Reliable national data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences of family and domestic violence remains limited and "insufficient", while First Nations women murdered by their partners continue to rise.
The "devastating outcome for Aboriginal women", canvassed in the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's latest annual report, also includes an increase in the rate of hospitalisations of First Nations women and children following family violence assaults — moving further away from Target 13 of the Closing the Gap agreement.
The rate of First Nations children hospitalised because of family violence fell between 2019 and 2022, but has since increased significantly to 45 children per 100,000 — the highest rate recorded so far.
Similarly, intimate partner homicides involving First Nations women have increased in both years since the baseline was established, reaching four victims per 100,000 people in the latest report.
Victorian-based Indigenous family violence prevention service Djirra said family violence is the "central issue driving the removal of Aboriginal children and the homelessness, criminalisation, and poor health outcomes (including suicide) of Aboriginal women".
"Djirra's position is clear," the organisation said. "If its self-determined solutions are not invested in, Aboriginal women will continue to experience family violence at disproportionately high rates, exacerbated by structural racism stemming from colonisation."
The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) said the latest data showed a system weighted towards crisis response. CEO Muriel Bamblett said more than just a gendered issue, violence against Aboriginal women and children is a "failure of mainstream cross-sector systems".
"What's needed is a real shift away from approaches that adapt existing systems for Aboriginal people, to a complete transformation of systems." Ms Bamblett said.
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Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin also noted the family law and justice systems "can, and too often do, become another source of harm".
"When people seek protection, accountability and support, the systems around them should help keep them safe. Too often, that is not what is happening," she said.
She told the ABC: "There are real concerns about decisions that are being made that are putting children in harm's way."
Djirra CEO Antoinette Braybrook said Aboriginal women are "too often disbelieved, punished, separated from their children, pushed into homelessness or criminalised when they seek safety".
The federal government's Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices is one example of self-determination in action, according to Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Launched in March by the Coalition of Peaks and the federal government, it is a national community-controlled peak body representing members delivering services across the family, domestic and sexual violence sector.
"It's the first standalone national plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children," Ms Plibersek said.
"But it's also an important opportunity to work with First Nations communities to find solutions that meet their unique needs and address the barriers they face when seeking help."
Urgent funding needed
The Commission made eight recommendations, including that responses to domestic, family and sexual violence must be culturally safe, community-led and designed with First Nations communities, rather than applying a single mainstream service model.
Ms Braybrook said Djirra is "self-determination in action" and called on the government to fund the organisation, along with other Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
Investment would allow Djirra to "provide our life-saving and life-changing wraparound services for Aboriginal women and children to be safe and together".
"When Aboriginal women are safe, children and families are safer. Investing in Aboriginal women today builds a stronger legacy for generations to come," Ms Braybrook said.
"We have the knowledge. We have the solutions. Now invest in them and see the change."
Ms Bamblett said VACCA wanted to see "long-term, proportionate investment where it's needed, and that's with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs)".
This will help to "build a stronger, culturally grounded evidence base on the dynamics of violence, and to deliver prevention and early intervention programs that actually work," she said.
"ACCOs work holistically with Aboriginal families," she added.
"We know what's needed to prevent and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence. The critical gap is sustained investment, the ability to reform systems and practices, and accountability for outcomes."
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