Domestic violence "epidemic" in Australia brings calls for system overhaul

Women's right advocates in Australia have urged the federal government to stop the rising number of women being killed by repairing the domestic violence support system.

In the first four months of 2015, 34 women have been killed in Australia with two-thirds allegedly killed by their partner, ex- partner or family member, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Monday.

Men remain overrepresented in homicide statistics but women were three times more likely to be killed by an intimate partner, according to the latest official data, released for 2010-2012.

Activist and community groups want governments across all jurisdictions to elevate the status of protection agencies.

This would mean they are directly under the control of the prime minister and state premiers.

Domestic violence is approaching an "epidemic" level, according to Helen Brereton from the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service in New South Wales.

"We know that domestic violence is the leading cause of death and injury and illness for women in Australia," she said, "The statistics have been growing steadily over time as more women are reporting."

Paul Linossier, who runs a group dedicated to ending domestic violence called Our Watch, told the ABC changing the attitudes of men was paramount to ending domestic violence.

"We need to go upstream and understand that behind men's control of women and the murder of intimate partners sits two key drivers -- gender inequality and holding to traditional and rigid gender stereotypes," he said.

At last month's Council of Australian Government's (COAG) meeting, Federal Social Services Minister Scott Morrison said men needed to "confront each other" to address domestic violence.

Morrison's comments came in conjunction with the state and federal governments agreement to pilot a program to see domestic violence protection orders enforced nationwide, rather than only in the issuing state. Endi