Towards meaningful engagement: Key findings for survivor co-production of public policy on gender-based violence

Abstract

Survivors with lived experience of gender-based violence (GBV) are increasingly asking to be involved in developing and reforming public policy, and governments are beginning to engage survivors in co-production efforts. An example of this engagement of survivors in co-production efforts is the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 (the National Plan), which opens with a dedication to, and statement from, victim-survivors and the message that “No meaningful solutions can be made about us without us” (Department of Social Services [DSS], 2022, pp. 8–9). The National Plan commits to working with victim-survivors and recognising the value of lived experience in shaping effective initiatives. Engaging survivors in the co-production of policies is expected to make policies and services more relevant and improve outcomes. However, research with other service users indicates there can be a gap between the promise of co-production in theory and what is delivered in practice, particularly when significant power imbalances exist between policymakers and service users. The role of survivors in the co-production of policy is under-researched, as are the public value and the risks. This research contributes to addressing those research gaps.