Dalziel at Women's Refuge Conference

Lianne Dalziel, as Minister of Women's Affairs has just addressed the Women's Refuge AGM. They apparently challenged her to talk in terms of violence aginst women rather than family violence because they "do not want to lose the gender reality of partner violence."

Ms Dalziel said she had no problem complying. "I have read the assertion that women are equally as violent as men. And, to use an insurance term, on a knock-for-knock basis that is correct. But it is the women who feel the fear, it is the women who are hospitalised and it is the women who die."

That is the first time I have read a Minister acknowledging partner violence runs both ways. It seems to me that we still do not know how much violence against women is provoked by the eventual victim. Just as I am positive there are women who are largely innocent victims, there are others who are not. That is not to absolve a male from physically assaulting a woman who has mercilessly taunted or attacked him but the circumstances need to be treated as mitigating factors.

But perhaps the need for Women's Refuge could be reduced if some women addressed their own behaviour. A case was recently described to me where the man tried repeatedly to walk away. She kept after him hiding the car keys to keep him captive and eventually assaulted him with a broken bottle at which point he thumped her.

Men who beat women because of their own anger, jealousy, drug and alcohol problems should be listed in the DomPost like drink-drivers, scorned by their mates and banged up for a long time.

As with most social problems there is no one-size-fits-all problem or solution but I am pleased to see Dalziel at least describing the problem with more fairness.