The Australian Women’s Health Network (AWHN) is calling on all political parties to support the vital work it does to improve health outcomes for women, including urging parties to support the first Australian Women’s Health Charter, launched by the organisation at the end of last month. AWHN lost government funding at the end of last year and is now seeking support and further funding. Read this media release or contact AWHN for more on how you can support the critical work undertaken by the organisation.
Around the Country
- The Department of Social Services (DSS) has introduced a number of reforms to1800 RESPECT, the national sexual assault and domestic violence hotline. DSS has explained that it is introducing a ‘triage’ model to reduce the number of unanswered calls and limit waiting times. Serious concerns have been raised about these changes, some of which are outlined in this blog post by Yvonne Lay for the Women’s Policy Action Tank.
- A new study has found that violence against women with intellectual disabilities often goes unreported or is dismissed by authorities.
- ‘Little Towns, Big Voices’, a documentary about domestic violence in rural Australia was launched last week.
- Julia Zemiro has written a piece for the drum on the role and responsibility of the media when reporting family and domestic violence.
- In NSW, the Government will provide scholarships to survivors of domestic violence through its new Smart and Skilled program, aimed at helping survivors gain qualifications and enter the workforce.
- In the ACT, the definition of family and domestic violence will broadened to include emotional, psychological and emotional abuse under new laws. However, unlike in the NSW, this definition still does not include the places where many people with disability live.
- Also in the ACT, the Government has allocated $21.4 million over four years in its most recent budget to respond to violence against women. The majority of the reforms will be funded by a $30 annual levy on every ACT household.
Around the World
- Civil society groups and NGOs have launched a campaign for the appointment of a woman with a gender justice agenda as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. Read more about the campaign here!
- In the US, women from around the country will gather at the White House next week to participate in a conference called the United State of Women to discuss challenges faced by women in the US.
- Pragna Patel from UK based women’s right organisation, Southall Black Sisters, has written about transnational marriage abandonment, a form of violence and abuse experienced by a large number of migrant women in the UK.
- A new study published in Social Science & Medicine has attempted to explain high rates of family and domestic violence in Nordic countries, despite the fact that many Nordic countries perform consistently well on gender equality indicators.
Get Involved!
- Registrations are open for Prevalent & Preventable, the AWAVA/Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016)! Find out more about the four conference streams and our fantastic keynote speakers Ms Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo, and sign on for email updates at our website.
- The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
- Attend a workshop on the world first prevention framework, Change the Story, developed by Our Watch, VicHealth and ANROWS. The workshop will be held on 15 June from 10am-12pm at YWCA Canberra, Level 2, 71 Northbourne Avenue, ACT. To reserve your place, email [email protected].
- Join Rosie Batty as she addresses the National Press Club Canberra on Wednesday 15 June as part of the Justice for Kids campaign. Buy your tickets here!
- 1800RESPECT is holding a webinar on trauma informed understanding and responses to children affected by family violence. The webinar will be held on 23 June at 1pm AEDT. Register here!
- The One Woman Project is hosting ‘Brisbane’s Finest Feminists’, a conference bringing together feminists from Brisbane, Australia and beyond. The conference will be held on 30 July. More information here!
- The 2016 Victims and Justice National Conference will be held on 8 and 9 August 2016 in Melbourne.More information here.
- Tickets are on sale for the Fearless Comedy Gala – Comedians Against Family Violence. Some of Australia’s top comedians will unite in Canberra on 18 August to make a stand against family violence in our community. All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT. More info available here.
- The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in Parkroyal Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.