Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the links we’ve highlighted focus on the huge contributions that dedicated staff in frontline services make to the community in Australia and around the world. While they are often given a backseat in the media, these individuals commit themselves to assisting people in need, often in very difficult circumstances. The perspectives and insights of those who work in frontline services within the preventing violence against women sector are crucial as we develop effective and innovative initiatives to eliminate men’s violence against women.
Around the Country
- Family violence workers around Australia accept low pay and conditions in order to support much needed services
- The Federal Government has announced that it will accept all 19 recommendations of the Moss Review into sexual abuse in Australia’s offshore detention centre in Nauru
- Discussions are proceeding on trials of cashless welfare cards to prevent recipients from purchasing alcohol and gambling
- Lieutenant General David Morrison’s successor as Chief of Army has been named
- In Queensland, MP Billy Gordon has been expelled from the Labor Party after failing to reveal his criminal history, including accusations of domestic violence
- In Victoria, trials have begun of a system of monitoring domestic violence offenders deemed especially dangerous [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, gun violence]
- In the ACT, women’s refuge Beryl Women Inc has reported an increase in abusers using GPS technology to try and track women to their shelter [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse]
- In New South Wales, the third annual report by the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team has been tabled and includes 23 new recommendations, as well as noting that half of the 14 recommendations from the last report have not been acted upon
- In Victoria, journalist Chris Johnson suggests that media focus on women killed by strangersdisguises the broader issue of men’s violence against women
- In the ACT, a magistrate has rejected the argument that alcohol and anger management issues caused a man to abuse his wife and child [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, violence involving children]
- In Victoria, an internal review has found women are bullied and harassed inside the Victorian Liberal Party
- The Melbourne Comedy Festival has received criticism for not taking action after a comedian told an audience member to “die” after they staged a silent protest in response to a joke about rape[TRIGGER WARNING: Rape joke]
- In Victoria, a priest has apologised for inappropriate comments he made about murdered woman Jill Meagher during a service at a primary school [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, victim blaming]
Around the World
- Katharine Viner has become the first ever woman named Editor in Chief at The Guardian
- In Afghanistan, the body of a women killed by a mob has been buried with women’s rights activists taking part in her funeral [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, death]
- In the United States, discussions of ‘revenge porn’ as a form of abuse have been prompted by the actions of fraternity Kappa Delta Rho [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of harassment]
- In Wales, concerns have been raised that women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds do not feel comfortable reporting domestic violence
- In Turkey, national campaigns and protests against violence against women continue [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse, violence, sexual violence, death]
- In the United States, writer Hannah Giorgis talks about the reasons women of colour a reluctant to report sexual violence to police [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual violence]
- In South Africa, Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Dikgang Moseneke has linked violence and discrimination against LGBTI people and violence against women, calling for action to reject this behaviour
- In the United States, a number of football players who have been either been convicted or face charges of domestic violence and sexual assault continue to play in the NFL [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual violence, violence]
- In China, five young women remain in custody after being arrested on International Women’s Day during a protest against sexual harassment on public transport
Research, Resources and Reports
- The Australian Human Rights Commission has released their Rights & Responsibilities Consultation Report online
- The Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia have released their Interim Report online
- Youth Action NSW and the White Ribbon Foundation have released the results of a survey of over 3,000 young people in New South Wales about their attitudes and knowledge of domestic and family violence
- A chapter, ‘Cultural competence – transforming policy, services, programs and practice’ in the bookWorking Together | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice is now freely available online for download
- The Centre for Innovative Justice has released their report Opportunities for Early Intervention: Bringing perpetrators of family violence into view
- No Ceilings: The Full Participation Report from the Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now available online
- The journal Psychiatry, Psychology and Law has published an article entitled ‘Protecting Australia’s Children: A Cross-Jurisdictional Review of Domestic Violence Protection Order Legislation’
Get Involved!
- Become an AWAVA Volunteer Intern! We’re looking for 2 Canberra-based interns – a Policy Intern and a Research Intern – to work 1 day per week and get some behind-the-scenes experience at a small NGO in the preventing violence against women sector. Applications close tomorrow!
**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.