AWAVA Program Manager, Author at AWAVA

“A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women” Media Release: IWD 2013

“We need to keep our promise to women and children who are victims or survivors of any form of violence against women, to end that violence. Globally, nationally, locally we must take responsibility, each and every one us, and commit to speaking out against violence and changing attitudes and behaviour that allow it to continue unabated. The levels of violence are unacceptable, we are facing a global pandemic, we must act now.”

Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA

Read AWAVA’s International Women’s Day 2013 Media Release which includes AWAVA’s international and national efforts to raise awareness and to end violence against women and girls.

#endvaw Twitter Campaign – Join Us!

Get your fingers at the ready, your high-powered Twitter followers on board and join the global tweet-a-thon to get #endvaw trending tomorrow on International Women’s Day 2013. Friday 8 March 2013 is the day that the power of the Twitter-sphere will unite globally to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.

How you can make a difference without even leaving your seat!

AWAVA wants to raise the profile of violence against women and girls, and make it a topic of discussion in households around Australia and the world. We know that the brighter we can shine a spotlight on this epidemic that affects 1 in 3 women globally, the more action our communities and governments will take to end it, which will make a real difference in the lives of women and girls who are victims and survivors of gender-based violence. It’s our aim to raise awareness and get the conversation started by reaching out to the millions in the Twitter-sphere and other social media, and letting people know that violence against women must end.

We want #endvaw to be a ‘trending topic’ – where millions of people access information and join the conversations on this issue.

This is where we need your help:

Already have a twitter account? Great!

Make sure you are following AWAVA_Women and re-tweet re-tweet re-tweet all of our messages on Friday 8 March
Follow any other organisations/individuals who you notice are also tweeting with the hash tag #endvaw and retweet all of the tweets that are supportive of the message to end violence against women
Send this email to your friends, family, colleagues, networks, parliamentarians, neighbours, anyone you can think of that can help share this important message
Tweet tweet tweet all day long with your thoughts on why ending violence against women is important and what can be done – make sure to include #endvaw every time you tweet!

No twitter account? No worries!

Go to www.twitter.com and set one up in a few easy steps. You don’t have to use your real name, or enter your real location.
Take some time to ‘follow’ as many individuals and organisations supportive of the #endvaw message as you can – many of these will in return follow you, so they will see all your posts to #endvaw
Make sure you are following AWAVA_Women and retweet retweet retweet all of our messages on that day
Follow any other organisations/individuals who you notice are also tweeting with the hash tag #endvaw and re-tweet all of the tweets that are supportive of the message to end violence against women
Send this email to your friends, family, colleagues, networks, parliamentarians, neighbours, anyone you can think of that can help share this important message
Tweet tweet tweet all day long with your thoughts on why ending Violence Against Women is important and what can be done – make sure to include #endvaw every time you tweet!

If you want some ideas: click #endvaw sample tweets

Set your reminders for tomorrow and let’s get the conversation started!

Safe Events, Respectful Clubs and Societies

Safe Events, Respectful Clubs & Societies Resource (SERCS) is a resource and training that has been put together to assist clubs and societies and student organisations to run events which are inclusive and safe for all people. It has been created in recognition of the important role that student organisations play in the creation of culture and community within universities.

Independent, student-controlled and student-run representative organisations, the advocacy and services they provide, are core to students having a positive university experience. They have to power to create culture, community and collective action on campus.

They are not perfect organisations, however, and there exists within some organisations and some clubs, a culture that has the capacity to endanger women’s safety. This is not to say that all or even most are bad but all have the capacity to do better by engaging with programs such as Safe Events Respectful Clubs and Societies.

The aim of the SERCS program is to ensure that women have both the ability and the right to fully participate in the clubs and societies and activities provided by student organisations.

Active, engaged and interesting student organisations are the lifeblood of campus life…When they do the right thing, student organisations are capable of setting the tone of what sort of community we want our universities to have. In this same vein, student organisations and clubs and societies that treat women as less, or run events which are unsafe and unwelcoming for women, have the ability to set that as a community on campus.

