Women who ring a domestic violence hotline could be hanging up for fear of their violent partners.
That's how federal bureaucrats are explaining 18,631 unanswered calls to the 1800Respect counselling line, which recently was given a $4 million funding boost by the federal government.
"A lot of women ring and don't go through with the call ... they could be interrupted by a child or a violent partner," social services department official Cate McKenzie told a Senate committee in Canberra on Thursday.
Some women who ring the hotline are given the option of having their call returned after two minutes.
Those who take up the opportunity and hang up are then considered as having an unanswered call.
"It takes a lot of guts for women to make that call," Ms McKenzie said.
Government funding is expected to facilitate about 55,000 calls, but the Australian Greens say the funding should be made permanent beyond the two-year period.
"We must make sure that when women call out for help, those cries are answered," deputy leader Larissa Waters told AAP.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott says an enormous amount is already being done to combat domestic violence as he responded to calls by Australian of the Year Rosie Batty for domestic violence to be addressed like terrorism.
While $100 million had been allocated for an action strategy, more money would be available for recommendations presented by a taskforce, he said.
The challenge was not just to spend more but to promote a cultural change amongst men to say no to violence.
"It's not as if nothing is being done here," he told reporters in Canberra.
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