AWAVA Secretariat, Author at AWAVA

Equality Rights Alliance is hiring! Weekly Round-Up 23 February 2016

Welcome to AWAVA’s latest weekly round-up of news! Our sister alliance, Equality Rights Alliance (ERA), is looking for a motivated, innovative and independent person to join the ERA team as a part-time Administration Officer. ERA is a national non-government network advocating for women’s equality. If you are interested in working with a team of dedicated individuals, and are passionate about advancing the cause of gender equality, apply by following this link! Applications close 4 March.

Around the Country

In the ACT, domestic and family violence account for almost two-thirds of murders in the territory.
In NSW, a parliamentary inquiry has heard that almost 50 000 seniors have experienced violence, abuse and neglect, often perpetrated by a trusted family member.
In Queensland, the State Government has promised $3.7 million in funding to the Central Queensland University based Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research.
Zoe Krupka, PhD candidate at La Trobe University, has written an opinion piece on how the discipline of psychology frames victims of domestic and family violence.
Asher Flynn, Anastasia Powell and Nicola Henry have written about the legal and non-legal measures required to stop the distribution of sexual images as a tactic of abuse. The Senate inquiry into the unauthorised sharing of intimate images is due to report next week.
Our Watch is partnering with universities to provide opportunities for information sharing about consent and respectful relationships following a study conducted by the organisation that revealed troubling statistics about the attitudes of young people towards consent. Read more about the research here.

Around the World

Pakistani documentary ‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’ by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has been nominated in the Best Documentary (Short) category of the 88^th Academy Awards. The documentary addresses the issue of ‘honour killings’ in Pakistan.
In Belize, the United Nations Population Fund donated laptops and computers to the Ministry of Human Development and the Ministry of Health to assist with the prevention of violence against women.
In Uganda, women’s rights groups are setting up control centres to monitor this month’s national elections and intervene when necessary to prevent violence against women, which often increases during elections.

Get Involved!

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!
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* 16 February 2016

Welcome to the latest AWAVA Weekly-Round Up. We are delighted to announce that the two keynote speakers at the AWAVA/Our Watch international conference in September 2016 will be Marai Larasi and Rashida Manjoo. Marai Larasi is Executive Director of Imkaan, a UK-based organisation dedicated to addressing violence against Black women and girls. Rashida Majoo was United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women from 2009 to 2015, and is now a Professor in the Department of Public Law at the University of Cape Town. We can’t wait to listen to them both speak about their work and share their stories with us in September. Find out more on our brand new conference website! More great speakers to come. Follow us to stay updated!

Around the Country

AWAVA’s Program Manager, Merrindahl Andrew, gave evidence on the Family Law Amendment (Financial Agreements and Other Measures) Bill 2015 before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on Friday12 February. Watch from 10:34 on the video for AWAVA’s appearance, and you can also hear Women’s Legal Service Queensland’s evidence immediately before AWAVA’s.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has recently appointed lawyer Kate Jenkins as Australia’s new Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Ms Jenkins has been the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner since 2013 and has two decades of legal experience.
The Equality Rights Alliance Young Women’s Advisory Group has released findings from the ‘Let’s Talk: Young Women’s Views on Sex Education’ survey. Read the full report here.
The National Union of Students Women’s Department has released a report showing that nearly three quarters of women-identifying and non-binary students had been sexually harassed or suffered unwanted sexual behaviour while enrolled at their current campus.
Anastasia Powell has written about the role of technology in both perpetrating and preventing abuse.As she argues in the article, ‘technology is not doing more harm than good; those people who choose to harass, threaten, stalk and abuse are doing the harm’.
Domestic Violence NSW has released a series of Valentine’s Day Cards to raise awareness about violence against women. All proceeds from the sale of the cards will be used to support the organisation’s programs and services.
In NSW, the Sydney-based Lebanese Muslim Association has launched the ‘Together We Are Strong’ initiative to address family and domestic violence.

Around the World

In Ghana, the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection and the United Nations Population Fund have established response centres in three market areas to address gender based violence.
In the UK, troubling new figures have shown that almost a third of women who have been sexually abused are below the age of 16.
In Turkey, the police force has established specialised domestic violence bureaus around the country.

Get Involved!

Equality Rights Alliance (ERA) is looking for a motivated, innovative and independent person to join the ERA team as a part-time Administration Officer. ERA is a national non-government network advocating for women’s equality. Applications close 4 March. Find out more here!
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!
Women’s Legal Centre NSW is hosting a free webinar on domestic violence and immigration. The webinar will be held on 25 February at 11 am. Register 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!
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!

Official Committee Hansard Family Law Amendment (Financial Agreements and Other Measures) Bill 2015

We presented our position paper to the Senate committee on the 12^th of February 2016 with specific recommendations to the Family Law Amendment (Financial Agreements and Other Measures) Bill 2015. We stress the need to make the system safe and trustworthy for survivors of violence. We believe that by incorporating a deep understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence in all steps in the process in court proceedings we will be assured of the safety of women and children.

