This week the chair of AWAVA, Julie Oberin, met with Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, from the Australian Human Rights Commission and representatives from the National Women’s Alliances and attended the AusAID reception with UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet – a busy, productive and inspiring time! AWAVA attended Michelle Bachelet’s Gender Equality a Lived Reality talk at ANU and was pleased to hear ending violence against women is one of UN Women’s three priorities for 2012; it was good to be reminded that to tackle violence against women, women’s voices need to be heard and we need to ask the question – how do our policies reach those who need it most?
Remember, for up-to-date information on AWAVA’s activities, you can follow us on Twitter at AWAVA_Women.
Meanwhile, back in the offices, we have been inundated with articles and commentary from the USA following comments made by Republican Senate nominee, Todd Akin, about ‘legitimate rape’. It seems the world over high-profile men are getting this wrong and attempting to create different definitions of rape.
Around Australia
- The Australian Human Rights Commission report on the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force was released this week by Elizabeth Broderick, chapter 7 addresses sexual harassment, sex discrimination and sexual abuse in the ADF. Read the media release here
- Read Elizabeth Broderick’s speech from the recent EVA Media Awards (Eliminating Violence against Women) in Melbourne
- Australia commits funds to support women in developing countries who have been victims of gender-based violence
- The Age has been running a series of articles on the impact of lack of funding for services: Domestic violence services in crisis; Children victims of funds shortfall and Male violence programs in crisis have all appeared this week
- A Ballarat service says it has been inundated with women seeking support
Elsewhere around the world:
Chris Brown and Rhianna have been in the news again, following Rhianna’s recent interview with Oprah (watch here) – Chloe Papas, who wrote the recent review of Chris Brown’s album that went viral, sparked global discussion on partner abuse and talks about the importance of speaking up.
- Actvisits in Somalia welcome the ban on female genital mutiliation included in the country’s new constitution
- A new report from Kenya highlights the plight of women being forcibly sterilised due primarily to their HIV positive status
- Iran is pushing to legalise marriage for girls under the age of 10
- In New Zealand, a Fijian woman has been granted refugee status after fleeing family violence in her home country
Get Involved!!
The National Union of Students Women’s Department this week launched the “”In My Own Voice”” campaign in response to the men™s rights movement that has put up posters in Victorian universities incorrectly claiming that domestic violence is “”half the fault of women”” find out more and how you can get involved
Upcoming Events
NEW!!
- Women’s Legal Services NSW will hold its 30th Birthday Celebration Gala Dinner on 26 September
- The First National Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference will be held 20-21 November
September
- See the change in date for the Red Cross Trafficking Training in Sydney now 11 September – click here to find out more
- The Participatory Justice and Victims Conference will be held in Canberra, 17-18 September
- The Southern Regional Alliance conference is now open for registrations and will be held 20-21 September
- Take action on Peace Day 21 September, and become part of the largest gathering of people in the name of Peace and non violence. Watch the YouTube clip here
- Standing firm for change: a journey to justice is a national conference run by the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service Victoria. The conference will be held on 21-23 November 2012, in Melbourne. Registration is open until 30 September
November
- The No To Violence conference is in November 2012
- Law Enforcement and Public Health Conference in Melbourne, November 2012
Later
- Australian Women’s Coalition is calling young women between 18 – 30 years who live, study or work in Auburn, Bankstown, Liverpool or Coffs Harbour NSW, or in Canberra, ACT to be a part of SHOUT! A series of three free workshops will run in each location, complemented by an online network of support and skills-sharing and a local network of participants and AWC member organisations. The workshops will culminate in community events on Harmony Day next year, 21 March 2013. Find out more here
Internationally:
- The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children (School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University), in partnership with the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia (EVA BC), the Canadian Observatory on the Justice System™s Response to Intimate Partner Violence, and the BC Society of Transition Houses, invites you to join the 2012 National Research Day conference, held 7-9 November in Vancouver
UNiTE to End Violence Against Women – Orange Day TOMORROW
And finally, a reminder that TOMORROW is 25 August – and the Secretary-General™s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign proclaims every 25th of the month as Orange Day!
The objective is to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls, not only once a year on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), but every month.
The UNiTE campaign will also launch a new ribbon as symbol for preventing and ending violence against women and girls. With your help, we can make this symbol universal.
What can you do?
1. Wear orange on the 25th of every month
2. Invite others to wear orange on every 25th of the month, share posts & tweet about it!
3. Use & share the photo of the UNiTE ribbon – the new symbol for ending violence against women and girls
4. Change your Facebook cover photo to the cover photo of the Say NO – UNiTE Facebook page, promoting the Orange Day and the ribbon