AWAVA attended the Summit on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Canberra this week which was hosted by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, with special International Guest and FGM/C expert Dr Comfort Momoh from the UK. AWAVA had to opportunity to participate in the summit, and to meet with Dr Momoh to discuss FGM/C in the Australian context. To read Minister Plibersek’s speech in full click here and you can access the National Compact on FGM/C by clicking here.
AWAVA at the National Summit on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, April 9, 2013
This week, AWAVA also brings an update on the campaign to make John Laws apologise for his comments to a survivor of child sexual abuse, made last month. AWAVA signed the combined GetUp! and Destroy the joint petition asking Laws to apologise and commit to education on sexual assault. On 11 April, Laws accepted GetUp’s request to speak, on the air, with Dr Cathy Kezelman, President of Adults Surviving Child Abuse. Laws admitted that “the size of the problem is greater than a lot of people would think” and conceded that as a result of the interview he is now “better informed and better educated“. To hear the full interview, click link.
AWAVA joined the global campaign to eliminate street harassment by participating in the week long anti-street harassment international campaign. Joining the campaign, in solidarity with Meet us on the Street, was a way for AWAVA to raise awareness about street harassment, how it restricts women’s mobility and access to public spaces and that it is not okay.
April is also sexual assault awareness month. In NT, Ruby Gaea are leading the way in raising public awareness about sexual violation by educating communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. They are currently hosting their annual Art of Survival Exhibition. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5pm from 5 April until 2 May at the NT Supreme Court so do go and have a look at some courageous artworks from local survivors.
In other news around the country:
- The Australian Government is providing $810,000 over the next four years to help communities better manage the impact of child abuse and neglect and deliver more targeted services for children
- This article released by the Australia Institute of Criminology looks at forced and servile marriage and the link to human trafficking
- Clementine Ford says that feelings, not facts, are the reasons for forced sterilisation
- Another piece from Clementine Ford looks at anti-rape underwear and what this says about rape culture
- In Tasmania, a new app is launched “Girls Gotta Know” which aims to increase awareness and understanding of respectful relationships and violence against women and girls
- In Victoria, a number of services are joining forces in a new research project into Female Genital Mutiliation/Cutting and Health Care
- Germaine Greer has this to say on society’s understanding of rape
Internationally
- Congress in the USA is making changes to how the military handles sexual assault cases, but victim/survivor advocacy groups say these changes do not go far enough
- From Nigeria, the question is asked why more steps aren’t being taken to end rape
- This story from the UK looks at violence against women in Iraq
- In Egypt, women are pushing back against claims that women are to blame for increasing sexual harrassment and assault
- Fijian women condemn the recent “Sorcery” related killing of women in Papua New Guinea
- In Afghanistan, women are being imprisoned for leaving abusive relationships
- From Kenya, read about one girl’s resistance to FGM
*Articles published are not necessarily representative of the views and opinions of AWAVA, and are published as general information only