After a short break, we’re back with the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we have highlighted a variety of ways that supporters can actively participate in the prevention and elimination of men’s violence against women. From conferences and talks to surveys and social media, to simple discussions with friends and family, everyday people from around Australia are creating change and turning our society into one that rejects gender-based violence.
Around the Country
- Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Michaelia Cash has announced funding of more than $265,000 for the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health to deliver the National Education Toolkit FGM Awareness (NETFA) project
- Five national, cross disability organisations have received funding from the Australian Government to form the Australian Cross Disability Alliance and provide a voice for the 4.2 million Australians with disability
- Kimberley Abbott and Maria Osman have been announced as the non-government members of the Australian delegation to the 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59)
- In the Northern Territory, Chief Justice Trevor Riley has described cutting funding from legal aid services as a ‘false economy’
- Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been denied entry to Australia based on his history as a perpetrator of domestic violence
- White Ribbon Ambassador Tanveer Ahmed has attracted extensive criticism after publishing a column blaming violence against women on the ‘disempowerment’ of men
Around the World
- In the UK, a well-known QC’s deeply offensive comments about victims and survivors of sexual assault have attracted international condemnation [TRIGGER WARNING: victim blaming, violent language]
- The Pakistan government has emphasised the need to address violence against women in conflictduring debate at the UN Security Council
- In Poland, lawmakers have voted to sign into law the Istanbul Convention on Violence against Women after ‘fiery debate’
- In Canada, new research has found that Muslim women have equivalent levels of workforce participation as women from other minority faiths
- In the United States, a bill has been proposed to ensure that high school students are educated about sexual assault and safety in relationships
- In Canada, supervisory bodies have found that law students are not being adequately trained to advise victims and survivors of domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence, death]
- In Zimbabwe, the media is being asked to take an active role in addressing gender-based violence
- The film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey continues to attract controversy, including calls for a boycott
Research, Resources and Reports
- Health in Difference 2015, the 9th National LGBTI Health Conference, have put out their call for abstracts
- The Domestic Violence Resource Centre of Victoria (DVRCV) have released a new poster for free download about the facts on family violence
Get Involved!
- UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Rashida Manjoo will be presenting RightsTalk: Continuing and New Challenges in the Quest to Eliminate Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences in Sydney tomorrow, 11 February
- Professor Liz Kelly will be presenting a public lecture with ANROWS on Friday 13 February on the topic: ‘Re-visiting the continuum of sexual violence in the 21st century’
- Over 300 people have already responded to the SmartSafe survey on workers’ perspectives of technology-facilitated abuse!
- Registrations have now opened for the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be held in The Hague on 3-6 November 2015
- Early Bird registration remains open for the Australian Peacewomen Awards and Women’s Power to Stop War Conference in Canberra on 28-29 May 2015 presented by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
- Our Advisory Group member Women’s Legal Services Australia (WLSA) is now on Facebook andTwitter!
- The Partners in Prevention Forum 2015 will take place tomorrow 11 February in Melbourne
- The University of Melbourne is seeking women aged between 16 and 50 who have experienced relationship issues over the last 6 months to participate in their trial of a website designed to help women to self-reflect on the health of their relationships, become more informed about what might help them, and plan for their safety and wellbeing
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.