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Weekly Round-up* 20 April 2016

After a short break due to staff leave, our round-up is back! Last week, the NSW government introduced its domestic violence disclosure scheme, allowing people at risk of violence to find out whether their partner has a history of violent crime offences. In addition, third parties such as friends, family members and social workers can also seek information on behalf of the person at risk. For a more thorough outline of how the scheme will work in practice, read this article.

Around the country

A recent audit of work done by Legal Aid found that domestic violence accounted for 79 per cent of legal aid family law matters.
Alison and Jillian Barrett from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have written about the legal options that victims of domestic violence have.
Annika Blau has written a thoughtful piece for Women’s Agenda on the problems of victim blamingfollowing last Monday night’s Q&A, where an audience member insinuated that victims of abuse must be held accountable. For commentary of the Q&A discussion on family and domestic violence, read Anne Summers’ article on Daily Life here.
Celeste Liddle has written about Indigenous women’s reproductive rights and why the government needs to make this a priority.
ABC Fact Check has analysed statistics and data on family and domestic violence in Australia, reaffirming that family and domestic violence is gendered and that women are disproportionately the victims of such violence.
Chair of Our Watch, Natasha Scott Despoja, has written about the need for responsible domestic violence reporting.
In Victoria, the government has allocated $572 million to implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
In NSW, a survey conducted by Yfoundations, the peak body for youth homelessness in NSW, has found that almost half of young people seeking assistance for homelessness have experienced domestic and family violence.
In South Australia, a parliamentary committee has made 35 recommendations to address family and domestic violence, including allowing video evidence taken by police and victims to be used in court.
Some of Australia’s top universities are struggling to respond to rape culture on campus, a Daily Life article has reported.

Around the world

Research, reports and resources

The Department of Social Services has recently developed two fact sheets regarding the role and responsibilities of interpreters in domestic violence situations. The fact sheets can be found at the bottom of the webpage linked here.
The first of two independent reviews of the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (Australian NAP) was released last week. The Australian NAP is the Australian’s Government’s mechanism for implementing the United Nations Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

Get involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more 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.
The Gendered Violence Research Centre at UNSW is organising a panel discussion called ‘UNSW Says Who?’ on 21 April 2016. Register here.
1800RESPECT is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here.
invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016.
The Australian Centre for Leadership For Women is seeking nominations for its 2016 Diversity Awards. Application close on 1 May 2016. Find out more here.
The Child Aware Approaches Conference will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Brisbane. Find out more here.
The 2016 Global Indigenous Women’s Conference will be held from September 12-14 2016 in Adelaide. Register here.
The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in Parkroyal Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.
Master of Psychology student at Bond University, Sharelle Kostogolou, is seeking responses to a survey on the unauthorised sharing of intimate images (or ‘revenge porn’). If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.
University of Sydney and Munster University researchers, Ruth Phillips and Stephanie Brauer, are researching current changes and ideas about feminism in the non-profit sector and are seeking survey participants. If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.

Submission to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee inquiry on Domestic Violence and Gender Inequality

AWAVA welcomes the opportunity to contribute a submission to the Senate inquiry into Domestic violence and gender inequality (Finance and Public Administration References Committee).

Violence against women is an extreme manifestation of gender inequality in society and a serious violation of human rights. It violates the rights to life, to equality, to liberty and security of person, to the highest standard attainable of physical and mental health, to just and favourable conditions of work and not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Violence against women is characterised by unequal gender dynamics, relations and control at an individual, community and institutional level. It is also exacerbated by, and intersects with other forms of marginalisation, discrimination and vulnerabilities and often has compounding impacts for, but not limited to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD), women with disability, gender diverse, trans* and intersex people, older women, younger women, children, women in regional, rural and remote areas, and women in prison.
The Australian Government has recognised the extent of domestic, family and sexual violence as a problem in Australia. It has also recognised the fact that this violence is most commonly perpetrated by males against females and is a cause and consequence of gender inequality. AWAVA supports efforts to end violence against women and gender inequality in Australia’ however, we believe there needs to be a holistic approach that recognises and challenges the entrenched, ongoing and socially systemic problem that it is. To achieve this, policy development processes must ensure inclusivity and visibility, particularly for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children, older and younger women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD), women with disability, women in regional, rural and remote areas, women in prison, and women in institutional settings.

