Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. There has been a great deal of reflection, both within the preventing violence against women sector and in the broader community, during the past week. Many commentators have spoken about the dramatic increase in reporting on violence against women in recent times. And yet, the level of reporting and analysis does not begin to approach the enormity of violence against women globally. The right of all women and girls to feel and be safe in their homes and in their communities must be upheld, and it is up to everyone to make that happen.
Around the Country
- Ambassador for Women And Girls Natasha Stott Despoja will represent Australia at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in London
- NSW Police have now begun to exercise the power to issue Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) on the spot and without judicial oversight
- The Victorian Government has announced a new $30 million package dedicated to addressing family violence
- In Victoria, the RAMP (risk assessment management panel) program will be rolled out across the state after a successful pilot, however not before some controversial changes
- Wodonga police have found that up to 95% of victims of family violence refuse help because of fear of death or assault
- Dr Michael Salter has written about the entitlement some men feel to assault and abuse others
- “A national royal commission into institutional responses to violence against women is the best hope of achieving meaningful systemic change across all jurisdictions and instrumentalities” says Leo D’Angelo Fisher
- The Women In Prison Advocacy Network (WIPAN) has stated that if it is not able to find more funding, it will have to close its doors
- Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay and Domestic Violence Victoria CEO Fiona McCormack reflect on the powerful public voice of Rosie Batty
Around the World
- The African Union (AU) have launched a new campaign to end child marriage
- Images have been published from a large protest outside of the Indian High Commission in London demanding justice for violence against women in India
- Elly Kohistani writes that women in Afghanistan must no longer be treated as “bargaining chips in negotiations“
- Attention is being called to the representations and discussion of trans women, who experience violence at a disproportionately high rate, in the media around the world
- In Pakistan, a woman was killed by her family on a busy street, and distress is growing over the fact that no-one intervened [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence]
- In the US, Senator Al Franken has called on the Congress to legislate against technology being used to stalk and harass women
- In England, a specialised clinic has been established to deal with the projected increase in domestic violence during the Football World Cup
- In the wake of the recent media attention to stories told by women of their own experiences of violence under the hashtag #yesallwomen, UK journalists have been directed to established guidelines for effectively and respectfully interviewing victims and survivors
Research, Reports and Resources
- Submissions remain open for funding from the newly established Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety to conduct research into stemming rates of violence against women
Get Involved
- In Adelaide, Victim Support Services Inc is currently seeking a new Board Member
- The opportunity to contribute to the 2014 CEDAW Shadow Report remains open until 13 June. The general survey can be found here and the survey specifically relating to Indigenous women can be found here
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only