JO Wood has been appointed the new ACT coordinator-general for family safety. 

Over the past 17 years her work has focused on indigenous and gender issues, including Closing the Gap, women’s workforce participation, migration and employment.

She says: “The ACT government is investing and taking steps to address family safety, and I want to build on that commitment to the community.

“Frontline service providers are working hard each day to respond to family violence and to help those who have experienced this violence.

“Forms of family violence, including domestic violence, elder abuse, intimate partner violence and sexual violence happen in all cities, towns and rural communities across the nation. Family violence is a widespread social problem that affects our entire society and does not discriminate on the basis of age, income levels, educational levels, or culture.”

In her new role, Ms Wood hopes to provide the right services, for Canberrans to identify with the earliest warning signs to prevent family violence from occurring.