Weekly Round-Up * 21 July

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. In the last week, AWAVA had the privilege of attending the Canberra launch of the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

Group of women standing in front of Second Action Plan 2013-2016 Poster. From left to right: Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja and daughter; AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash; AWAVA Program Manager, Sophie Hardefeldt; Canberra Domestic Violence Crisis Service Executive Director, Mirjana Wilson; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre CEO and AWAVA Advisory Group member, Chrystina Stanford

From left to right: Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja and daughter; AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash; AWAVA Program Manager, Sophie Hardefeldt; Canberra Domestic Violence Crisis Service Executive Director, Mirjana Wilson; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre CEO and AWAVA Advisory Group member, Chrystina Stanford

In keeping with the incredibly positive atmosphere of the event, the links highlighted below include actions being undertaken by people around Australia and all over the globe to prevent and eliminate violence against women. We encourage you to take a moment and read about these passionate advocates and activists working to make a difference.

Around the Country

Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja has hosted a meeting in Tonga bringing together women leaders from more than 30 Pacific nations, including Australia, to discuss topics including ending violence against women and girls
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has proposed specialist sexual assault courts to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Ruby Hamad writes about what needs to happen for us, as a society, to “take rape seriously”

[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, harassment]

The NSW Police are working with the Australian Hotels Association NSW to display drink coasters and posters about domestic violence in hotels and pubs throughout New South Wales

The parents of Rachelle Yeo have praised the actions of neighbours who came to the aid of their daughter when she was attacked and killed by her ex-partner two years ago [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]

Preparations continue for the 8^th National Homelessness Conference, Complexities & Countermeasures, being held 10 – 12 September 2014

Awareness is growing about the ways that Family Court rulings can negatively impact victims of domestic violence

There is still uncertainty about the loss of specialist violence against women services in NSW after the state government tender process

The Outback Rugby League has pledged to continue with a successful domestic violence prevention scheme, despite funding support from the Government coming to an end this year

“But this murder [of Allison Baden-Clay] was not about sensationalist media stories. Rather, it was about a mother lost to her daughters and other family members”

Around the World

Malala Yousafzai has vowed to help the Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria
In the United States, Patti Hammond Shaw has worked to ensure that transgender people, particularly transgender women, are treated with dignity and respect by police [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of assault, sexual assault, slurs]
In Jordan, a video showing two young women being harassed by a large group of men has attracted widespread condemnation
In Canada, a Sikh Temple President has been stripped of his rank after being charged with assaulting his wife
In the United States, a new study is being planned to investigate the effects of violence against women on cancer care for women
In Kurdistan, news coverage of military violence has distracted from ongoing efforts to reduce violence against women and so-called ‘honour-killings’ [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of extreme violence, abuse, suicide]
The United States Army’s “former lead special victims prosecutor was relieved of his duties last month after an investigation into a claim by a fellow Army sexual assault prosecutor”
In Canada, a new study has developed a method of estimating the cost of violence against women to individual businesses
Research has revealed that 64% of scientific researchers (41% of men and 71% of women) haveexperienced sexual harassment while undertaking field research
The hashtag #YouOKSis has become the centre of a conversation about women of colour’s experiences of street harassment
In London, gangs are compiling lists of rivals’ female siblings and girlfriends to sexually assault as a ‘low-risk’ option of attack [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of sexual assault, violence against children]

Get Involved

Reclaim the Night Melbourne are currently looking for expressions of interest to be a part of the organising committee on the 2014 Melbourne Reclaim the Night March!
The Coalition of Women’s Domestic Violence Services South Australia have created a video to promote their 1 in 3 Day of Action on Tuesday, 22 July

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.

Weekly Round-Up * 21 July