Family violence-related charges have doubled in the ACT in the past two years and the territory's first Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence has warned: "It will get worse before it gets better."
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As groups prepare for White Ribbon Day on Friday, Yvette Berry said the sharp rise in charges laid for family violence crimes was "confronting", but attributed the rise to increased reporting rather than a spike in violence.
"There is no doubt with all of the awareness to this terrible issue, which was traditionally unreported, we will now see more of those victims of domestic and family violence coming forward to get support," she said.
"It is better that we see it and can deal with it than it remaining hidden and unreported."
In the 12 months to October, ACT Policing laid more than 1000 charges for crime related to domestic violence. This was more than 500 charges more than the same period the year before.
ACT Police said each day on average they attend between eight-12 incidents of family violence.
Family violence-related assault charges almost doubled from 498 in 2014-15 to 847 in 2015-16.
The number of charges laid for choking, suffocating or strangling a person quadrupled in the same period, while the total charges laid for threatening to kill someone rose almost four-fold.
With the scope of the problem in their sights, the ACT government is lending its weight to a 16-day global campaign of collective activism against gender-based violence.
Canberrans are being asked to get behind the Orange the World campaign which starts on White Ribbon Day, Friday, November 25, also International Day for the Elimination of Violence, and ends on Human Rights Day, on Saturday, December 10.
"I really believe that if we work together, we can stop the violence that is happening in our community," Ms Berry said.
People are being asked to show solidarity for the cause by wearing something orange on day and participate in the worldwide conversation using the hashtags #OrangeDay #SaferFamiles #16days #ACTAgainstViolence.
Beyond social media and turning the Telstra Tower orange, Ms Berry said the ACT government had made a submission to the Fair Work Commission to support the introduction of 10 days' paid family and domestic violence leave as a national employment standard.
In practical terms, it would work similarly to a sick leave provision. But Ms Berry said it also demonstrated a collective desire to support people subjected to violence and facilitate safe escapes.
"In the ACT our public sector employees can access domestic and family violence leave. We want every employee regardless of their job to be able to access that," she said.
"Whether it is leave to seek legal support, move house, move school or take time out for medical treatment, if that is unfortunately what they need leave for, they should be able to get that support when they need it for as long as they need it."
