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About AWAVA Program Manager

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So far AWAVA Program Manager has created 72 blog entries.

Media Release: Stronger, Smarter, Fairer…? Review of 2013-14 Federal Budget

AWAVA comments on the 2013-14 Federal Budget announcements:

Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA, comments

“An ongoing budgetary commitment, clearly linked to the National Plan implementation, across the entire plan and its lifetime, is fundamental each year. This needs to be commensurate with the scale of the issue. The announcements in the 2013-14 budget for the Royal Commission reflect this and give a much-needed focus on child sexual assault, for which the Government should be congratulated, it needs to be acknowledged that similar funding levels are needed across all forms of violence against women and their children.”

“AWAVA are keen to work with, and to participate in the development of the Foundation
[to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children] so that it can draw upon and build on the existing primary prevention and early intervention knowledge base and work undertaken by the preventing violence against women’s sector. The National Plan requires continued, coordinated, partnerships and it is key that the new foundation develops on work already being progressed within the sector.”

Read AWAVA’s full media release here: AWAVA 2013-14 Budget Media Release

Budget Review 2013-14: Stronger, Smarter, Fairer…?

The budget announcements under personal safety of women and children (National Plan) for 2013-14 include $44 million:

$5.2 million over 5 years for the establishment and operation of the Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children
$7.6 million over 3 years to continue and extend DV-Alert training program
$28.5 million to June 2017 to continue and expand 1800RESPECT, enabling an increase in the number of counsellors for the service, translation of online materials and online community for workers to access specialist professional support
$3 million over 3 years to dedicated research stream on perpetrator interventions through the National Centre of Excellence to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children

Other funding announcements that relate or could potential have an impact on preventing violence against women and their children include:

$434.1 million over 4 years for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. This includes $45 million to provide expert services to help support survivors
$0.5 million between 2012-13 in grants for advocacy, research, training, and service provision for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
$10.3 million over 4 years, for Community Legal Centres and $42 million over 2 years for Legal Assistance Services
$21.4 million, over 4 years to the Fair Work Commission to provide a legal remedy for victims of workplace bullying
$4.6 million over four years to establish the Andrew Fisher Applied Policy Institute for Ageing
Funding between 2012-2013 for sexual assault counselling in remote NT areas as part of the “mobile outreach services plus”
Major internet service providers (ISPs) will be required to block child abuse websites on the INTERPOL ‘worst of’ child abuse list

Read more in AWAVA’s full media release on the positives and areas to strengthen or focus on for addressing all forms of violence against women and girls: AWAVA 2013-14 Budget Media Release

White Ribbon International Conference: Global to Local: Preventing Men’s Violence against Women – Research, Policy and Practice in Once Space, Sydney

White Ribbon Australia’s inaugural international conference Global to Local: Preventing Men’s Violence against Women – Research, Policy and Practice in Once Space is on 13-15 May 2013, in Sydney. For more information please visit www.whiteribbon.org.au/globaltolocal.

Early bird discounts are available until 21 March 2013.

First Progress Report on National Plan

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) have announced the online publication of the first Progress Report to the Council of Australian Governments on the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

Comments from FaHCSIA:

“This report is the first in a series of progress reports to the Council of Australian Governments and the general public on our efforts to reduce violence against women and their children. It details the actions taken and progress made by Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the non-government sector during the National Plan’s first two years of implementation, from 2010 – 2012.

The report shows that, although there is more to be done, we have made a significant amount of progress in the past two years. Your commitment to this work and your input to the development of this report are very much appreciated.

We look forward to continuing to work with you to build on these achievements”

A practical workshop – Family law: Supporting your client

A practical workshop – 2 May 2013

“What can my client expect to happen in the Family Law Courts?” “What does the law say regarding arrangements for the children when there are allegations of violence and/or abuse”?

Women’s Legal Service Victoria are running a practical workshop on supporting clients through the family law process.

This workshop is specifically designed to equip support workers with:

• knowledge of the family law system (with emphasis on family violence victims) and

• practical tools to best support clients as they navigate the family law process.

Numbers are limited to 30 participants so please book early by clicking here. RSVP by 24 April 2013.

Stand Up! Eliminating All Forms of Violence Against CALD Women – National Conference

The Australian Migrant & Refugee Women’s Alliance (AMaRWA) is hosting the first national conference on the elimination of all forms of violence against culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women, Stand Up!, in Canberra, 28-30 April 2013.

This national conference, will bring together for the first time experts from various fields to discuss, debate and make concrete recommendations on how to work together to eliminate all forms of violence against CALD women within Australia.

The conference will be an interactive forum with workshops and plenary sessions. There will be opportunities for questions and discussions at workshops and plenary sessions.

The Workshop Schedules are on the website now along with the Concurrent Sessions: http://amarwaconference.org/schedule-workshops.html …

Have you got your tickets yet? Get them now: http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=42776 … … …

For more details see the conference website: http://amarwaconference.org/conference.html

Use of Medicare Funding for Sex Selective Abortions

AWAVA’s submission to the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Funding for Certain Types of Abortion) Bill 2013, on Medicare Funding for Sex Selective Abortions was forwarded to the Senate Inquiry Committee in April 2013. AWAVA’s submission is endorsed by the Equality Rights Alliance.

Read the submission here:

Involuntary or Coerced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia

AWAVA’s response to the Senate Inquiry on Involuntary or Coerced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia, submitted in April 2013, formally endorsed the extremely comprehensive submission from AWAVA’s member organisation, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)’s ‘Dehumanised: The Forced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia’.

Read both here:

AWAVA Senate Inquiry Response: Involuntary or Coerced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia

Dehumanised: The Forced Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Australia

WIRE’s Understanding Financial Abuse in the context of Family Violence

16 April:Due to overwhelming demand WIRE in Victoria present another session of Understanding Financial Abuse in the context of Family Violence. Click on link for more information

Family Violence Hurts Kids Too: Providing support to children affected by domestic and family violence

Tuesday 16, Wednesday17 and Wednesday 24 April 2013 – Melbourne CBD

A three-day training program providing practitioners with the knowledge and skills to support and provide information to children and young people who have experienced family violence and to strengthen the mother/child bond.

For registration form and further information go to:
http://www.dvrcv.org.au//wp-content/uploads/DVRCV_Registration_Form.pdf