Weekly Round-up* 13 April

Many of the links we have shared today highlight women’s ongoing experiences of violence, as well as the important steps that are being taken across the country to address violence against women.

Around the Country

• The town of Leeton in New South Wales is in mourning after Stephanie Scott, a local high school teacher, was murdered over the Easter period. Ms. Scott’s co-worker, Vincent Stanford, has been charged with her murder and Stanford’s family are currently assisting police with their investigations. Ms. Scott’s death has reignited discussions about Australia’s epidemic rates of violence against women.
  [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, death]
• In Melbourne, nearly 1000 people rallied on the steps of Parliament House on Sunday calling for tougher sentencing laws for violent crimes, including crimes against women.
• In the ACT, the Director of Public Prosecutions has discussed the ACT legal sector’s strong response to violence against women. But calls have also been made for a whole of community approach to preventing violence against women.
• In New South Wales, anti-violence against women activist, Nalika Padmasena, has been awarded the Stepan Kerkyasharian Harmony Award for her work encouraging women from culturally-diverse backgrounds to open up about family and domestic violence.
• In Darwin, a lack of availability of crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence has meant that families are being housed in motel rooms.
• In Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is refusing to rule in or rule out any of the 140 recommendations put forward by a special state taskforce on domestic violence. In addition to the recommendations made within the report Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers is calling for the creation of a criminal offence of domestic and family violence. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, death]
• Australian of the Year Rosie Batty has questioned whether Queensland MP Billy Gordon would still be in Parliament if he was accused of public violence.
• The Canberra Times Behind Closed Doors Series, which examines the issues underpinning domestic violence, has looked into the impacts of domestic violence on children and has urged those experiencing domestic violence to develop safety plans.
• Daily Life Journalist Ruby Hamad has written about how the Rolling Stones Magazine’s reporting of rape exposes society’s biases about rape. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of rape, violence against women, victim blaming]
• Clementine Ford has questioned why allegations of domestic violence against Grant Hackett have been overlooked in coverage of his recent comeback to professional swimming. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women and children].
• The Department of Social Services has released the third issues of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children eNewsletter.
• Jenny Ostini and Susan Hopkins have written about online harassment as a form of violence. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women]
• A new multilingual family violence crisis line, Shakti Australia, will provide support to women and children from Australia’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities who are experiencing or at risk of violence. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women]

Around the World

• In the United States, two students from Alabama have been arrested over an allegation of sexual assault in Florida. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women, rape]
• In India, the sexual assault and murder of a 3 year old girl has led to clashes with police. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women, sexual assault]
• In Fiji, the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation has condemned recent cases of violence against women over the Easter weekend.
• In the United States, The National Network to End Domestic Violence has criticised the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing for reinstating racing car driver Kur Busch in spite of a Family Courts finding that “it is more likely than not” that Busch committed an act of domestic abuse against his ex-girlfriend in September 2014.
• In South Africa, a pilot project focused on strengthening the prosecution of gender-based violence cases has resulted in 58 convictions.
• In the United Kingdom, Sussex Police have been criticised for victim blaming after they released a poster that suggests women are responsible for preventing rape. [TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of violence against women, sexual assault]
• In China, five Chinese women’s rights activists have been detained by the Government on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles.”

Research, Resources and Reports

• The Productivity Commission has released its Research Paper on Housing Assistance and Employment in Australia.
• Amnesty International has released its report Afghanistan: Their lives on the line: Women human rights defenders under attack in Afghanistan, which details rising violence against women throughout the country.

Get Involved!

• We’re Hiring! AWAVA is seeking a suitably qualified Administration and Communications Assistant for a part time position in our Canberra Secretariat. Applications close on April 20!
• JERA International is facilitating the event WORKING TOGETHERFOR EQUALITY: MOVING FORWARD On Beijing+20 National Issues, CSW 59th Session & Post 2015 Development Agenda in Melbourne on Thursday 23 April.
• 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).