Download our submission here

The role of specialist women’s services in Australia’s response to violence against women and their children

Australian governments, ministers and community leaders are voicing stronger commitments than ever before to ending violence against women and their children. But while more and more women are recognising themselves as victims/survivors of violence and seeking help, there is no guarantee that when they come forward they and their families will receive the knowledgeable, competent support they need, which is best provided by specialist women’s services.

One of AWAVA’s key priorities this year is promoting the role and importance of women’s specialist services in preventing and responding to violence against women and their children.

Download our policy brief here

Royal Commission into Family Violence and more* Weekly Round-Up 5 April 2016

We have great news from Victoria this week! The Victorian government has agreed to implement every single recommendation made in the report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which was released last Wednesday. The report, consisting of eight volumes, details 227 recommendations aimed at making systemic changes to family violence response and prevention mechanisms. Amongst many promising measures, the report recommends compulsory domestic violence training for staff such as police, doctors and educators, more coordinated responses to housing shortages for women escaping violence, and specialist domestic violence courts and magistrates. The report emphasises a “whole of community” and “whole of government” response, calling for collaboration between services and government, specifically through the establishment of 17 family violence Support and Safety hubs. Follow this link for a brief summary of the report. The full report can be found here.

Around the Country

The final report of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children is now available. COAG has given in-principle support to the six areas identified for further joint action, including national leadership to challenge gender inequality and transform community attitudes, and providing trauma-informed responses to violence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (WGAR) has compiled a list of sources on the implications of the Royal Commission recommendations for Aboriginal women and communities.
Jess Hill, recipient of the 2015 Our Watch Gold Award for reporting on violence against women has written about the role of the media in responsible domestic violence reporting.
Non-profit organisation Share the Dignity and tampon company Cottons have launched a new initiative which involves printing the contact details of domestic violence support line 1800RESPECT on the inside of tampon boxes.
The Australian Bankers’ Association has committed to undertake measures which ensure that customers living with family violence have improved access to finances in emergency situations.
In Victoria, hundreds of men are on waiting lists for men’s behaviour change programs since demand for services far exceeds availability.
In Queensland, the University of Queensland Union held a Pay Gap Bake Sale as part of ‘Feminist Week’ on Tuesday, April 5. The Bake Sale, which will charge customers the proportion of $1 that they are likely to earn comparative to men, has faced significant backlash for allegedly being discriminatory towards men. For commentary, read Angela Priestley’s piece in Women’s Agenda, highlighting why criticisms of the bake sale are unfounded.

Around the World

Apple software Siri now provides a link to the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US when responding to questions about sexual assault.
In Mexico, the government is urging broadcasters, websites and social media users to ban a music video by Gerardo Ortíz that promotes violence against women.
[This article contains content that may be distressing to some readers]
Read online media platform Open Democracy’s series on debates from this year’s Commission on the Status of Women

Get Involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more 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.
Next week (April 10 -16) is International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Click here to find out how you can get involved!
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
1800RESPECT is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The 2^nd Annual Men’s Behaviour Change Network NSW Conference will be held at the Rydges Sydney Central Hotel on 4 and 5 May 2016. Register here by 8 April!
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. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April. Find out more here!

The 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women comes to a close and more* Weekly Round-Up 29 March 2016

The 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women came to an end last Friday, with the adoption of the agreed conclusions. The conclusions were reached after long and extensive negotiations, resulting in some significant steps forward, as well as some less promising developments. Some achievements include the stand-alone paragraph on strengthening the position of Indigenous women, recognition of the impact of climate change on women and girls, and commitment to increasing the participation of National Human Rights Institutions at CSW. However, there is much to be done in relation to reproductive rights, violence against women and sexual and gender diversity. Failure to acknowledge the diversity of families was also a disappointment. For more thorough analysis, watch this wrap-up video by Hannah Gissane from Equality Rights Alliance and AWAVA Advisory Group member Bonney Corbin. Liz Ford from the Guardian has also written a piece on the negotiation process, echoing many of the concerns raised in the ERA/AWAVA video wrap-up. Follow us on facebook and twitter (@AWAVA_women) for more analysis and commentary on CSW!

