Weekly Round-Up * 15 September

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. In this double edition, we highlight new activist movements as well as campaigns with decades of work behind them. The goal of preventing and eliminating violence against women can only be achieved when we acknowledge and respect the diverse points of view of those who have experienced gender-based violence and who continue to work passionately against it.
 
This week, AWAVA was also able to attend the 8^th National Homelessness Conference on the Gold Coast. It was a tremendously productive experience, and a large emphasis was placed on the role of domestic violence as the single largest factor behind homelessness.


From left to right: NNEDV’s Cindy Southworth, AWAVA Admin Assistant
Tara Ashford, AWAVA Program Manager Sophie Hardefeldt,
and WESNET’s Claire Petrie

 

Around the Country

• The Our WATCh campaign has been launched to address domestic violence by using “similar approaches to campaigns that have successfully reduced tobacco use and dangerous driving”
• Concern has been raised by an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous People that Australia is not doing enough to address violence against Indigenous women
• Reporting of the murder-suicide of a woman and her three young children by their husband and father has been heavily criticised as not reflecting the reality of the crimes the man committed
• Max MacKinnon, better known as MC Eso from the Australian hip hop trio Bliss N Eso has been criticised for posting a series of inappropriate violent images to Instagram [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of simulated violence, sexual violence]. Australian rapper Chance Waters has responded to the incident by speaking out to say that violence against women is unacceptable [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of simulated violence]
• 600 members of the Transport Workers Union have taken the White Ribbon pledge as the first step in a campaign to involve tens of thousands of transport workers in the effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women
• The Hon Tim Watts MP has written about the gendered nature of violence against women
• Calls are being made for focus on the roles, both positive and negative, that technology can play in domestic violence and homelessness

Around the World

• In Bangladesh, rates of violence against women continue to grow
• In Afghanistan, fifteen girls have participated in a bicycle race, with over a hundred people supporting them, to raise awareness of violence against women
• In Spain, a consciousness-raising event has been held to address femicide in Mexico, specifically in the city of Ciudad Juarez
• In the United States, it is the 20^th anniversary of the passing of the Violence Against Women Act
• The theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign has been announced: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Gender-Based Violence
• Women around the world have been sharing their stories of violence and abuse on twitter under the hashtags #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse, sexual abuse, gun violence]
• Hillary Clinton has called for a unified response to the use of violence against women by terrorist groups
• In Namibia, attention is being drawn to the fact that the Government does not have any safe houses available for victims and survivors of abuse
• At Columbia University in the United States, students have held public protests to draw attention topoor responses to sexual violence by the University administration
• In Slovakia, two calls for proposals are now open for programs to address violence against women in the country
• As the verdict has been handed down in the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the high rates of violence against women in South Africa continue to draw attention [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual violence]

Research, Resources and Reports

• A new technology safety program, Safety Net Australia, has been launched by WESNET Inc
• The United States National Online Resource Centre on Violence Against Women has produced a webinar and resources on ‘Sheltering Animals and Families Together: Expanding safety and support services for survivors while helping to protect their pets’ as well as creating a resource to address thereasons why pets ‘mean so much’ for victims and survivors
• The Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) has launched its latest report, Helping Not Hindering: Uncovering Domestic Violence & Utility Debt

Get Involved!

• Our sister alliance, the National Rural Women’s Coalition, has opened applications for E-Leaders Social Media webinar program
• Gender equality activist group the Sydney Feminists are holding an information evening this Thursdayfor those who may wish to volunteer with them
• The Domestic Violence Prevention Council in Canberra will be hosting its 3rd Seminar focussed on raising awareness of Domestic Violence in the LGBTIQ Communities