Life-changing stories
Behind the Violence had its origins in the National Committee on Violence Against Women that started in the early 1990s. This committee was made up of representatives of state and federal governments, community and police.
The committee’s findings led to the development of a national strategy to stop violence against women that was launched by Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1992. As part of this strategy, the Office of the Status of Women within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet funded a community education program which included the production of a radio series.
Cath Dwyer, currently the Manager of Radio and Radio National at the ABC, coordinated the series:
'We all believed (and still do) in the importance of people telling their own stories in their own words, and of the power of stories to change lives – for the storytellers, listeners (especially those affected by violence) and hopefully policymakers too. We were all incredibly proud of this series, I was very lucky to be working with such wonderful producers who were and are very talented.'
This clip from Behind the Violence, Episode Three: Women and the Media includes comments from celebrated journalist Anne Deveson, who was the Chair of the National Working Party on the Portrayal of Women in the Media: