Weekly Round-Up * 22 September

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week many of the links we share address misconceptions and myths relating to violence against women. The release of the findings from VicHealth’s National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey have highlighted, once again, that an alarming number of Australian’s accept and excuse violence against women. Further, many still apportion blame to the victims of this violence. In order to prevent gender-based violence it is vital that these attitudes are addressed and that we build a no-tolerance approach to violence against women across the country.

Around the Country

In South Australia, a new crisis accommodation complex has officially been opened for women and children escaping domestic violence
In the Northern Territory, the State Government has partnered with Our WATCh to facilitate programs to address violence against women with a focus on prevention, early intervention, victim protection, and accountability and positive change for perpetrators
Indigenous health and domestic violence agencies fear they may fold following changes in the Federal budget
Journalist Diane Armstrong writes about the experience of giving evidence in a criminal trial
[TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual violence against children]
In Warrnambool, the Take A Stand program has been launched in workplaces to provide training to staff on how to help co-workers who become victims of domestic violence
Rodney Vlais, Acting CEO of No To Violence & Men’s Referral Service, has written about the choices men make to use violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Victim blaming language, violence language]

Around the World

Aki Peritz and Tara Maller have questioned why the Islamic State’s use of rape and violence against women as a weapon of war is not being addressed with the same concern as other aspects of the conflict
In Rwanda, a National Police campaign against gender-based violence and child abuse continues its tour around the country, urging local communities to take action
In the United States, the White House has launched a new campaign against sexual assault called ‘It’s On Us’
Concern continues over the characterisation of Oscar Pistorius’s relationship with Reeva Steenkampas ‘normal’ by Judge Thokozile Masipa
In Canada, a doctor who has admitted to sexually assaulting women in his care has been permitted to continue practicing so long as he only takes on male patients [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of assault, assault by a medical professional]
In Namibia, women are gathering together to share experiences as well as to learn about their rightsin relation to gender-based violence
In the United States, a District Court Judge is being called upon to resign after being charged with domestic violence
In Peru, United Nations investigators report that rates of violence against women are not decreasingin the country and urgently need to be addressed
In China, activists are calling for a government response to a rising number of sexual assaults in primary and secondary schools across the country
In Nigeria, four women are taking the Nigerian army and a number of other government security agencies to court, claiming that violence and discrimination committed against them by these groups violated their human rights

Research, Resources and Reports

The results from the latest National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women survey were released last week. Activists have expressed dismay at the fact that the Australiancommunity as a whole continues to significantly misunderstand violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of violence]
The full research report from Norma’s Project into the sexual assault of older women in Australia is now available online, along with links to resources for the primary prevention of sexual assault of older women. Dr Philomena Horsley, one of the researchers who worked on the report, has provided an interview about the motivation and findings of the report [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, assault by medical professionals, violence]
The joint submission to the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia from Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA); First People’s Disability Network Australia (FPDNA); People with Disability Australia (PWDA); Children with Disability Australia (CDA); and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) is now available for download online
A new report has been released by the World Bank, entitled, ‘Violence Against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia’

Get Involved!

A new petition has been launched calling for a national inquiry into violence, neglect and abuse against people with disability in residential and institutional settings

A Quick Note from the AWAVA Team:

Our Weekly Round-Up wizard will be taking some much needed leave as of the start of next week, and the Weekly Round-Up will be taking a brief pause. We’ll be back with the next edition of the Round-Up on Monday, 13 October!

Weekly Round-Up * 22 September