Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we highlight news and articles that reflect on men’s violence against women and its place in our society. In order to eliminate men’s violence against women, it is crucial to examine not only individual incidents of gender-based violence, but also the structures, patterns and attitudes in our communities that perpetuate violence and send the message to perpetrators that their actions are acceptable. Sadly, these underlying factors are pervasive, however identifying them is the first step to creating safer and more equal communities for both women and men.
Around the Country
- Representatives from AWAVA gave evidence about current efforts to prevent male violence against women at the second Public Hearing of the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence in Canberra on Wednesday 15 October
- During the Public Hearing, AWAVA and Women’s Services Network chairwoman Julie Oberin presented information on the increasing rates of technology being used to stalk and harass women in Australia [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of harassment]
- The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) has expressed concern about the levels of consultation with the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of Australia in the design of government programs to address violence against women
- University of Sydney Professor Barry Spurr, who was also involved in the recent National Curriculum review, is currently being investigated after racist, sexist and violent emails that he had written were released to the public [TRIGGER WARNING: Racist slurs, description of sexual assault, violence, victim blaming]
- In Victoria, Ellen Whinnett calls for the public to consider candidates’ policies on family violence when voting in November
- In NSW, the opposition have committed to investigating the establishment of a specialist court for domestic violence and sexual assault cases
- On the Sunshine Coast, fundraising is under way for the construction of two specially designed unitsfor victims of domestic violence in need of safe housing
- In Victoria, a nightclub has attracted criticism for its use of violent and sexist imagery in an advertisement
- Journalist Sarah Macdonald has written about her experience of the changing attitudes toward domestic violence in Australian media
- In the lead up to the Coronial Inquest into the death of Luke Batty, Helen Garner has published herprofile of his mother Rosie Batty [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence against a child, threats, abuse]
- A student at the University of Sydney has spoken publicly about the failure of university administrationto discipline a Resident Liaison who shared a naked image of her that was taken without her consent and to protect her from continuing harassment [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual harassment]
Around the World
- Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
- In Nigeria, the Government is in negotiations with Boko Haram for a ceasefire and the release of the 219 school girls kidnapped several months ago who are still in their custody
- In Papua New Guinea, over 1,000 people have rallied following the abduction and assault of three female National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) employees [TRIGGER WARNING: Kidnapping, sexual assault]
- In Uganda, police have spoken out about their own experiences of domestic violence and the lack of training and resources they receive to deal with violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of violence]
- Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop havevisited India to promote Australia’s international gender equality efforts
- In South Sudan, Zainab Bangura, the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Sexual Violence, has described the violence against women and children in the country as the worst she has ever encountered
- Almost 40,000 people recently gathered to be part of Argentina’s 29th National Women’s Conferencein Salta
- In Uganda, the SASA! Program has demonstrated remarkable results in reducing violence against women by 50% across entire communities
- Despite signing on to the Istanbul Convention on eliminating violence against women, rates of domestic violence in Turkey continue to rise [TRIGGER WARNING: image of stylised violence]
- Support is steadily falling for #Gamergate, the online group targeting Anita Sarkeesian and otherprominent women in the video game community with harassment and abuse [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of harassment, threats, gun violence]
- In Canada, social service providers are reporting increases in cases of violence against women following an amendment to the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act that was designed to deter immigration fraud
Research, Resources and Reports
- In ‘Criminal liability of carers in cases of non-accidental death or serious injury of children’, Lenny Roth discusses new legislation being considered in New South Wales
- The Australian Parliamentary Library has published ‘Domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia: an overview of the issues’ by Janet Phillips and Penny Vandenbroek
- The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs in the United States has released their annual report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected: Intimate Partner Violence in 2013
- A new international resource, Street Harassment: Know Your Rights, has been developed by Thomson Reuters Foundation, in conjunctions with iHollaback and DLA Piper, to detail women’s rights in relation to street harassment around the world
- A researcher in Iceland has concluded that there is absolutely no connection between the number of Muslims in a country and rates of violence against women, instead showing that education and gender equality are key factors
Get Involved!
- Consultation dates for Australia’s upcoming review by the UN Human Rights Council have now been set for Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra
- The Office for Women is now calling for applications from individuals and representatives of non-government organisations who are interested in being considered for inclusion as an NGO delegate on the official Australian Government delegation to the 59th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.