A long-delayed report guiding the second ten-year national plan to reduce violence against women and children has recommended all schools and early education settings teach an expanded age-appropriate Respectful Relationships program, including around sexual consent. The Monash University National Plan Stakeholder Consultation Report, led by work from chief investigator Associate Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, was released on Thursday after the draft second national plan was delivered in mid-January. A separate guiding report from Monash - a dedicated consultation project with more than 80 victim-survivor advocates - was released publicly on April 1. Abuse survivors and stakeholders, including former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, had been agitating for the release of the reports, saying they are needed to inform any discussions around the new national plan. The stakeholder report, based on consultation with almost 500 practitioners, sector leaders, community advocates and policymakers, describes family, domestic and sexual violence as a national crisis and lists some of the main drivers as gender inequality, stereotypes and disrespect. "We are extremely grateful to those experts for sharing their time and expertise with us," Dr Fitz-Gibbon, the Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, said. "This report presents the breadth of commitment needed across the prevention, early intervention, response and recovery space for Australian governments to truly lead a transformational shift in our progress towards ending domestic, family and sexual violence." READ MORE: The work is described as "forward-facing" and not focused on reviewing the previous National Plan or "reflecting on its strengths or weaknesses". It aims to inform the national plan's development, implementation, governance and impact. Among wide-ranging recommendations, the report finds the wellbeing, recovery and safety needs of children and young people should be central to the next national plan's focus. The stakeholder report finds First Nations children and families should be better supported, while it encourages better access to therapeutic and trauma-informed services for children and young people. And in schools and early childhood centres, the next national plan finds moves to expand the Respectful Relationships program should reflect the need for age-sensitive, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive education on relationships, sexualities and consent across the schooling life span. It particularly wants resources ramped up for parents, teachers and carers. "The Stakeholder Report evidences the strong call for children and young people to be clearly established as a priority in the next national plan," Dr Fitz-Gibbon said. "Through our consultation, practice and policy experts consistently called for the safety, wellbeing, and recovery needs of children and young people to be recognised as victim-survivors in their own right." The Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth thanked Dr Fitz-Gibbon and her team for their work and promised action. The national plan will be discussed next Friday at a meeting of ministers responsible for women and women's safety in Adelaide, while the government maintains that one of the first items of legislative business when parliament returns later this month is paid domestic and family violence leave. "We don't want families and parents, particularly women, feeling they can't leave a relationship because they might lose their job," the minister said in a statement. Ms Rishworth said women's safety, particularly for First Nations communities, was a "top-order" priority. "One woman dies in Australia every nine days at the hands of their current or former partner. The National Plan will set out a strategy for the next decade with the aim of reducing that number," she said. "Women's experiences must be at the centre of what we do, and this meeting with state and territory counterparts is an important first step. What I want to see developed with the state and territory ministers is to land not only a long term, ten-year proposal, but actually make sure that there's action attached to it." The stakeholder report also recommends longer term funding cycles for the second national plan and the establishment of a victim-survivor expert advocacy group. Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.