Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we look at the outcomes of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on Friday, which included a focus on Domestic and Family Violence. The COAG Communiqué provides an overview of the discussions, which led to agreements on the development of a national domestic violence order scheme and a $30 million national campaign to reduce violence against women and their children.
Around the Country
- In the lead up to the COAG meeting 62 women’s organisations released an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for the $30 million earmarked for an awareness building campaign to be redirected to primary prevention initiatives and for robust, long-term funding for specialist women’s services.
- In the aftermath of the COAG meeting women’s organisations continued their call for increased funding for specialist women’s services and for the implementation of the Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.
- The Hon. Scott Morrison, Minister for Social Services, announced more than $15 million funding for specialist family services nationwide that support children and parents experiencing family violence, alcohol and drug issues.
- Journalist Jenna Price has questioned why Australian Governments are cutting funding to services that are working to address violence against women.
- In New South Wales, a man has been charged with over 100 offences in what police describe as one of Australia’s worst cases of domestic violence. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women, rape, attempted murder]
- In the ACT, the Domestic Violence Prevention Council has recommended that the ACT Government create a portfolio dedicated to tackling domestic violence.
- In New South Wales, a 14 year old girl has called for better education to support young people wo are experiencing domestic violence.
- In Tamworth, a community action plan has been developed to address the town’s high rate of domestic violence.
Around the World
- In Canada, four member of the British navy have been charged with sexual assault while they were stationed at the Canadian Forces base in Halifax Nova Scotia.
- Clare Winterton, Vice President of Advocacy and Innovation, Global Fund for Women, has written about the reality of online violence and abuse. [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against women, stalking, threats]
- In Mexico, activists from suburb of Edomex in Mexico City, which is the country’s most dangerous place to be a female, are calling on the Government to investigate the epidemic of violence against women.
- In Fiji, forty women from across the Pacific are taking part in a training program facilitated by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre that will better equip them to respond to violence against women.
Research, Reports and Resources
- A report released by UNICEF titled Missing Childhoods: The Impact of armed conflict on children in Nigeria and beyond outlines the violence faced by children at the hands of ISIS insurgents.
Get Involved!
- 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.
- Women’s Legal Services NSW is holding an afternoon tea presentation on Technology-Facilitated Stalking and Abuse in Sydney on 24 April, 2015.
- Registrations are open for the YWCA Canberra’s She Leads Conference 2015. The conference will take place in Canberra on 19 May 2015.
- 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).