Knowing and Doing: 50 Years of Change in the DFV Sector

Fifty years after the first women's refuge opened in Sydney, the Australian domestic and family violence sector looks very different – but the gap between what we know works to prevent violence and what is actually funded, implemented and reaching the people who need it most remains stubbornly wide.In this episode of CEVAW Conversations, host Siân Human speaks with Delia Donovan (CEO, Domestic Violence NSW) and Dr Vincent Hurley (Macquarie University; former NSW Policeofficer). Between them, they trace the evolution of the DFV sector from two very different vantage points – the service system and the institution of policing – exploring the milestones and the people who drove them, the plansthat haven't been enacted, and what it actually takes to turn evidence into action.This episode covers the women's refuge movement and the birth of DV NSW; how policing culture and practice has changed since the 1980s; new legislation like coercive control and what itmeans in practice; the gap between national plans and frontline funding; prevention versus crisis response and why it's a false choice; and what it looks like to take evidence directly to young people.CEVAW Conversations is a podcast by the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, produced at Monash University. Episodes explore how research and evidence translate into real-world practice and policy change.Support Services:Triple Zero (000) in an emergency/immediate threat to life1800RESPECT call 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732 13 YARN call 13 92 76, crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline call 1800 497 212 Full Stop Australia 1800 385 578Men’s Referral Service call 1300 766 491Find international helpNational Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015