This week AWAVA Chairperson, Julie Oberin, attended the inaugural International White Ribbon Conference: Global to Local: Preventing Men’s Violence against Women – Research, Policy and Practice in One Space. AWAVA also attended the Federal budget stakeholder lock-up on 14 May, see more below…
Federal Budget
The Women’s Budget Highlights 2013-14 can be accessed here – be sure to have a read through. You can read AWAVA’s notes on the preventing violence against women budget announcements and our media release Stronger, Smarter, Fairer…?
News from around Australia
- Prof Donna Chung says that less than half of all incidents of male violence against women ever gets reported to the Police
- Regularly featured writer, Clementine Ford, writes this piece on what Cleveland tells us about the cycle of abuse
- Forced and Coerced Marriage is now a criminal offence, but understanding the nuances and the secrecy of marriage in many cultures is a hurdle yet to be overcome
- In Victoria, a specialist police unit on the Mornington Peninsula is working to break the cycle of domestic and family violence
- Still in Victoria, and Supreme Court judge Betty King laments the lack of success in ending violence against Aboriginal women
- A new report from the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council highlights the incredibly high incidence of sexual assault of women while they are in psychiatric care. You can sign this petition in support of action
- Sad news of the passing of Sandra Egger, a champion for law reform, particularly for women, and domestic and sexual violence in NSW
- This op-ed from The Conversation says that Australia has the opportunity to do more to end VAW in regions of conflict
- And from the Minister’s Office, this media release announces funding for a new body to boost efforts to prevent violence against women
Around The World
- In PNG a national day of mourning (haus krai) has been held over violence against women. See how Australia will be working with PNG in this media release from the PM’s office
- An official in Hong Kong receives criticism from women’s groups, after advising young women to drink less in order to avoid being raped
- In Saudi Arabia, a new campaign to end domestic violence has been initiated. This article says that women should “ask for real changes in the law itself”
- This New Statesman article states: “This is not the persecution of old men. This is the prosecution of rapists”
- This article from the USA states that forced marriage is a form of slavery
- Read this interesting article on underage marriage in the Netherlands. Police in Amsterdam were “under fire for allegedly helping two young underage Muslims to marry in the Netherlands – so the bride could avoid being sent back to her family’s native Pakistan for a traditional arranged marriage to her cousin”
- Activist Mallika Dutt says that the push for LGBT rights and acceptance can help stop violence against women
- In Turkey, one group is doing all it can to raise awareness of, and to end violence against women
- This report from the UN highlights the ongoing inequalities for women in Iraq
- A new study finds that there has been a shift globally in attitudes to violence against women
- In New Zealand 24/7 monitoring via GPS is being considered for domestic violence offenders
- Representatives from 14 East Asian countries met in Beijing this week to discuss ending violence against women
- And finally, the UN reviews efforts into ending human trafficking
Get Involved!
Take action to protect the right to compensation for victims of crime in NSW
Training Highlight
WESNET and the Women’s Council WA are bringing Safety Net training to Perth. This training on 10-11 June is ideal for those working with women experiencing violence and who need to understand how technology can be misused to perpetrate violence, book soon to avoid disappointment
**Articles published here do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only