A national advocacy group for women in superannuation has launched a domestic violence charter encouraging employers to work against family violence.

Women in Super (WIS) announced the WIS Domestic Violence Charter at its annual National Road Show Lunch in Melbourne earlier this week.

The charter is aimed at giving superannuation employers a framework to operate within when it comes to accommodating, dealing with and educating its staff on domestic violence.

WIS chair Cate Wood told The New Daily that the initiative was something she discussed with WIS founder Mavis Robertson before she passed away in 2015.

“Originally what propelled me to talk about a domestic violence charter was in my last conversation with WIS founder Mavis Robertson before she died,” Ms Wood said. “It was one of the last thing she said to me.”

Ms Wood said she wanted to empower employers in the domestic violence space and make them equipped to deal with the problem.

One in four Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

“We think family violence and domestic violence is something that everybody needs to take a stand on,” she said. “Employers in our industry need to be able to influence behaviour around this.

“For us the charter focuses on the employers, we want them to ensure good policies can effect members in the workplace and the industry.

“We want anyone affected by family violence to be supported.”

Measures in the charter included committing to domestic violence leave and having a defined policy to deal with domestic violence.

It also urged employers to come up with ways to assist superannuation fund members struggling with domestic violence and even think of ways domestic violence victims could be helped back into work by the superannuation industry.

1 in 3 women will experience violence in their lifetime… no matter how nice your house is or how smart you are pic.twitter.com/0tctZph63e

— Women in Super (@womeninsuper) August 16, 2016

Former Australian of the Year and anti-domestic violence advocate Rosie Batty spoke at the National Road Show Lunch in Melbourne, which launched the charter.

Ms Wood said WIS had consulted widely with bodies and experts in domestic violence space before coming up with the charter.

She said WIS had been approached by numerous superannuation representatives to talk about what their fund can do to fufill the charter.

“I have been heartened by those from WIS who have approached me to do this and to say they’re willing to help in making it grow,” Ms Wood said.

Read the WIS Domestic Violence Charter here.