Brittany Higgins accuses Pauline Hanson of victim-blaming for calling domestic violence a ‘two-way street’
One Nation leader criticised by advocates after telling women being abused: ‘don’t put up with it’ Pauline Hanson has described domestic violence as “wrong” but a “two-way street”, and that women being abused should not put up with it, drawing condemnation...
Brittany Higgins has accused Pauline Hanson of victim-blaming after the One Nation leader described domestic violence as a “two-way street” in comments that quickly drew criticism from advocates.
According to a monitored public feed based on The Guardian World, Hanson said domestic violence was “wrong” but framed it as a “two-way street”, while also telling women experiencing abuse not to “put up with it”. The remarks prompted condemnation from advocacy groups, who said the language shifted responsibility away from abusers and onto victims.
In comments to radio station 4BC on Wednesday, Hanson referred to domestic violence in Australia as a scourge, but added that society was under “so much pressure” when asked to address the issue. Her remarks were widely interpreted as minimising the one-sided nature of abuse and as suggesting women should simply leave violent relationships.
Higgins, who has publicly spoken about gendered violence and accountability, said Hanson’s framing amounted to victim-blaming. The response added to a broader backlash that often follows attempts by public figures to describe domestic violence in terms that imply mutual fault.
Advocates have long warned that language portraying abuse as reciprocal can obscure the reality that domestic violence is rooted in coercion, control and harm by one person against another. Critics of Hanson’s comments said that telling abused women not to “put up with it” fails to acknowledge the barriers many face in escaping violent relationships, including fear, financial dependence and concerns about safety.
Hanson’s remarks landed in a politically sensitive area, with domestic violence remaining a major public concern in Australia. The exchange is the latest example of how responses to the issue can become sharply contested when politicians appear to soften or reframe the responsibility of perpetrators.
This report is based on a monitored public feed from The Guardian World and reflects the details available in that summary.
Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/22/brittany-higgins-pauline-hanson-domestic-violence-comments-ntwnfb
