The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has released the National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions (NOSPI), which was developed by Commonwealth, state and territory governments. The Standards are: 1. Women and their children’s safety is the core priority of all perpetrator interventions; 2. Perpetrators get the right interventions at the right time; 3. Perpetrators face justice and legal consequences when they commit violence; 4. Perpetrators participate in programmes and services that change their violent behaviours and attitudes; 5. Perpetrator interventions are driven by credible evidence to continuously improve; 6. People working in perpetrator intervention systems are skilled in responding to the dynamics and impacts of domestic, family and sexual violence.
Around the Country
- The Townsville Women’s Centre has welcomed plans for new legislation allowing domestic violence victims access to compensation.
- Karen Willis of Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia has spoken about the annual increase in calls for help with sexual assault and domestic violence during the holiday season.
- In NSW, a domestic violence complainant has been charged with contempt after refusing to answer questions in court. Helen Campbell of Women’s Legal Services NSW said, “The judicial system unfortunately does not always understand the nature of domestic violence and the sort of pressure women are under when they go to court.”
- Kara Eva Schlegl writes about an incident of domestic violence sending shockwaves through Sydney’s comedy scene, arguing that guilt may lie not just with the perpetrator but also with the men who protected him.
Around the World
- In New Mexico (USA), state auditors have identified 5,406 evidence kits from rapes and sexual assaults that never were tested for DNA, some of which date back to the 1980s. A 2003 law in New Mexico puts the statute of limitations on hold for sexual assaults in cases when a kit has not been tested, so some of the kits may still be used.
- In Nepal, the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) community has urged lawmakers to make sure that their rights are ensured through the Gender Equality Bill and other to-be-formulated laws. Manisha Dhakal, Executive Director of Blue Diamond Society, which works for the LGBTI community in Nepal said, “There is a tendency to assume that gender-based violence happens only to women, and most of the programmes on GBV are women-centric and we are always left out.”
- In The Philippines, a lawmaker is urging hospitals to establish a place in their facilities where victims of sexual assault can go for treatment and submit forensic evidence.
- In Dubai, almost 5,000 people have visited an orange container set up by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children to raise awareness about violence against women and encourage victims to speak up. The program invited visitors to a dark, cold room to listen to a five-minute soundtrack of a woman who is abused by her husband.
- In Malawi, the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has organised a national day of prayers to end abuse of women and children, in conjunction with Malawi Interfaith Aids Association, UNICEF, and the UK Department for International Development.
- The New York Times covers a controversial program in Norway that aims to prevent sexual and other violence by educating migrants in European sexual norms and social codes.
- In Mongolia, new legislation before parliament would establish a team of female specialists to provide counselling to victims of domestic violence and strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies. The International Development Law Organization is holding consultations to support coordinated responses.
- In Alberta in Canada, a new law will enable victims of domestic violence to break their leases early and forbids landlords from penalising them.
Research, Resources and Reports
- Emma Katz has written about the ways in which mothers and their children can be promoters of each other’s recoveries from domestic violence, in her report Strengthening mother-child relationships as part of domestic violence recovery.
- Lindsay Clowes reflects on teaching masculinities in a South African classroom, showing how teaching gender through a focus on men and masculinities offers insights into resistance to gender equity as well as possibilities for challenging such resistance.
- In an Australian first, ANROWS has released a state of knowledge paper mapping the pathways and interventions for perpetrators of domestic and family violence and sexual assault through civil and criminal legal systems, and examining the responses and service systems currently available in each jurisdiction.
Get Involved!
- Today (22 December) is the last day to complete the survey on the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The survey (approx. 20 minutes) seeks the views of service providers, peak bodies and similar organisations on the effectiveness of the Second Action Plan and issues that should be addressed in the Third Action Plan. Access the online survey here!
- AWAVA, in conjunction with Our Watch and supported by WESNET, invite you to attend an international conference on violence against women. The conference will be held from 19 to 22 September 2016. More information here!
- Women’s Legal Services Australia invites female victims/ survivors of sexual assault and domestic/ family violence who have been involved in family law court proceedings about children’s matters and would like to share about their experiences to please answer the short survey (open until 31 December).
- The 21st Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Conference 2016 will be held from 26-28 October 2016. More information here!