To read more about our position on Binding Financial Agreements, Summary Dismissal, and Suspension of Parenting Orders please read full text here

Pre-Budget Submission 10 February 2016

AWAVA made a submission on the development of the 2016-17 Budget.

While The Australian Government’s policies have supported valuable work on the prevention of violence against women and have promoted a better understanding of the attitudes that enable violence and undermine safety, the services that deal directly with women living in situations of violence continue to struggle to meet rising demand. Funding for these services is the most critical gap in the Government’s otherwise positive approach to preventing and responding to violence against women.

Download our full submission here

Weekly Round-Up* 8 February 2016

Welcome to the latest AWAVA Round-Up! Do you have a view on domestic violence and gender equality? The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration is calling for submissions from individuals and community organisations on this issue. The closing date for submissions is 21 March 2016. More information here.

Around the country

The National Union of Students Women’s Department has released a report showing that nearly three quarters of women-identifying and non-binary students had been sexually harassed or suffered unwanted sexual behaviour while enrolled at their current campus.
A study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that victims/survivors of domestic violence make up 36 per cent of those accessing homelessness services.
A recent Al Jazeera documentary about a family from Western Australia has brought international attention to the widespread problem of domestic and family violence in Australia.
Researchers have collected data from the last decade which disproves a claim made in the most recent episode of Q&A that domestic violence rates in Australia are declining.
A recent report has found that Australia is unlikely to achieve gender equality in the workforce before 2050.
In Queensland, domestic violence protection orders were breached more than 19 400 times last year.
Women’s Legal Services NSW has made a submission to NSW Fair Trading in response to the statutory review of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), arguing that in cases of violence it should be easier for a victim/survivor to terminate the lease without penalties. Read the submission here.

Around the world!

Research, reports and resources

A report on young Australians’ attitudes to violence against women by Vic Health, The Social Research Centre and the University of Melbourne is available here.

Get involved!

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!
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!
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream which opened on 1 February 2016 and closes 28 April 2016.
The Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against Women and their Children (MAEVe) is hosting a public event on 10 February in Melbourne to discuss the intersection of technology and violence against women.
For Purpose Australia is running a three day professional development workshop for people working in the not-for-profit sector. The workshop will be held in Canberra from 17-19 February, with the option of enrolling in individual seminars on each of the days.
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!
The 21^st Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Conference 2016 will be held from 26-28 October 2016. More information here!

Submission on Family Law Amendment (Financial Agreements and Other Measures) Bill 2015

AWAVA welcomes the opportunity to contribute a submission to the Senate inquiry into the Family Law Amendment (Financial Agreements and Other Measures) Bill 2015.

We support the intention of the Bill to strengthen the Family Law Act, and particularly the intention of enabling the courts to offer better protection to victims of family violence.

We agree that there is merit in enabling family courts to dismiss an application where there is no reasonable prospect of success, but we share Women’s Legal Service Queensland’s concern about possible negative unforeseen consequences for victims of domestic and family violence.

More generally, in light of the serious concerns raised by Women’s Legal Service Queensland in its submission, we have reservations about whether many of the proposed amendments will achieve the purpose of offering better protection to victims of family violence. Much more extensive change is needed in order to make the safety of women and children central to the operation of the family law system.

Download our submission here

Weekly Round-up* 25 January 2016

Welcome to our latest round up of news from the preventing and responding to violence against women sector. AWAVA is excited to announce that we have started a blog to create a platform to share the fantastic work that women around the country are doing to address gender-based violence. Over the course of the year, we will post interviews with members of our Advisory Group, as well as information on projects that women around Australia are passionate about. Find out more here!

Around the country

A recent report by Australia’s National Research Organisation on Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has found that there is an urgent need to involve Indigenous communities in family violence responses and programs. The report has also shown that rebuilding family and kinship ties is central to addressing family violence.
So-called ‘pick up artist’, Jeff Allen, was forced to cancel seminars and left Australia after a comprehensive campaign criticising him for promoting misogynistic and abusive attitudes and calling for his deportation. After Allen left, the Department of Immigration cancelled his visa.
In South Australia, the first female magistrate of the City of Mount Gambier, Teresa Anderson, has introduced court-ordered domestic violence counselling for abusive men.
In Queensland, Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service and Cape York’s Goobidi-Bamanga Community Advancement Cooperative Society will receive $80 000 and $45 000 respectively as part of one-off state-wide funding.
In Victoria, the City of Greater Bendigo has signed up for a plan to address high rates of family and domestic violence in the region.
In the ACT, demand from domestic and family violence crisis assistance increased by more than 34 percent in the holiday period, with almost 5000 calls in the lead up to Christmas.

Around the world

In Peru, a woman who was denied an abortion in 2001, has finally been compensated in a historic UN Human Rights case.
In Zimbabwe, a landmark ruling has banned child marriage in the country after two former child brides took the government to court.
In Ireland, the government’s new strategy to address gender-based violence includes the introduction of a specific ‘forced marriage’ offence.
Fiona Hodgson from the Gender Action for Peace and Security has written about the importance of increasing the number of women in peace talks.