– NUS Women’s Officer, 2012, Noni Sproule

AWAVA supported and endorsed the Safe Events Respectful Clubs and Societies (SERCS) program developed by one of our Advisory Group member organisations, the National Union of Students (NUS) in partnership with South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault (SECASA)

CSW57: Using New Technology to Address Violence Against Women and Girls

Hosted by the Australia Government on 4 March 2013, the side event ‘Using new technology to address violence against women and girls’, discussed the perils and potential of new technology in addressing violence against women. Panellists included the Hon. Julie Collins, Australian Minister for the Status of Women; AWAVA’s Chair, Julie Oberin; Hon. Lulu Xingwana, South African Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities and Cliona Saidlear, Policy and Communications Director at Ireland’s Rape crisis network.

All panellists provided examples of how social media is being used to raise awareness of violence against women, provide education and as a tool to change attitudes. Minister Collins discussed the federal government initiative www.theline.gov.au – an online forum that provides young Australians with a forum for respectful discussions about violence against women. Cliona described social media as a vehicle for “democratization of the conversation” and provided examples of blogs and online campaigns that have encouraged public discourse about violence against women. Hon. Xingwana discussed South Africa’s cyber safety campaign that allows people to interact and share information about violence against women via online social networks.

Julie encouraged a fearless approach to technology – so that women understand how technology and social media can be used. This will enable women to protect themselves from the potential harms of technology while maximizing the potential benefits.

Report by Aimee McVeigh – AWAVA CSW57 delegation

CSW57: Power of Peaks & Alliances

Report back from Aimee McVeigh, AWAVA Delegation on AWAVA’s opening Parallel Event on 6 March:

The strong winds and impending snow didn’t keep people away from AWAVA’s first parallel event this morning. Julie Oberin and Margaret Augerinos, both part of the AWAVA delegation at CSW, spoke with Marai Larasi (UK) and Cindy Southworth (USA) about the ‘Power of Peaks and Alliances.’

Julie opened the session by discussing AWAVA as an example of the power and reach that alliances can have by harnessing and amplifying women’s voices.

Margaret spoke about WESNET, the Women’s Services Network, a national women’s peak advocacy body that works on behalf of women and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic or family violence.

Marai spoke from the perspective of both Imkaan and End Violence Against Women (EVAW), UK organisations. Imkaan is a black feminist organization dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls. Imkaan represents the perspectives of its members – frontline specialist women’s services. Marai went on to discuss EVAW, a coalition of individuals and organisations that operates completely independently of government to campaign to end all forms of violence against women.

Cindy spoke about the work of the USA’s National Network to End Domestic Violence – a national membership and advocacy organization of state domestic violence coalitions, allied organisations and individuals.

This morning’s discussion about the above peaks, alliances and coalitions illustrated the power of well-organised feminist voices in the collective struggle to end violence against women.

CSW57: Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women

The AWAVA delegation members attending the 57th session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW), in New York, will be providing specialist knowledge and expertise on all forms of violence against women, bringing extensive experience from across Australia, and working with international partners to reach Agreed Conclusions. The representatives are:

Head of the delegation: Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA and WESNET, AWAVA Executive Member (VIC)
Fiona McCormack, CEO of DV Vic (VIC)
Dorinda Cox, NASASV Indigenous representative, AWAVA Executive Member (WA)
Aimee McVeigh, WLSA member, Principal Solicitor at the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal & Advocacy Service (QLD)
Margaret Augerinos, WESNET and CEO of Centre for Non-Violence, AWAVA Executive Member (VIC)
Tracy Howe, CEO of Women’s Refuge Movement NSW (NSW)
Samantha Bowden, NASASV NT representative (NT)

AWAVA will be sponsoring 4 Parallel Events and will be posting regular updates on interesting activities and reporting on events from the AWAVA delegation.

