Australia has woken up to the scourge of domestic violence and has the power to change it for the better, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a meeting of the nation's leaders.
Opening the COAG domestic violence summit in Brisbane on Friday, Mr Turnbull said the country had undergone a cultural shift with regards to domestic violence and the momentum cannot be denied.
"We now recognise that domestic violence is not a private drama to be played out behind closed doors, it is a crime and we are treating it as a crime," he said.
More than 100 women were killed in family-related violence homicides last year, while around 132,000 women experienced violence from a partner.
"It is real, it is raw, it is intensely personal," Mr Turnbull said.
Too often we blamed women, excused men and trivialised violence, he said.
"Our jokes, sexism, disrespectful attitudes towards women are a big contributor to the problem."
The prime minister lauded a number of projects stemming from his $100 million women's safety package, which are starting to produce results.
Since the expansion of the 1800 RESPECT hotline, for example, 80 per cent of calls are being answered in 20 seconds.
"This is a significant improvement - callers no longer have to endure long wait times."
Mr Turnbull was confident the 150 experts and leaders at the summit would add force to the cause and give hope to those who have suffered.