Around the Country

Three-time AFL Premiership player Jimmy Bartel has spoken up about his family’s experience with domestic violence. He hopes to use his platform to generate awareness about family and domestic violence and raise money for the Luke Batty Foundation and Geelong-based group, Bethany.
[Content note: This article contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence]
Research from Victoria’s Crimes Statistics Agency has shown that rates of reported family violence in same sex couples have increased over the last five years. Unfortunately, there is a significant shortage of services addressing violence in same sex relationships.
Christine Craik from RMIT University has written about the crucial role that specialist women’s services play in preventing and responding to violence against women. [This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
The Australian mission to the UN Commission on the Status of Women co-hosted a side event to display the work of the Silent Tears project aimed at raising awareness about violence against women with disabilities. [This article contains graphic images that may be distressing to some readers]
In Victoria, the Royal Commission into Family Violence delivered its report to Government House on Tuesday morning.
Also in Victoria, the premier has announced a $10 million boost to domestic and family violence services, together with a new victims’ and survivors’ advisory council.
In the ACT, Minister for Women and Housing Yvette Berry has voiced concerns over potential defunding of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness and has called for better cooperation from the Turnbull Government on addressing housing and domestic violence services.

Around the World

The International Criminal Court has issued its first ever conviction for rape as a war crime, finding former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty on five charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In Pakistan, Women’s Action Forum and other women’s activists have urged the government to reject pressure from religious groups to amend the recent Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act 2015.
In Rwanda, Plan International has committed to addressing violence against women in refugee camps.
In Mexico, women’s activists are using performance and street theatre to protest violence against women.
Karen Stahl, Technical Assistant Coordinator of US-based National Sexual Violence Resource Centre has written about how well-designed self-defence programs can play a role in preventing sexual violence without shifting the blame and responsibility to prevent violence onto the victim.

Get Involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
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.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The 2^nd Annual Men’s Behaviour Change Network NSW Conference will be held at the Rydges Sydney Central Hotel on 4 and 5 May 2016. Register here by 8 April!
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. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April here!

Meet Jill Maxwell and Joc McConnell

We recently caught up with Jill Maxwell (left) and Joc McConnell (right) from Sexual Assault Support Service, Tasmania to hear more about the work they are doing this year.

SASS provides information and support to all people affected by sexual assault, and has been a long time member of the AWAVA Advisory Group. Keep reading to get to know Jill and Joc, and to learn more about the fantastic work they do!

How did you get involved with the sector?

Jill – “I’ve come full circle. I was a police officer for many years in a small country station. About 10 years ago, I left the police force to study psychology and social work, and then worked as family violence counsellor. I also became quite passionate about leadership around this time. So when the opportunity came up for the CEO role as SASS, I went for it! It matched my previous skills and my interest in leadership. Leaving the police force was a difficult decision for me. But I wanted to be intercepting people’s lives before a crisis. To do that, I needed to go to university and figure out where I wanted to be.”

Joc – “I have been working in the area of sexual assault for about eight years. Before that I was in child protection for about four years. I have always been quite passionate about working with children and adults – particularly those who have experienced gross injustice and trauma.”

What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your job?

Jill – “I am responsible for the overall functioning of our organisation and the service we provide. In more detail, I focus on our future direction and sustainability. As I said earlier, I am very passionate about leadership. I think of leadership in terms of understanding who we are as people. So the most rewarding part of the role for me is fostering leadership qualities in all people – our clients, our staff, and our stakeholders. Pointing out people’s achievement over time, helping them see that they are more capable than they imagine, is quite special. Interestingly, this is also the most challenging aspect of my job. It can be quite difficult to support people to believe that they can do things they didn’t believe were possible. But helping people push that little bit extra every day and look back on the journey that they have come on and think ‘wow, I didn’t think I would get here’ makes it all worth the effort in the end.”

