Australia on Thursday passed legislation entitling workers to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave, enabling victims to find new homes for themselves or their children without risking their jobs or income.
More than 11 million Australians will be eligible for the universal entitlement from February, including casual and part-time workers.
Employment minister Tony Burke described the legislation as a long overdue change that will provide individuals with the means to escape violent situations without risking their financial security.
"This bill will not by itself solve the problem of family and domestic violence, but it does mean no employee in Australia will ever again be forced to make a choice between earning a wage and protecting themselves and their families," Burke said in parliament before its passage.
Domestic violence is a major problem in Australia, where on average one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days, according to a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology's National Homicide Monitoring Program.
Unions and activists welcomed the move after a decade of campaigning, saying lives would be saved as a result.
"It cannot be understated just how important winning paid family and domestic violence leave in the National Employment Standards is," said Australian Council of Trade Unions President Michele O'Neil. "Economic security is a key factor determining whether a person subjected to violence at home can escape a dangerous relationship or not."
A survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2016 showed one in four Australian women had experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15.
New Zealand, which has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the developed world, passed a similar law granting 10 days of paid leave to workers in 2018.
