National Dowry Abuse Summit 2026 | CEVAW

Dowry abuse is a distinct and often under-recognised form of family violence – and one that Australian law has only recently begun to catch up with. Following a decade of advocacy, dowry abuse was formally recognised as a form of economic abuse under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) in 2024, coming into effect in mid-2025. This third National Dowry Abuse Summit brings together the people who made that reform possible, and the practitioners, researchers, and policymakers now putting it into practice.

On the day, you’ll hear from:

• The Hon Julian Hill MP, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and a video message from the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Federal Attorney-General
• Professor Manjula O’Connor (AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health) on the process of discovery, research and legislative reform behind dowry abuse recognition
• Leading researchers presenting new findings on dowry expectations, intimate partner violence, and community experiences of dowry abuse in Australia
• A moderated panel of legal, policing, and community sector experts, including Her Honour Judge Catherine Symons and Victoria Police’s Claire Waterman
• Lived experience speakers, and a Q&A with panellists

Since its inception, the Summit has driven real reform. The first Summit (2016) called for federal legislation against dowry abuse. The second (2019) followed the Senate Inquiry into dowry abuse and urged the reforms that ultimately passed into federal law in 2024, alongside state-level changes in Victoria (2019) and Western Australia (2020) recognising dowry-related coercion as family violence.

This Summit is for legal professionals, policymakers, family violence, multicultural and settlement sector organisations, researchers, and community leaders and members with an interest in dowry abuse and its legal, health, and human rights implications.

Register here