This story contains reference to sexual, domestic and family violence.
Australia's first national advocacy program for survivors of sexual, domestic and family violence has the ability to "give power" to those with lived experience, consent activist Chanel Contos says.
The program, launched by Full Stop Australia - formerly known as Rape and Domestic Violence Australia - is the first of its kind that will draw together survivors from across the country to drive reform in a safe and supportive way.
"Of course, we know there have been some wonderful survivor advocate programs so far spearheaded by Our Watch and a number of leading organisations in states and territories across the country," Full Stop Australia CEO Hayley Foster said during the launch on Tuesday.
"But this will be the first national program, and the aim of our program is to bring together people with lived experience of sexual, domestic and family violence right across the country to essentially have their voices heard in policy, and in practice, and in law reform that impacts upon their own safety and wellbeing."
Ms Foster said the program is the first step "to putting lived experience in the driver seat".
“We believe changes to practice, law and policy reform must be survivor-led. But this does not mean survivors should be left to advocate alone, " she said.
"Australia needs a national body that links and supports survivors of sexual, domestic, and family violence who want to speak publicly about their experience to influence change."
This is a familiar experience for Ms Contos, a Full Stop Australia ambassador, who went public with her story of teenage sexual assault earlier this year.
"I told it to the media, and with the support I had from people, I was very fortunate that the first two journalists I spoke to and trusted with my story initially were both young women who had no formal trauma training but were just very intuitive on the issue, and made the process a really comfortable one for me," she said.
Ms Contos went on to launch a petition calling for an overhaul of consent education in Australia, and encouraged thousands of people to share testimonies of their own. The petition for more holistic and earlier consent education has attracted over 44,600 signatures, while over 6,700 testimonies have been submitted.
She continues to advocate for reform through her organisation, called Teach Us Consent.
Ms Contos said having a national program that can support victim-survivors through such a process is critical, and will help to drive decisions "with the voice of people who it is actually impacting in the room".
"What we have in Australia is we have people making decisions about things that affect people [who are] really different to them," she said.
"I think that a program like this has the ability to give power to survivors of violence, and also make Australia aware that domestic violence, sexual violence - all types of violence - is not only experienced by Australians when it makes media headlines, but it is actually something that is experienced all day, every day in different forms."
The program will provide wrap-around support for those with lived experience to tell their story, including specialist counselling support, legal advice and assistance engaging with media and the government.
Ms Foster said a national advisory committee will be created to hear from "a diversity of voices from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences".
Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston welcomed the program as she spoke during the virtual launch.
She said the voices of victim-survivors must inform how Australia moves forward in ending violence against women and their children.
"I think over the last 18 months, we’ve been having a very public conversation around violence against women. I think it has been exceptionally difficult for Australia to hear the details of the impact violence has on survivors," Minister Ruston said.
"But I think one of the things that has really clearly come out of this is that we have to listen, and we have to listen carefully. Because no matter how difficult it is for Australia to hear the stories of victim-survivors, it is absolutely nothing in comparison to the trauma that victim-survivors live with every day of their lives."
Ms Ruston said the next national plan will move from being called "reducing" to "ending" violence against women and their children, "because there is no acceptable level of violence that can be tolerated in a first world country like Australia".
Minister for Families Anne Ruston, pictured at Parliament House in Canberra in April this year, welcomed the new program. Source: AAP
"Unless we can achieve that goal, we will have failed," she said.
"It is by listening to those voices [of victim-survivors] that we can truly move forward."
If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
