Violence against women and children is a national crisis. Nearly a decade has passed since family violence was first declared a national emergency in 2015, and yet communities are still taking to the streets to demand greater leadership and action, and the media continues to report on women killed on a weekly basis. An upscaling of commitment, funding and action commensurate with the scale of the problem is desperately needed.

In Our National Crisis, Kate Fitz-Gibbon explains why violence against women and children is not a series of isolated incidents but a pervasive, systemic issue. The impacts of this violence on individuals, families and communities are wide-ranging and can be long-term. Addressing domestic, family and sexual violence requires a national effort across the full spectrum of prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing. Tinkering with any one part of the system will not deliver the transformative outcomes so critically needed to improve safety for the countless women and children impacted by violence.

Our National Crisis is a call to action, and everyone has a role to play from politicians to corporate leaders, community and specialist organisations, through to family, friends and neighbours. Acts of male violence are, but should not be, the everyday experiences of all too many women and girls in Australia. But they are inherently preventable, and with that comes the actionable hope for a future free from all forms of violence against women and children.