Corporate leaders across Australia’s essential services are uniting to establish a business alliance against domestic and family violence – and they are urging others to join them.
Co-founded by Flequity Ventures with not-for-profit Thriving Communities Australia, One Generation aims to ignite business solutions at scale for customers impacted by domestic and family violence.
One Generation will be run as a program of Thriving Communities and will provide free, practical tools and resources to enable businesses to:
• Provide better and safer support for customers experiencing domestic and family violence
• Foster a culture of respect, one of the key drivers to prevent gendered violence
• Identify and share evidence of customer support that works.
The One Generation founders will fund research on the lived experiences of diverse customers to inform cross sector actions to make it easier and safer to get support. Each member has also committed to:
• Continue to raise awareness among their employees, stakeholders and communities of the role of business to respond to customers experiencing domestic and family violence
• Share better practice with other One Generation members
• Take action in line with the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-32
• Provide information to assist with measurement of progress.
Businesses offer customers experiencing domestic and family violence a range of supports, such as trained staff, account security, financial hardship relief and referrals to specialist services.
Flequity founder Catherine Fitzpatrick says: “Businesses have a key role to end gendered violence – not only to support employees but also to provide safe products and services for their customers. Many are unsure where to start, or if their current support truly meets customer needs. This alliance will help us to identify and share what works, so it’s easier to provide more effective and consistent support.”
Thriving Communities CEO Ciara Sterling says: “Essential services are often the first lifeline for customers facing domestic and family violence. In that moment, their impact can be truly life changing. But we know many victim-survivors aren’t accessing the support available, largely because they don’t know about it. We want to change that.”
In 2016, former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty AO called for a national corporate alliance to take collective action to address gender inequality and violence against women and their children. Ms Batty says: “I welcome the launch of One Generation and urge other businesses to join. It takes all of us to contribute and create change. Use your power. Use your influence. Be part of the solution. Because it will take every single one of us to stop this horrendous social issue in one generation.”
One Generation founding corporate members include AGL, EnergyAustralia, Optus, Origin Energy, Suncorp Group, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water. The founding corporate CEOs and MDs have joined the national launch, appearing in a video together to acknowledge the impact that domestic and family violence can have on their customers. They have urged other corporate leaders across financial services, energy, telecommunications, water, retail, transport, property and technology to join them.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin says: “Australia is facing a national crisis of violence against women. There is a long way to go, but today’s announcement is a great example of business leadership and the potential power of collective action. I encourage all businesses to consider the important role they have to play so that we can achieve our aim of ending gendered violence in one generation.”
Watch the launch film here.