Joc – “I am a Senior Practitioner so I provide support for staff and clients. As horrific as the act of sexual assault is, often it is the aftermath that creates the stress for a client- particularly with child victims. It is like a great boulder that has been thrown into a pond, causing a tsunami effect. And this tsunami effect is felt not only by the victim themselves, but also by the family and community. This can be a very challenging part of our work here at SASS. Dealing with the legal system can also be quite frustrating at times. It is not unusual for police to do an extensive investigation, and then find they do not have enough evidence to hand to DPP. Our clients can be quite varied. For example, one client called today very distressed saying that she thinks she might know a perpetrator and is finding it very difficult coming to terms with this and didn’t know what to do with this information. Sometimes it is hard to leave my work behind me at five o’clock and not take it home. But I do make sure I debrief with a colleague before heading out the door. SASS takes supervision and staff support very seriously – we have to in this line of work!

The most rewarding part of my job is that we do see the most amazing recovery journeys. And it is such a humbling experience. It is pretty amazing to see people move from that high end trauma response to processing their trauma and integrating their experience into some sort of ‘normality’. Sadly, the justice part of recovery from sexual assault doesn’t happen often enough Very few people actually get to court or see some sort of legal justice.

The other reward is that you do end up working with the most amazing team of like-minded people, who give so much of themselves to their jobs.”

Are you working on anything exciting at the moment?

Joc – “We are really excited about implementing our new ‘trauma-informed’ practice model. One of the biggest things that we see is that choice has been taken away from sexual assault victims. Through the implementation of trauma-informed principles, what we want to do is empower victims and their families to look at the different choices that are available to them. From a trauma informed perspective, we adopt the principles of 1) safety, 2) choice, 3) empowerment, 4) collaboration and 5) trust right across our organisation. These five principles are integral to recovery from sexual assault. While we do this in our day to day practice and interactions with clients, what we are now trying to do is incorporate these principles in our policies and procedures, as well as in interactions with other colleagues. With all our procedures, we ask ourselves – ‘Is this creating a sense of safety? Trust? Choice? Is it empowering? Collaborative?’ – not just for our clients but for others in our workplace. As we implement this model, we are hoping to achieve more collaborative relationships with other organisations and community groups establishing a trauma-informed network of support for our clients. We are sure that this will improve outcomes for our clients.”

Who/what is your inspiration?

Jill – “My mum! She is an amazing lady. Bringing up four children, while coming from a low socio-economic background has meant that she has had to struggle a lot in her life. Looking at her and how she treats people is truly inspiring – she is the most gracious and loving person I have ever met. If I can be half the person she is, I will have lived a good life.”

Joc – “My belief that the human psyche is able to recover from traumatic events. As well – my passion for human rights and social justice. I firmly believe in this and it is what keeps me inspired.”

Weekly Round-up* 22 March 2016

The sixtieth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) continues this week! Julie Oberin, Margaret Augerinos, Bonney Corbin and Maria Delaney, AWAVA’s delegates at CSW60, have been updating us all week. Follow us (@AWAVA_women) on twitter to keep up to date with the meeting. For more on CSW60, follow this link to The Gender Agency’s comprehensive blog!

Around the Country

AWAVA joined over 80 other family violence experts and community groups in delivering a letter to the Prime Minister, calling for major increases in the upcoming budget to address critical shortages in domestic and family violence funding. Read the letter here. There is still time for organisations to sign on.
A submission by the Australian Cross Disability Alliance to a Senate committee inquiry has pointed out that 90 per cent of women with an intellectual disability have been subjected to sexual abuse.
[This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
Jenna Price has written about the disturbing societal expectations of how women must behave in order to be believed in cases of sexual assault. [This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
Professor Miranda Stewart from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University has written a piece in The Conversation, advocating for a Women’s Budget Statement and gender analysis of tax and expenditure policy in the upcoming budget.
Also in NSW, schools across the state will this week begin teaching students about how to identify domestic violence and what to do if they witness it.
The Australian Government has provided $2.5 million to WESNET to distribute smartphones contributed by Telstra and to provide training under the Safe Technology for Women measure, which is part of the $100 million Women’s Safety Package announced last September.

