Yesterday, October 11, was the first International Day of the Girl Child – and Australia played an important role with Prime Minister Gillard launching the day. To read the UN report click here. A key theme was early and child marriages – see what Nepal is doing to tackle this issue, how the UNFPA will direct funds to programs to end child marriage; you can also access facts and figures on child marriage here.
And if you’re wondering why an International Day of the Girl Child is warranted – read this article in The Age for some insight.
In other news around the country:
- This week saw more commentary on the rape and murder of Jill Meagher in Melbourne – but with the media looking at the bigger picture of gender-based violence against women, with a call to not forget the other women who have been victims/survivors of violence. See this article from the Conversation, or the New Matilda article
- The Herald Sun reports that the justice system is failing women as perpetrators ignore and defy intervention orders
- The ABC reports huge rises in women seeking assistance from community legal centres
- The Victoria Government published its Action Plan to Address Violence against Women and Children and was reported in The Age, read the Victoria Government media release . To read responses from the sector to the Action Plan, see AWAVA’s page on state/territory Action Plans in support of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against women and their Children
- Women with Disabilities Victoria welcomed the announcement of a funding boost to better train and support people working with women with disabilities, under the Victoria Action Plan, particularly focussing on the complex nature of violence against women with disabilities
- The Governor General, at the launch of UN Women’s Spring Campaign, called on Australians not to be bystanders to violence against women
- Heard of Gaslighting? Learn about it and the devastating effects it can have on women by reading this DVRCV article
- From the Minister Julie Collin’s office, this media release announces legislation that will secure Commonwealth funding contributions for the pay equity case
Internationally
- The Huffington Post reports on the Healthy Masculinity Action Project, which looks at redefining gender roles to end violence against women
- A recent UN visit to Mali highlighted disturbing reports of Human Rights abuses against women and children
- The Washington Post reports on new research that says there is evidence that the most common perpetrators of sexual violence during war are husbands, partners and family members
Resources
NEW!!
What is effective primary prevention in sexual assault? Translating evidence into action
THE NCYLC CHILD FORCED MARRIAGE PROJECT
The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre (NCYLC) is a Community Legal Centre dedicated to addressing human rights issues for children and young people through legal change. The Centre is undertaking Australia’s first national research into child forced marriage entitled ˜Not Yours to Promise™. The aim of the project is to create a set of best practice guidelines to assist organisations in responding to child victims of forced marriage.
The Centre is consulting with community service providers and other relevant organisations about how they currently respond to incidents of child forced marriage. It will then evaluate the current responses in line with child care and protection frameworks, write a report on its findings, and create best practice guidelines to assist with responses to child victims. The Centre will also develop a range of educational resources .
The ˜Not Yours to Promise™ Survey
The Centre is surveying caseworkers and practitioners from community service providers and other relevant organisations about their experiences with children in, or at risk of forced marriage, and their views on best practice responses to child victims. The survey is a key way for the Centre to gather the experiences and views of those who have had direct experience with responding to victims who are under 18 years of age.
How you can help
If you have had any experience with children in or at risk of a forced marriage, while the children were under 18, please contribute to the project by filling out the Centre™s survey.
CSW57
Are you preparing for the Commission on the Status of Women meeting (CSW 57) from 4-15 March, 2013?
Information related to the three opportunities for NGOs to make their voices heard during CSW 57 is now available. These are:
- Written Statements
- Oral Statements
- Interactive Panels
See: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/NGO.html
Begin preparing now to make the first deadline of 15 November 2012.
Upcoming Events
Updated
- Early Bird registrations are now open for the National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC)’s inaugural Conference being held 18- 20 February 2013 in Canberra
October
- Registration open until 15 October: 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.
- WESNET’s Safety Net Technology Safety Training is coming to Canberra 31 October and 1 November – click here for more information and to register
November
- The No To Violence conference is in November 2012
- Law Enforcement and Public Health Conference in Melbourne, November 2012
- The First National Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference will be held 20-21 November
- 23 November 2012: Not1More/White Ribbon Day – White Ribbon Day activities in Melbourne include awareness-raising, White Ribbon Lunch, Walk Against Family Violence at 2pm, Not1more will be remembering victims of family violence and offering the opportunity for people to take the White Ribbon Oath in Federation Square, Melbourne
- 26-28 November 2012: Pathways to Change Conference for practitioners and policy developers to explore practice responses to children and young people displaying Problem Sexualised Behaviour and Sexually Abusive Behaviour. The conference is being held in Hobart, Tasmania, register now.
- The Annual Silent Domestic Violence Memorial March will be held Friday 23 November, Perth
Later
- 21 March 2013: 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, . Find out more here
- Save the date: 28-30 April 2013 – The Australian Migrant and Refugee Women’s Alliance (AMaRWA) will be holding a 2 day national conference on the elimination of violence against culturally and linguistically diverse women, supported by AWAVA. Put it in your diary!
- ‘Miss Representation’ Screening Tour: Women in Film & Television (WIFT) NSW are planning a series of screenings of ‘Miss Representation’ across Australia in 2012/13. If you are interested in hosting a screening of this film in partnership with WIFT NSW please email them
Internationally:
- 17-20 October, London, UK: 14th Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) Conference: Stop Violence Against Women – Whose voices? Whose needs? Whose decisions?
- 7-9 November, Vancouver: 2012 National Research Day conference hosted by 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
- 4-15 March 2013: 57th Session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW57), New York, priority theme: Eliminating and prevention all forms of violence against women and girls