Increased reporting. Heightened campaigns. A commitment by the state government to combat the problem, domestic violence specialist courts, domestic violence death and homicide review board, and integrated response strategies from the key agencies involved.
These are just some of the ways that Queensland is leading the country in the fight against domestic violence. And with International Women’s Day this week, there is one woman proactively leading the changes. Dr Kathleen Baird.
A midwife by profession, Dr Baird from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland is passionate about improving identification of the issue and developing strategies to better support women experiencing domestic family violence (DFV) and raising awareness of the seriousness of the crime.
Dr Baird, also the Director of Education for Midwifery and Nursing, Women’s and Newborn Services, at the Gold Coast University Hospital, was appointed in 2015 by the Attorney-General and the Premier, to the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council (QLD