Last week, AWAVA attended AMaRWA’s national Stand Up! Eliminating All Forms of Violence Against CALD Women conference, sponsoring three CALD women survivors of violence and their support workers to make sure that particularly marginalised women’s voices are heard by governments. We thank the survivors and their support workers for the valuable time and for sharing their experiences.
Candlelight vigils were held in the ACT, Queensland and Tasmania, to remember the victims of family and domestic violence. Tasmanian Minister, Cassy O’Connor, said the event, held each year on the first Wednesday in May, was “an important way of promoting awareness of the issue,” adding “It is a tragic toll and one that is wholly preventable”.
AWAVA’s Chair, Julie Oberin, participated in the National Plan Implementation Panel meeting back on 23-24 April, we hope to report back to you soon on the outcomes.
Around the country:
- Less than half of Australian women who suffer violence at the hands of men report the assaults to police, a new study suggests
- This Launceston Examiner report points out that a barrier to reporting sexual assault is that women are scared of how they will be treated by ‘the system’
- New Reasearch shows women are put at high risk of violence in mixed-gender psychiatric wards in hospitals
- Melissa Davey wants us to take a look at the violence in our own backyard
- In Western Australia, recent changes to the Violence Restraining Order will come under scrutiny after Police prosecutors have asked the State Solicitor’s Office to appeal against a Supreme Court decision, which resulted in an offender being freed from prison on a technicality
- Women’s Legal Services NSW welcomes the recommendations made in the NSW Parliamentary Select Committee into the partial defence of provocation
- Women’s use of violence is too often misunderstood, according to Centre for Non-Violence Chief Executive Officer, Margaret Augerinos
Internationally:
- The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls says that Indian laws “do not go far enough“
- In the UK, A Home Office minister has called for the law on female genital mutilation/cutting to be “properly enforced”
- Karen Ingala Smith writes about male victims of domestic violence in the UK and the importance of not diverting the violence against women agenda
- Also in the UK, Charities such as Shelter and businesses including Vodafone object to their Facebook adverts appear on pages about rape and violence
- According to a British study, people can’t tell the difference between quotes from British “lad mags” and interviews with convicted rapists [trigger warning]
Resources, Research and Reports
- Technology Safety Tips click here for some great tips and fact sheets on Women and Technology Safety, from WESNETs SafetyNet Australia Project
Get Involved!
Have your say – AWAVA have developed a draft discussion paper on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) for comment and input. Click here to read more detail and provide your feedback by 7 May
*Articles published are not necessarily representative of the views and opinions of AWAVA, and are published as general information only