Parallel Events

Date of Event	Time	Location	Title of Event
Wednesday 6 March	8.30am	10th Floor Church Centre	*Power of Peaks and Alliances* Julie Oberin, Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) Margaret Augerinos, Women’s Services Network, Australia (WESNET) Marai Larasi, End Violence Against Women, UK (EVAW) Cindy Southworth, National Network to End Domestic Violence, USA (NNEDV)
Thursday 7 March	2.30pm	Guild Hall Armenian Convention Centre	*Using the Strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to Stop Violence Against Women* Dorinda Cox, Co-opted member for Indigenous issues, National Association of Service Against Sexual Violence Michelle Deshong, Program Manager, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance
Friday 8 March	12.30pm	Hardin Room, 11^th Floor, Church Centre	*Thinking Big: A Convention for the Elimination of Violence Against Women* Chair:Rebecca Bromhead, Australian National Committee for UN Women Professor Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women: Opening Event and introduction covering the normative gap and motivations for a treaty Julie Oberin, Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA), Australia: Why we need a Convention Elizabeth Broderick, Australian Human Rights Commission: The pros and cons of a Convention Lesley Ann Foster, Masimanyane Women’s Support Center: Re-politicising Violence Against Women Lily Greenan, Scottish Women’s Aid, Scotland: Mobilising around a Convention Marai Larasi, Imkaan & End Violence Against Women Coalition, UK: Ensuring Voice and Representation
Monday 11 March	12:30 pm	Chapel (CCUN building)	*Stopping Violence Before It Happens: Primary Prevention Tools* Julie Oberin, Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA): Stopping Violence Before It Happens: A Practical Toolkit for Communities Fiona McCormack, CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria: Harnessing the Power of the Media Dorinda Cox: Standards for Sexual Assault Primary Prevention Education Margaret Augerinos: CEO of Centre for Non-Violence: Solving the Jigsaw: changing a culture of violence into a culture of well-being

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Priorities for Women 2013

Today the six National Women’s Alliances launched their joint project, Priorities for Women 2013. Together the Alliances will be working to increase women’s political participation as enshrined in article 7 of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Using CEDAW as the framework, the Priorities for Women vision is for a truly inclusive electoral framework where the most marginalised and disadvantaged women are informed and empowered voters.

Priorities for Women is about recognising the enormous value of women’s votes. Our challenge to you is this:

Can you help to make this year’s election the election in which women truly matter?
Can you help to ensure that this election takes us a giant leap forward towards true implementation of the right to public and political participation?
Can you help us to make this the election in which women are truly counted?

Over the course of six months, the Alliances will be promoting a gendered understanding of national policy in a diverse range of areas. We hope that the next 6 months will cement these issues as priorities for women and, in doing so, encourage all women to participate more fully in political life.

Draft Agreed Conclusions Out for Comment: CSW57

The zero draft Agreed Conclusions for the 57th session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW57) is out now for comment, this formulates the basis for negotiations at CSW57. The theme this year is the Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.

If you have any suggestions for language to include, based on previously agreed international agreements or conventions, please share these with the CSW57 AWAVA delegation by emailing AWAVA, please include the source reference. Shorter language insertions, especially key words to incorporate, are more likely to be considered.

We will share this information with the Community Sector representatives on the Australian Government Delegation for their discussions with the Australian Government.

Comments by 20 February please.

Access here: Zero Draft Agreed Conclusions – CSW57

Continuation of National Women’s Alliance Funding

AWAVA is delighted with Minister Collins’ announcement yesterday (12 February 2013) that the funding for the National Women’s Alliances will be continued for a further three years until 2016. The renewed funding follows key recommendations from the independent review of the Alliances commissioned by the Government in late 2012.

AWAVA looks forward to working with all our member organisations over the next three years and welcomes the continued support of all our Friends & Supporters.

Please see the Minister’s Media Release and AWAVA’s Media Release.

This site is being archived soon. Visit wesnet.org.au for more information.

About AWAVA Program Manager

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