Funding for Community Legal Centres secured under a national partnership agreement and more* Weekly Round-Up 6 July

Around the Country

• In NSW, the Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool (DVSAT) has been implemented state-wide to help police combat domestic violence.
• Also in NSW, a review into domestic violence in NSW by the Ombudsman has found that 83 children have died as a result of domestic violence in the last decade.
• Again in NSW, high schools will introduce lessons specifically on domestic violence, making NSW the first state to do so.
• Victoria Police has made a submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence, suggesting that domestic violence offenders be placed on a register open to people seeking information on their partner’s history. In response to this submission, Rosie Batty has questioned the benefit of the register, saying that the focus should be on intervention.
• Again in Victoria, the State Government will consider legal reform, including making domestic violence a specific crime, as a response to domestic violence.
• Australia’s only sexual assault network for Aboriginal women, Hey Sis We’ve Got Your Back, is facing closure as its primary source of funding from individuals and private institutions runs out.
• Refuges and workers in the anti-violence against women sector are becoming increasingly concerned about the use of technology by domestic violence abusers to discover refuges.
  [Trigger Warning: Stalking]
• Access to law researcher, Liz Curran, has expressed dismay at the government’s decision to cut funding for community legal centres.
• Linda Burney, the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the NSW Parliament, has spoken about her experience as a victim of domestic violence. [Trigger Warning: Descriptions of domestic violence]
• Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has announced the establishment of its Practitioner Engagement Group (PEG). Find out who is in the PEG here!

Around the World

• In the US, new laws to address sexual assault on campus under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 went into effect on July 1 2015.
• In Egypt, the director general of the Arab Women Organisation, Mervat Tallawy, has signed an agreement with the United Nations to strengthen efforts to uphold women’s rights to safety and freedom from violence in the Arab region.
• Again in Egypt, a local organisation called Harrassmap has started a new television campaign, encouraging viewers to report sexual harassment in public spaces through social media or by texting a hotline.
• In Afghanistan, DNA evidence has been used to convict a father for sexually assaulting his daughter in a landmark case. [Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault]
• In The Gambia, the Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) and Action Aid International The Gambia held a day long sensitisation program to inform women with disabilities of their rights, and to raise awareness about steps to follow when these rights are violated.
• The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution to end child, early and forced marriage.

Get Involved!

• If you are a young woman aged 16 – 21, join the conversation on young women and sex education by completing this survey designed by the Equality Rights’ Alliance.
• Women’s Legal Services NSW are holding a free webinar on Centrelink and domestic violence on July 7, from 2-3pm. Register here!
• The Women’s Legal Service Victoria is holding an interactive workshop on July 14 to improve workers’ knowledge of the Victims of Crime Assistance Act (VOCAT). Register here by July 7!
• YWCA Queensland is calling for applications for its inaugural Leadership Internship. Applications close on 31 July 2015.
• Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is currently recruiting a Research Manager and a Conference Coordinator for its Inaugural National Research Conference. More information on the positions can be found here!
• The Centre for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University has announced the theme for its 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence Campaign. This year, the theme is ‘From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All!’
• Anti-Poverty Week will take place from 11-17 October 2015.Click here for more information on how to get involved!