Around the World

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
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.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register 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. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April here!

Weekly Round-up* 16 March 2016

Welcome to this week’s round up. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is being held in New York from 14 to 24 March. AWAVA Chair Julie Oberin and Advisory Group members Bonney Corbin, Margaret Augerinos and Maria Delaney Group are joining civil society and government representatives from around the world to discuss how to promote gender equality. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@AWAVA_women) for regular updates from CSW.

Around the country

More than 80 family violence experts and community groups (including AWAVA) have written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calling for substantial increases in funding in the upcoming budget to address critical shortages in domestic violence services.
The NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton has introduced a bill to Parliament to allow Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) to be automatically recognised and enforced across state and territory lines, as well as in New Zealand.
Domestic violence leave has been removed from workplace agreements across several Commonwealth public service agencies.
Game designer, Susannah Emery, is designing a game to equip users with the tools to support victims of domestic violence.
Matilda Dixon-Smith from Junkee has interviewed Arrernte feminist activist, Celeste Liddle, about Aboriginal feminism and political activism. The interview comes after Liddle’s Facebook account was banned for featuring an image of two Aboriginal women with painted chests and bare breasts performing cultural ceremony.
In NSW, the first of 12 Australian government funded specialist domestic violence units recently opened in Bankstown.
In WA, Tenancy WA has called for reforms to tenancy laws in order to better protect victims of domestic violence.
In NT, the Maningrida community participated in a rally against domestic violence earlier this week.

Around the world

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!
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.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register 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!

Correction: In our last round up we incorrectly referred to Telstra’s recent personal mobile safety initiative as an app. It is actually a web-based resource accessible here.

Happy International Women’s Day Weekly Round-Up 8 March 2016

Happy International Women’s Day to all our friends and supporters! To mark International Women’s Day, we would like to share Celeste Liddle’s insightful piece on the need to ensure that all women’s stories are heard, and that the unique struggles of Aboriginal women are brought to centre stage. As Liddle puts it – ‘A “herstory” in this country will never be complete without the voices of Aboriginal women.’

Around the Country

Human Rights Commission president, Professor Gillian Triggs, has said that Australia needs a national monitoring program to ensure that coronial recommendations related to domestic violence are implemented.
Professor Kerry Carrington has conducted research showing that mobile women-only police stations may be the best way forward in responding to violence against women.
The All About Women Festival took place in Sydney on Sunday, 6 March 2016. Gabrielle Jackson and Monica Tan have written about six key take-home messages from the festival.
Telstra has recently launched a new mobile app with practical information for users on how to improve their personal mobile safety.
In the ACT, over 50 Canberra cafés joined a campaign to raise awareness of violence against women this International Women’s Day. Participating cafes served takeaway coffee in special cups featuring messages about respectful relationships.
In Tasmania, Hobart-based designer and artist Sonia Heap is using an art fashion performance to raise money and increase awareness of the impact of family and domestic violence.

Around the World

Government representatives and civil society groups around the world are preparing for the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting in New York. Australia’s engagement with CSW is profiled here.
In Pakistan, a new documentary ‘Posheeda Qadam’ (Hidden Footsteps) addresses domestic and cyber violence against women in South Asia.
In India, a new internet platform aims to demystify feminism and amplify the voices of marginalised groups in order to generate a discussion about intersecting forms of oppression.
In PNG, victims of gender based violence are being sent back to abusive households due to a lack of support services, including legal and housing services.

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo have been announced as keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our new website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream which closes 28 April 2016.
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!
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.
1800 Resect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register 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!

Weekly Round-up* 1 March 2016

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.

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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!

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