Welcome to another edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! We are delighted to announce that the National Women’s Alliances will be reporting back on their attendance at the fifty-eighth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The CSW report back Forum in Sydney will allow you to hear directly from women who attended the Commission on the Status of Women in New York this year. We will discuss themes and trends emerging from the negotiations and examine options for further action. Please register your attendance by 2nd May 2014
The last two weeks have also been a time for somber reflection as Australia reels from homicides linked to Domestic and Family Violence. The brutal killing of Sunshine mother Fiona Warzywoda and the devastating murders of little Savannah and Indianna are stark reminders of how imperative it is for us all to challenge and change the attitudes that let violence against women flourish unabated.
In response, AWAVA member organisation DV NSW have launched their “No Excuse” Campaign. The campaign is a multi-pronged reaction to the violent and tragic deaths of five women and children over the 2014 Easter weekend. DVNSW CEO, Tracy Howe states: “Australia has had a gutful, enough is enough. Too many lives are being lost and there is no excuse for violence against women and children, ever.” DV NSW is calling for all Australians to sign an open letter petition expressing their outrage at the deaths and is petitioning our leaders to recognise domestic and family violence as a national emergency, to strongly condemn these acts of violence and to take urgent action.
Around the Country
- The accused killer (and father) of two young girls in Watsonia has been remanded into custody pending a committal hearing: DV Vic CEO Fiona McCormack has spoken about the factors surrounding violence against women such as this when it occurs in communities
- Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay has called for a compassionate and consistent response to victims and survivors of domestic violence
- Tom Meagher, husband of Jill Meagher, has spoken out about the ‘danger of the monster myth’ when it comes to violence against women
- Anna Bligh, former state premier and CEO of YWCA NSW, has called on men to make domestic violence unacceptable
- The death of a woman in Maryville, NSW is being treated as suspicious by police
- In Queensland, two women have been killed in separate incidents over the long weekend
- Clementine Ford persuasively argues that it is time we stopped asking why women don’t leave abusive partners, but why men harm women
- “The number of family violence-related homicides has been drastically understated until recently, Victoria Police has admitted”
- Courageous Rosie Batty, mother of Luke Batty, “is using her energy to campaign against domestic violence, so that no mother needs to suffer again what she went through“
- John Elder writes about “The brutal price of domestic violence“
Around the World
- From the UK, Stephanie David Arais writes: “Ms Manjoo is right; a ‘visibly sexist’ country is a sexist ‘boys’ club’ culture, one in which women and girls are clearly disadvantaged”
- An interesting article on the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s (UK & Ireland) blog makes the case for why men should support feminism
- In Saudi Arabia, a proposed fine for domestic violence has provoked mockery from men opposing the bill
- In Afghanistan, child marriage and domestic violence continue to cause death and injury to a huge proportion of women
- In Fiji, the People’s Democratic Party has placed a significant emphasis on tackling violence against women in the lead up to the next election
- In Indonesia, calls are being made to raise the minimum legal marriage to 18
- Sonia Saraiya asks ” Why are the Game Of Thrones showrunners rewriting the books into misogyny?”
Get Involved
- The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is looking into child sexual abuse, for people with disabilities, that happened where government and private institutions were responsible for children, and encourages all survivors to tell their story
- Submissions have opened for the National Children’s Commissioner’s examination of intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children and young people
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only