This week, AWAVA attended consultations in Canberra for the new national Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children. AWAVA is excited to embark on this process and welcomes the valuable additions this new foundation will create to complement the ongoing efforts of the women’s services sector. AWAVA circulated a media release commending the new foundation.
AWAVA Chairperson, Julie Oberin, attended the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Safety Net Project Technology Summit 2013 in California, USA. This summit provided “a unique training opportunity focussing on the various complex issues and concerns that come from the intersection of technology and domestic and sexual violence, stalking and trafficking.” Exciting outcomes included new online privacy and safety guidelines for victim/survivors.
Finally, the federal election was called by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for 7 September 2013. As political campaigning intensifies, AWAVA continues to encourage women to use their vote in an effective, informed and independent manner. This election is a critical chance for all Australian citizens to have their voices heard. For apolitical, bipartisan information on how to vote, please check out the women vote website. This site is the lynchpin of the National Women’s Alliances ‘Priorities for Women’ campaign.
Around the nation
- In the Canberra Times , Chair of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children, Natasha Stott Despoja, continues to speak out against domestic, family and sexual violence and highlights the importantance of primary prevention
- In Victoria, activist and advocate Angela Barker continued to raise awareness about violence against women by sharing her incredible personal story during a visit to students at Kurnai College in the LaTrobe Valley
- The first picture of Tracy Connelly, who was brutally murdered in St Kilda, was released by her partner of 19 years Tony Melissovas, in preparation for a candelight vigil near their home and also to “honour her memory and help share her story with the world”.
Around the world
- In the US, Soraya Chemaly delivered a searing analysis of the social myths and harmful narratives that erupted in response to the sentencing of Cleveland kidnapper, rapist and murderer, Arial Castro
- In Burma, the Myanmar Times covered moves by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement to draft laws criminalising domestic violence and hence strengthen the fight to shift cultural norms with assistance from a network of 98 women’s groups called the Gender Equality Network (GEN)
- In South Africa, teachers in Mpumalanga lobbied the government to extend the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign to 365 days and called “on educators and pupils at the school to continue taking education seriously as it assists in eradicating various social ills that lead to criminal behaviour”
- In the US, this insightful opinion piece acknowledged the steps forward taken by President Barack Obama but critiqued the shortfall in current efforts to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence
- In the US, at a summit attended by AWAVA Chair Julie Oberin, the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Facebook partnered to create new online guidelines for privacy and safety aimed at assisting victim/survivors of abuse
- In Spain, the Council of Ministers announced that 1.54 billion euros will be spent over the next three years to fund a National Strategy for the eradication of violence against women and Vice-President Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría said this is an “ambitious and most comprehensive project which will ensure that Spain remains at the forefront of what is being done by the European Union to protect women”
Publications and Resources
- As part of Homeless Persons Week running from 5-11 August 2013, Homelessness Australia released an informative publication illuminating the intersection between homelessness and domestic and family violence
Get Involved!
- The Faculty of Law UNSW has partnered with Victim Services from the Department of Attorney-General and Justice NSW to conduct a study into the participation of victims of crime in NSW court processes. They are investigating and evaluating how the needs of victims of crime can be best served by the NSW criminal justice system. Part of their study involves a survey where victim/survivors will be asked about their engagement with court processes but not about the personal details of the particular crime they experienced. All survey responses will remain confidential. To participate, please follow this link
- The 2013 Anti-Slavery Australia Freedom Awards are calling for nominations. These awards “will recognise outstanding work and contributions to initiatives against slavery, slavery-like practices, including forced labour and forced marriage, and human trafficking” and they close on 9 August 2013
- The National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) will be coordinating National Child Protection Week 2013 running from 1-7 September 2013. Event registration is now open.
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only