Quarterly Essay Issue 97: Losing It

What will it take to stop gendered violence?

What went wrong? Australian governments promised to end violence against women and children in a single generation. Instead, it is escalating: men have been murdering women at an increased rate, coercive control and sexual violence are becoming more complex and severe, and we see a marked rise in youth-on-youth sexual assault. Why?

In Losing It, Jess Hill investigates Australia's National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children to find out what's working and what's not – and what we can do to turn things around. This compassionate, groundbreaking essay lifts the lid on a national crisis.

"Each time a woman or child was murdered, I felt a gnawing sense of urgency. If it's everybody's responsibility to prevent violence, where does the buck stop?" – Jess Hill, Losing It