Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! This week, we learned that the rate of women being killed by domestic violence in Australia has increased in 2015 with close to two deaths per week since the start of the year. This is the same rate as in the UK, which has almost three times our population. Statistics like these are incredibly concerning, but we are heartened by the many people who continue to speak up and take action to end men’s violence against women. Everyone has the right to feel and be safe. It is our responsibility as a society to ensure this right is upheld.
Around the Country
- Hip hop group Thundamentals have spoken out to express their disgust that a man sexually assaulted a woman at one of their shows and are calling for any witnesses to come forward
- Jane Bullen, Research Associate at UNSW’s Social Policy Research Centre, has written in favour of specialist refuges for domestic violence
- Services and activists are calling for far greater support to be dedicated to addressing domestic violence in migrant communities [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse, technology facilitated abuse]
- ABC’s ‘Q&A’ panel discussion program has drawn criticism for having more men than womenspeaking on the subject of family violence
- In Victoria, the Royal Commission into Family Violence has launched their website and will shortly be in a position to accept submissions. The State Government has allocated an additional $4 million to cope with an expected increase in domestic violence reporting from the Commission
- Rosie Batty has written about the recent finding that domestic violence offenders tend to receive more lenient court sentences than others [TRIGGER WARNING: threats, death]
- In New South Wales, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) data shows that domestic violence rates have continued to rise since 2012
- Clementine Ford suggests that our attitude towards sexual assault may be getting worse rather than better
- In South Australia, Daily Life have published a profile of the Domestic Violence Crisis Service and their struggles to find safe accommodation for women fleeing violence
- In New South Wales, researchers have identified a correlation between the number of liquor outlets in an area and rates of domestic violence
Around the World
- Last month, the results of the largest ever international survey on the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV were published – but will they be acted upon?
- In New Zealand, no change has been seen in rates of domestic violence over the last 12 months
- In the lead-up to the 2015 Academy Awards, check out this list of 7 Oscars speech tributes to single mums [TRIGGER WARNING: Gun violence]
- In the United States, continuing conversations about sexual assault in universities may be overlooking the increased risks faced by students with disabilities [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, stalking, harassment]
- In Ireland, calls are being made for increased funding for services dealing with men who are violent
- In Papua New Guinea, Australian Federal Police assigned to advise local police forces have described levels of violence against women as a pandemic [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
- In the UK, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has reported to parliament that the government is failing to provide adequate refuge to women experiencing domestic violence
- In Turkey, President Erdogan has publicly committed to taking action on violence against women in response to continuing protests about the murder of Ozgecan Aslan [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of extreme violence, sexual violence]
- In Canada, police have recently returned from a journey to Australia to retrieve a man wanted for sexual assault in 2012
Research, Resources and Reports
- Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)’s think piece ‘Preventing Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities: Integrating A Human Rights Perspective’ is now available online
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have released findings from their 2013-2014 National Crime Victimisation Survey online
- Snapshot Report 1 of the Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia longitudinal study is now available online
- US researchers Rebecca J Macy, Ijeoma Nwabuzor Ogbonnaya and Sandra L Martin have published a practice note entitled ‘Providers’ Perspectives About Helpful Information for Evaluating Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services’
- The Journal of Research and Advancement in Dentistry have published an article entitled ‘The Role of the Dental Profession in Responding to Domestic Violence’
- The journal Women and Birth has published ‘An exploration of Australian midwives’ knowledge of intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy’
Get Involved!
- Tickets are now available for Anne Summers in Conversation with Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General David Morrison on 26 February
- Applications are open for YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program
- Registrations remain open for the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be held in The Hague on 3-6 November 2015
- The Canberra Museum and Gallery will be hosting ‘Women’s Power to Stop War’, an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, from Saturday 21 February – Sunday 31 March
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.