One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has sparked widespread condemnation after describing domestic violence as 'wrong' but a 'two-way street', and telling women experiencing abuse to 'not put up with it'. Advocates, including former political staffer Brittany Higgins, accused Hanson of victim-blaming.
Hanson's comments spark backlash
On Wednesday, Hanson told radio station 4BC that domestic violence in Australia was a scourge but that society was under 'so much pressure'. 'It is wrong but it's also a two-way street. I'm not saying that it's just men, women can lose their cool as well,' Hanson said. She added that she had experienced domestic violence herself and advised women: 'If these women are getting abused by men out there, then don't put up with it.'
Activists and politicians respond
Tarang Chawla, whose sister Nikita was murdered by her partner in 2015, said the responsibility should not be on the victim. 'My sister Niki tried to do what Ms Hanson suggests. Terrible advice. He murdered her,' he said. 'It is not as simple as 'don't put up with it'. The responsibility isn't on the victim. It's on the person who is abusive or violent.'
Minister for Women and Finance Katy Gallagher called the comments 'ill-informed' and said they 'risk sending a dangerous message that lets perpetrators off the hook'. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek urged Hanson to support survivors 'rather than belittling them', noting that leaving is often the most dangerous time for victims.
Brittany Higgins condemns 'victim-blaming rhetoric'
Brittany Higgins, now executive director of the Vida Fund, accused Hanson of victim-blaming in a social media post. 'Mutual abuse', 'two way street', 'just leave' – normalising this victim blaming rhetoric in relation to domestic violence when 38 Australian women have already been lost to femicide is atrocious,' Higgins said.
The Women's and Girls' Emergency Centre called Hanson's comments 'vile and shameful'. CEO Nicole Yade said they reflected 'a victim-blaming narrative that has no place in conversations about domestic and family violence'. Yade noted that Hanson's own experience of domestic violence made her comments 'deeply disappointing'.
Hanson's history of controversial statements
In 2019, Hanson secured an inquiry into the family court system, which women's groups warned could become a platform for men's rights activists. She claimed women were fabricating family violence complaints to keep their children, a claim widely discredited by multiple studies. In 2017, Hanson told the Senate her sons had faced 'unwarranted' domestic violence claims and said she felt for men in such situations.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in four women has experienced intimate partner violence since age 15. Domestic violence counselling is available from Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578.
