connection and, at times, a sense of safety. It can be the one place in their day where they are not managing fear, control or financial pressure.
At Communicare, we are seeing the impact of this demand firsthand. Each year, more than 10,000 clients come through our services requiring intervention, support and case management.
That demand continues to grow.
Programs like Breathing Space play a critical role in responding to men who use violence. But response alone is not enough.
This issue is preventable.
Gender inequality remains one of the key drivers of family and domestic violence. Addressing it is not a side conversation. It is central to the solution.
Which means workplaces are not neutral. They are part of the system around family and domestic violence, whether they recognise it or not.
Left unaddressed, the impacts are felt across absenteeism, productivity, retention and workplace safety. But behind those metrics are people, often managing fear, control and exhaustion while trying to show up to work. For business, this is not just a social issue. It is an operational one, with real risk and financial cost. This is where leadership matters.
Family and domestic violence is no longer an issue organisations can position as external. It is already affecting their people, their culture and their performance. Ignoring it does not remove the risk. It simply leaves it unmanaged.
Senior leaders set the tone for what is accepted, what is challenged and what is prioritised. When it comes to preventing violence, that leadership is critical.
Creating workplaces grounded in respect, equity and accountability is not just good culture. It is prevention.
Through White Ribbon Australia, organisations have access to practical, structured pathways to take action. Workplace Accreditation, training, education and leadership accountability provide a framework to embed gender equity and build safer, more respectful environments.
This is not about awareness.
It is about responsibility.
Nationally, one in four women are victim-survivors of intimate partner violence, and more than one in four have experienced violence by a partner or family member since the age of 15.
These are not statistics to observe.
They are a call to act.
Merinda March
CEO, Communicare and White Ribbon Australia
Communicare is a Western Australian community services organisation supporting individuals, families, and communities through a range of social, health, and education services. We work alongside people experiencing vulnerability to strengthen safety, wellbeing, and opportunity across the communities we serve.
White Ribbon Australia, auspiced by Communicare is part of the world’s largest social movement to end men’s violence against women. Through a primary prevention approach, we aim to stop violence before it starts. Running Workplace Accreditation, training programs and campaigns, we call on men and boys to be actively involved in ending violence and abuse.
By Hearts and Minds
