Australian governments have promised to end gendered violence in a single generation. But this bold commitment to nation building has not yet been matched by the funding, innovation and resources necessary to achieve it. If anything, since governments made that commitment two years ago, gendered violence has only escalated: men are murdering women at an increased rate, coercive control and sexual violence are becoming more complex and severe, and governments are not doing nearly enough to stop perpetrators weaponising technology and systems. Australians have taken to the streets again this year to demand that governments act.

In this urgent essay, 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.