Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, on Tony Abbott's comments about women in the Liberal Party: 

“Tony Abbott’s rhetoric is farcical, given his atrocious track record of sexist comments and funding cuts disproportionately impacting women, as well as his failure to promote women. 

The Abbott Government must take note of the Essential Research poll released today showing 74 per cent of Australians believe domestic violence is as or more threatening than terrorism.

"While the community is taking domestic violence seriously, the Abbott Government has still failed to reverse its cuts to domestic violence services," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said.

The Greens will join with 'Stop Taxing My Period' campaign organiser Subeta Vimalarajah in Sydney on Wednesday to call on the NSW Government to hurry up and get on board with ending the tampon tax.

Ms Vimalarajah's online petition topped 100,000 signatures over the long weekend but the NSW Government is still refusing to join other states in agreeing the tax should be scrapped.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, Senator Larissa Waters said the Greens would keep up the pressure on the state and federal governments.

 The Australian Greens welcome the Our Watch Awards for media reporting to end violence against women, announced by Rosie Batty at the National Press Club today.

“Rosie Batty has shown incredible bravery in sharing her story with the media in an effort to help other women and children,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said.

The Australian Greens have long called for domestic violence leave and are disappointed at the big parties' failure to back the ACTU's proposal.

Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said:

"It's deeply disappointing that both big parties appear to be rejecting the ACTU's proposal for domestic violence leave, championed by our brave, determined Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.

"While Bill Shorten has made some noncommittal remarks, Labor is failing to back the desperately needed proposal.

The Australian Greens will keep up the pressure in the federal Parliament to make sure the tampon tax is removed, after Treasurer Hockey's commitment last night to raise this matter with the states. 

"GST should have never applied to tampons and pads in the first place," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, said.

Federal cuts to legal assistance funding will undermine efforts to tackle domestic violence, say the Australian Greens.

Legal assistance and domestic violence are two separate agenda items for tomorrow's Law, Crime and Community Safety Council Meeting, but the Australian Greens spokesperson for legal affairs Senator Penny Wright says they should be addressed together.

"If the Government is really genuine about addressing domestic violence, they need to fund the services out there helping people to understand their legal options and act on them," Senator Wright said.

The Abbott Government's budget does nothing  to help domestic violence victims and survivors and locks in many of last year's domestic violence funding cuts. 

"For all of the government's rhetoric about domestic violence, its budget is a missed opportunity to address this tragic national crisis," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, said.

"After the interim Senate Inquiry report, the Government  reversed some of the worst funding cuts to legal centres and extended a homelessness program for a limited period.