Sadly, more than a generation on, an estimated 736 million women globally - almost one-in-three Australian women aged over 15 - continue to experience violence in their lifetime, primarily as family violence perpetrated by current or former intimate partners. As confronting as this figure is, sadly, we know the prevalence is much higher given many women do not report violence.

For YWCA Australia, the leading national women's organisation with a focus on ending women's housing risk, every day we see the lasting impacts of violence against women at home and in their lives.

Yet, I feel cautiously optimistic the dial is finally shifting. While the ratio of one-in-three women remains intolerable, as a nation we have not set goals that, if realised, will go a long way to achieving the United Nation's call to action.

Last month's budget signalled a commitment by governments of all levels to combat one of the biggest barriers for women seeking to leave violent situations - access to safe and secure housing.

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The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund will provide 20,000 new social housing dwellings, 4000 of which will be allocated to at-risk women and children, in concert with the National Housing Accord's pledge to build 1 million well-located homes to alleviate the housing affordability crisis.

These long-overdue announcements come at a time when demand for specialist housing services due to domestic and family violence is at an all-time high, up from 32 per cent in 2012 to 42 per cent in 2021. Despite being a national provider of long-term affordable housing for women, providing more than 130,000 nights of safe accommodation each year, the growing demand of those who are at risk of homelessness due to family and domestic violence has our housing and services stretched.

YWCA Australia co-funded the Equity Economics' Nowhere To Go report, which revealed each year 7690 women return to perpetrators of violence because they have nowhere affordable to live, and 9120 women become homeless each year after leaving their homes due to domestic and family violence and being unable to secure long-term housing. And then there are the women who are unable to leave.

The federal government's newly-announced National Housing and Homelessness Plan to create a cohesive policy framework across all levels of governments has the potential to be a game changer, but as with all vision statements, the devil will be in the detail.

It is vital women with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness and specialist women's services such as YWCA have a seat at the table to assist in setting measurable targets and priority actions that best meet the needs of women across the housing continuum.

YWCA has decades of experience in helping clients to navigate the complex - and often nonsensical - bureaucracy associated with securing long-term housing, and linking women into necessary wraparound supports such as trauma counselling, income and child support, education and training programs and agency case managers.

Finding suitable accommodation is one thing, but for many women the transition is made more stressful by frustrating layers of officialdom that result in clients ping-ponging between different support providers working under different funding contracts with different case managers. A deep understanding of the inner workings and gaps in the current system is critical to ensuring any future plan is a fit-for-purpose.

The same can be said for the newly-released National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, and dedicated action plan for First Nations women and children, who are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence.

The differing intersectional needs across the diverse range of women cohorts requires an inclusive and culturally-sensitive response. The housing needs for at-risk, women-led families who require proximity to schools and government services can be different from women fleeing violence who require secure accommodation, which will again be different from older women who need to be close to medical services and accessible transport. One size does not fit all.

While I applaud the government taking important first steps to end gender-based violence, a willingness to seek guidance from specialist services such as the YWCA and clients with lived experience will be key to ensuring plans have real meaning and practical outcomes. Get it right, and I do believe we have a shot at creating a future where women can live free from violence.

As a nation, let's turn words into action and work together to eliminate violence against women.

If you or anyone you know is in need or crisis please call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline 131 114