The Royal Commission into Family Violence, Victoria, begins public hearings and more* Weekly Round-Up 20 July  

In other news, Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV) began public hearings in Melbourneon Monday, 13 July. The Royal Commission into Family Violence, established earlier this year to investigate practical solutions to respond to violence against women, is the first such body to be set up in Australia. Over the next couple of weeks, the commission will hear from a range of stakeholders, including victims, family violence experts as well as the police. If, like us, you wish to follow the developments closely, visit the RCFV website for a copy of all the submissions and live streaming of the hearings. We are looking forward to the wealth of knowledge and perspectives that the various submissions will bring to the sector!

Around the Country

• In Queensland, nearly half of all homicides have been linked to domestic violence.
• Also in Queensland, Quentin Bryce has expressed her support for the Queensland government’s financial commitment to addressing domestic violence in the state budget. More information on the budget can be found here.
• In South Australia, the number of restraining orders issued has increased by 60% in the 2014/15 financial year.
• In NSW, domestic violence victims in Goulburn no longer have access to specific domestic violence refuges ever since the seven bed women’s refuge closed last year after it failed to secure funding.
• In the ACT, sexual assault and domestic violence victims will be given the option of confronting their attackers as part of the expansion of ACT’s restorative justice program.
• In Victoria, CEO of VicHealth, Jerrill Richter has suggested that adopting a public health approach to domestic violence is central to addressing the problem.
• Also in Victoria, chiefs of the Magistrate’s Court and Children’s Court have called for funding increases and changes to the current court system in a joint submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
• Rosie Batty has asked for compulsory domestic violence prevention lessons to be delivered to all school students.
• Our Watch and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety have commissioned a joint study into media reporting on domestic violence.
• Cathy Humphreys and Krisitin Diemer from University of Melbourne write about terrorism and domestic violence.

Around the World

• In Turkey, victims of domestic violence are using a new mobile phone app called ‘Easy Rescue’ to get in contact with emergency services, such as police, ambulance and government hotlines.
• In Cambodia, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has launched the ‘Good Men’ campaign to promote gender equality and stop violence against women.
• In Qatar, the United Nations Population Fund and the Doha International Family Institute have signed aMemorandum of Understanding to address issues such as Gender-Based Violence and child marriage.
• In Sierra Leone, the government recently ratified the Maputo Protocol, which addresses issues such as female genital mutilation and violence against women.

Get Involved!

• The Northern Integrated Family Violence Services are holding a Family Violence Group Work Forum on 20 July in Bundoora, Victoria. Register here!
• YWCA Canberra is holding a film screening of East Timorese film, Beatriz’s War, on 30 July. More information here!
• Applications are open for the ‘Family Violence Has No Boundaries: Cultural Diversity and Prevention’ conference to be held in Melbourne on 24 and 25 September. Submit abstracts by emailing[email protected] by 27 July. More information can be found here.
• YWCA Queensland is calling for applications for its inaugural Leadership Internship. Applications close on 31 July.
• The Telematics Trust is now accepting applications for its open grant rounds. Applications close on 24 August. More information can be found here.