Australian state appoints official for ‘Men’s Behavior Change’ as outcry over violence against women grows; the first of its kind

As Australian women push for action on domestic violence – a problem described by the country’s prime minister as a “national crisis” – one state has appointed a special official charged with improving men’s behavior.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has announced that state MP Tim Richardson would serve as the inaugural Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behavior Change – the first position of its kind in the country.

Richardson said he would focus on the influence the internet and social media have on male attitudes towards women, and on building respectful relationships. It would not be “easy work, but it is important,” he added.

 “We must make Victoria a safer place for women and children and work to end the tragedy of deaths of Victorian women at the hands of men,” Richardson wrote on X.

Gender-based violence is plaguing Australia – 31 women have been killed across the country so far this year, according to the Counting Dead Women project. Last year, 64 women were murdered, the group said.

Last weekend, a woman and her daughter were shot dead in Perth, Western Australia, by a man who was allegedly trying to find his ex-partner and daughter. In a statement, the man’s daughter said that, “when my father couldn’t find us he murdered her best friend and her best friend’s daughter.”

The country was rattled by multiple violent incidents in April, including when five women were killed by a man armed with a knife at a shopping center in the suburb of Bondi in Sydney. Police said CCTV footage showed it was “obvious” the man targeted women. In another violent incident, a 28-year-old mother was allegedly murdered by her partner, who was already facing charges of raping and stalking her but had been released on bail.

However, not all Australians had a positive reaction to the news. Jane Hume of the opposition Liberal Party, who represents Victoria in the national Senate, questioned the efficacy of the appointment.