Welcome to this week’s round-up of news. This week, the Prime Minister requested an investigation into the Safe Schools program, which aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students. At AWAVA, we believe that #weneedsafeschools to ensure that all young people feel safe and respected. We encourage you to like the ‘Ineedsafeschools’ Facebook page, and share why you think the program is important.
Around the Country
- The Australian Federal Police will introduce gender targets to increase the proportion of female officers to 50 per cent over the next 10 years.
- The AFL has committed to revising and improving its 11-year-old ‘Respect and Responsibility’ policy which covers the treatment of women.
- The Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, has expressed concerns about the ability of family courts to properly deal with the damage that family violence does to children.
- New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has confirmed that men are overwhelmingly responsible for perpetrating family and domestic violence.
- Erin Stewart has written about the difficulties women face in getting justice for online abuse in an article for the ABC.
- In NSW, the NSW Police Force has launched a new video campaign called ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ to raise awareness about family and domestic violence. The campaign comes at the same time as the introduction of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP), a NSW Police program for targeting repeat offenders.
Around the World
- In Ontario, Canada, the government will spend $100 million over three years on a program to address violence against indigenous women.
- In El Salvador, a special court has been created to try crimes committed against women.
- At the Academy Awards this week, singer Lady Gaga was joined by survivors of sexual assault as she performed her song ‘Til It Happens to You’.
- Pakistani filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, has won an Academy Award for her documentary ‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’, which examines the practice of honour killings in Pakistan.
- In Pakistan, a bill aimed at addressing gender based violence has recently been passed.
Get Involved!
- Fair Agenda is running a petition to make the unauthorised sharing of intimate images a crime under federal law. AWAVA recently made a submission in support of this change to a Senate Committee, which has now reported urging the government to introduce legislation. You can sign the Fair Agenda petition here.
- The University of Melbourne has created a website where Australian women who have experienced abuse can share their stories.
- ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream which opened on 1 February 2016 and closes 28 April 2016.
- Join in One Billion Rising, the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history! Between 14 February and 8 March 2016, at events all over the world, people will express their outrage, strike, dance, and rise in defiance of the injustices women suffer. Find out more here!
- Summer of Respect, an ACT based anti-sexual violence campaign is screening a documentary, The Hunting Ground, which addresses sexual assault on US university campuses. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion, and will be held on 3 March 2016. Register here!
- Women’s Legal Services NSW and Marrickville Legal Centre are hosting an International Women’s Day Fair on Sunday 6 March, at Steel Park, Marrickville. More information here!
- Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) presents ‘Cabaret Double Bill’ to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event will be held in Prahran, Melbourne on Thursday 10 March.
- Women’s Legal Services NSW is holding one day face-to-face seminars on Women and the Law. The first seminar in the series will be held on 16 March and will explore the law surrounding domestic violence. Register here!
- Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!
- The 2016 Pamela Denoon lecture will be given by comedian and health promotion ambassador Nelly Thomas, on the topic of Sexual Equality: Negotiating a Modern Minefield. The lecture will be held at the Australian National University in Canberra on International Women’s Day, 8 March. Find out morehere!
- Our member organisation, Ruby Gaea, is running a campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is held every April. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violation, and to educate communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. This Awareness Month, Ruby Gaea is encouraging the community to take action and organise an event at your school or workplace on the International Day of Action on April 5. For more information or ideas on events, please contact Ruby Gaea’s education team on [email protected] or 08 8945 0155.
- 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!
- The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. Submit abstracts by 1 April here!