International Women’s Day Podcast: ‘Mainstreaming misogyny’ ends today
Listen to the full podcast with Women’s Agenda here.
In 2025, how are women’s rights, rather than misogyny, being ‘mainstreamed’ in Australian law, policy and action?
On International Women’s Day, Violet Co Director & Principal Solicitor Karen Iles joined Angela Priestley, Co-Founder of Women’s Agenda for their podcast, to explore the underlying structural barriers still impacting women in Australia and globally, as well as the pathways to dismantling them.
This conversation is particularly timely in light of recent comprehensive recommendations from the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) aimed at making the justice system more accessible for victims of sexual violence.
The ALRC inquiry, initiated by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, incorporated submissions from victim-survivors, legal professionals, and advocacy organisations, including Violet Co. In this podcast, Karen described this report as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to push the government towards decisive action on rape and sexual assault.
The effective decriminalisation of sexual violence
In this interview, Karen explained that statistics surrounding sexual violence in Australia are stark: one in five women and one in 16 men have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, as well as one in six children. Shockingly, fewer than one in ten such incidents are reported to police. Of those reported, 85% are not charged by police, and an even smaller percentage ever proceed to court. These numbers highlight an extreme funnel of injustice - of the estimated three million women who have been raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime, only a tiny fraction ever see their perpetrators held accountable. A Police Process Review from the ACT last year showed that “not only are sexual offences rarely charged in the ACT, they are rarely investigated.” As such, victim-survivors are withdrawing from these investigations, “not of their own volition,” but “in response to decisions and actions of police.” It is estimated that less than 1% of men who rape and sexually assault women, girls, children and other men are ever held to any standard of legal accountability.
“As many of us in the sector say, this is the very definition of decriminalisation,” says Karen Iles.
For the few cases that do proceed, there is a perception that there is a skewed representation of victim-survivors in our courts - often favouring white, privileged, and younger women, while older women, Aboriginal women, sex workers, and migrant women face even greater barriers.
Improving police and justice responses
Karen and Angela discussed the 64 recommendations put forward in the ALRC report, aimed at addressing various issues including barriers to engagement, increasing system accountability, avoiding retraumatisation, countering myths and misconceptions, and creating new justice options. Angela highlighted the broad scope of such recommendations, asking where the biggest changes can be made the fastest.
Karen suggested that this can be found in how police handle reports of sexual violence. She stated that building confidence in the justice system requires fixing the "front door” – the initial point of contact with law enforcement – ensuring that victim-survivors are met with compassion, respect, and a clear duty of care. These women need predictable processes, review mechanisms for police conduct with real consequences, and remedies for when police fail in their duties.
While the Federal Government announced an additional $21.4 million in funding to pilot specialised trauma-informed sexual assault legal services, this addresses a later stage in the process. There is a clear need for lawyers to be involved with victim-survivors from day one, representing them when making complaints to police and providing essential advice and representation under the protection of legal privilege.
This interview highlights the importance of collective resilience, strength, and the passion to keep going, as the true essence of what International Women's Day celebrates. The work of the ALRC and advocates like Karen Iles represents a crucial step towards systemic change, built upon the efforts of generations past. While challenges remain, the momentum generated offers a glimmer of hope for a more just future for all.
