Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Victoria's family violence primary prevention workforce

Under COVID-19 restrictions there have been dramatic increases in anecdotal and formal reporting of violence against women, globally. * These findings are consistent with over 10 years of disaster research in Australia and other high-income countries showing increased violence against women during disasters. The gendered impacts of disasters, including increased rates of violence, may be even greater for women who are subject to multiple forms of discrimination.
This pilot study was commissioned by Respect Victoria in response to concerns that family violence funds, resources and staff were being diverted from primary prevention of violence against women (henceforth referred to as ‘primary prevention’) to response under COVID-19. Research in May 2020 by Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE)
confirmed that partner agencies had increased service provision to deal with the dramatic increases in the number of women experiencing family violence. However, many of the agencies noted that this increase ‘came at the expense of primary prevention work’ (WHISE May 2020). These reservations were reiterated at a GAD Pod consultation with 42 primary prevention workers, hosted by the Municipal Association of Victoria on 17/6/2020.
The project’s aims and outcomes are threefold:
• Gain insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the work of primary prevention practitioners
• Make recommendations about the resourcing and support needed for primary prevention practitioners during disaster
• Produce a report for Respect Victoria to support advocacy and policy advice.
Key findings in the literature review include the increasingly gendered division of labour during the response to COVID-19; increasing pressure on women and men to conform to gender stereotypes; the gendered impacts of multiple forms of discrimination on women who are part of other marginalised groups; and the consequences of the ‘tyranny of the urgent’ on long-term policies and programs.
Key findings from thematic analysis of the interviews suggest that COVID-19 restrictions have led to a transformation in the cultures and practices of both organisations and individual workers.