Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday committed 2 million dollars (1.6 million U.S. dollars) for research into the male attitudes that lead to domestic and sexual violence against women in the country.
While giving a keynote speech at the annual gala of the White Ribbon Foundation - a charity focusing on eliminating violence against women in Sydney, Rudd said it was time violence against women was brought out of the shadows and into public conversation.
The government would also pilot a number of programs in schools and youth organizations next year for local communities to prevent cultural attitudes that may lead to female violence, Rudd said.
"Violence against women is the great silent crime of our age," Australian Associated Press quoted Rudd as saying.
"As a nation, the time has well and truly come to have a national conversation, a public national conversation - not a private one," he said.
Rudd said figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that half a million Australian women experience physical or sexual violence from their partner in any given year. Surprisingly, less than a third of victims report such incidents to police and 90 percent do not access crisis support or legal advice.
He said the attitudes of Australian males - right from birth - needed to change about the perceived acceptance of bashing or sexually assaulting women.
"Some believe that violence can be excused in certain circumstances, that women sometimes 'ask for it' or 'deserve' violence," the prime minister said.
Source: Xinhua
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