Content warning: This article contains reference to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Australian of the Year Grace Tame has called for a greater focus on the prevention of violence against women and children ahead of next week's women's safety summit.
The National Summit on Women's Safety will form part of the consultation process for the second National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.
But Ms Tame said preliminary roundtable discussions have revealed not enough attention is being put on preventing gendered violence from happening in the first place.
"So much of this is reactivity, let's put a bandaid on this, let's respond to this. Where's the prevention?," she said on the ABC's Q+A program on Thursday night.
"The work has been done, it's there. There are evidence-based solutions, there are evidence-based methods of prevention that are ready to be implemented. It's just a question of political will, really at this point."
Ms Tame said she would support harsher sentencing for violent offenders.
"I don't often talk about this and I don't think I've said it publicly: As well as being a survivor of paedophilia, because I had no frame of reference after that, I got into violent relationship after violent relationship," she said.
"I lived with a man who used to punch holes in the walls, spit in my eyes, punch me in the head, choke me and push me to the ground."
But she said in a lot of instances, intervention and punishment don't stop the problem.
"We really need to be injecting funds and putting our attention on preventing these things from happening in the first place," she said.
Brittany Higgins is seen outside Parliament House on 15 March, 2021 in Canberra. Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Ms Tame said not enough input is being sought from survivors of family and sexual violence, or men.
"Earlier today I participated in a roundtable discussion where I was one of 49 people and I was the only lived-experience survivor there, so I think that says something about the prioritisation of survivors," she said.
"There was [also] only one man in 49 people there, and it sort of makes you feel like here are these women's issues, so we'll make the women deal with them by themselves."
Ms Tame also criticised the federal government over its lack of action concerning the Gaetjens inquiry into who in the Prime Minister's Office knew about the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
The investigation was suspended for a second time this week.
"They haven't even figured out still who did what or who knew what when, inside parliament," Ms Tame said.
"I mean, get me in there with a lie detector and I'll tell you within a day".
If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit .
The Men’s Referral Service provides advice for men on domestic violence and can be contacted on 1300 766 491. In an emergency, call 000.