Get involved!

The Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against Women and their Children (MAEVe) is hosting a public event on 10 February in Melbourne to discuss the intersection of technology and violence against women.
For Purpose Australia is running a three day professional development workshop for people working in the not-for-profit sector. The workshop will be held in Canberra from 17-19 February, with the option of enrolling in individual seminars on each of the days.
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra.Register here!
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 21^st Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Conference 2016 will be held from 26-28 October 2016. More information here!

Submission to the Senate inquiry into “the phenomenon colloquially referred to as ‘revenge porn’”

AWAVA welcomes the opportunity to contribute a submission to the Senate inquiry into ‘the phenomenon colloquially referred to as “revenge porn”, which involves sharing private sexual images and recordings of a person without their consent, with the intention to cause that person harm’.

We support moves to criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate images in Commonwealth law. The best protection in the Australian context will be achieved by a specific-purpose Commonwealth law mirrored by consistent and uniform State and Territory laws. Penalties for the offence should be substantial, reflecting the harm caused and the need to deter potential offenders. The definition of the offence should recognise that there are cultural and other differences in understandings of what is intimate or sexual. It should also focus on the potential harm caused to the victim, rather than the intention of the offender, with culpability framed in terms of recklessness with regard to the likely impacts on the victim, rather than depending on intention per se, which can be difficult to establish.

Download our submission here

Jess Aulich

As part of this initiative, we are delighted to share the work that Jess Aulich from Canberra is doing to contribute to the campaign against domestic violence. Jess recently won the ACT Government Audrey Fagan Churchill Fellowship and will visit the Vienna Intervention Centre in Austria, New York City’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence and California’s Partnership to End Domestic Violence to conduct research into domestic violence responses. Jess has been involved in the ACT community sector for a number of years, and currently works at Inanna Inc in Canberra. Congratulations, Jess! We look forward to learning more about your fascinating research! Read what Jess has to say about her plans below!

“For too long, domestic violence has been a hidden issue in Australia, but currently this is beginning to change. Public initiatives such as White Ribbon Day are raising awareness. A Royal Commission into family violence is underway Australian of the year was awarded to a pioneering survivor, and advocates who have worked tirelessly for years are now being invited to contribute to National and State Action plans. This demonstrates a readiness in our community to recognise the importance of the problem. This project examines domestic violence from a variety of perspectives and offers our community an opportunity to draw lessons and improve the outcomes for victims. My fellowship will focus on three models of intervention. The Californian model is centred on police powers, far-reaching laws with specific pre-determined responses. I will investigate the effectiveness of harsh laws with police having primary responsibility for intervention. In Austria, the Protection Against Violence Act covers legal, social and victim support strategies in a unique, holistic, integrated model. And New York City Mayor’s office has introduced a pilot program offering housing to victims. I will research the steps taken to implement a new strategy and evaluation methods. Knowledge gained will be used to advocate for change by informing politicians and lawmakers, connecting with professional networks to strengthen the collective voice, developing training programs for NGOs, and guest speaking. The project has support from both state and federal politicians.”

~ Jess Aulich

Weekly Round-up* 12 January 2016

Women’s services continue to highlight the prevalence of technology-facilitated violence and abuse. Last week AWAVA made a submission to a Senate Inquiry in which we recommended that the unauthorised sharing of intimate images be made a criminal offence under federal law. As we noted in the submission, ‘the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, or the threat to share such images, is increasingly used as a tactic of control in abusive relationships and in the perpetration of sexual assault.’ We hope for a constructive response from policy-makers after the committee reports on 25 February.

Around the Country

In Tasmania, the Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) has recorded an increase in the number of sexual assault incidents involving social media.
Women’s Legal Service Queensland has launched a new helpline to respond to high demand for domestic and family violence legal services.
Last week, people from around the country joined women’s services and activists in thanking Australian of the Year Rosie Batty for her invaluable work in advocating for women and children facing violence.
Clementine Ford has written an insightful piece about sexual violence and discourses of victim blaming that unfortunately continue to dominate our culture. This article contains content that may be distressing to some readers.
Read Dr Melissa McPherson’s commentary in New Matilda on how patriarchal attitudes, and not mental health, are the cause of family violence. This article contains content that may be distressing to some readers.

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

The latest e-newsletter of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Childrenhas been released.
Australia’s National Research Organisation on Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has recently released a state of knowledge paper titled ‘Domestic and family violence and parenting: Mixed methods insights into impact and support needs.’

Get Involved!

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!
‘Violence against women: ANROWS research to policy and practice’ is the inaugural national research conference on violence against women and children, running from 23 to 25 February in Melbourne. Find out more here!
For Purpose Australia is running a three day professional development workshop for people working in the not-for-profit sector. The workshop will be held in Canberra from 17 to 19 February, with the option of enrolling in individual seminars on each of the days.
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra.Register here!
The 21^st Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Conference 2016 will be held from 26 to 28 October 2016. More information here!

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

About AWAVA Secretariat

Around the country

Around the world

Get involved!

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!