Multiple sources of international and national data indicate that organised religion is facing a crisis of trust. Child sexual abuse scandals and the treatment of LGBTIQ+ people within religious teachings have been identified as having strong impacts on people’s willingness to trust in religion internationally. Australia is a relative anomaly in that women are significantly more likely than men to express distrust in religion.

This report presents the first dedicated study to identify the impacts of religious child abuse scandals in Australia and examine related demographic and attitudinal factors contributing to women’s low trust, and what this means for their perspectives on the role of religious organisations in Australia’s economy and society.

The report analyses data obtained from the nationally representative survey of the Australian Cooperative Election Study conducted in 2022. Respondents were asked about their levels of trust in organised religion and religious leaders; their opinions about government policies benefiting religious organisations; and the role the latter play in delivering vital social services to Australians.

Key findings:

• Around one third of all Australian voting women have ‘no trust at all’ in organised religion and religious leaders.
• Distrust is highest among younger women: almost half of all women aged 18-29 have ‘no trust at all’ in religious leaders.
• Among religious women, around 10 percent have ‘no trust at all’ in organised religion and religious leaders, while around half have ‘not very much trust’ in either.
• Religious child abuse scandals have affected trust. Women are sceptical about the capacity of religious leaders to protect the children in their care (almost half have low, or no, trust) and to respond to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (over half have low, or no, trust).