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Labor MPs propose legilsation to criminalise ‘revenge porn’* Weekly Round-Up 21 September

Welcome to this week’s round up of news about preventing and responding to violence against women. Labor MPs Terri Butler and Tim Watts are proposing a private members’ bill to criminalise so-called “revenge porn,” or the distribution of explicit images without consent. We look forward to seeing developments in this area. As Clementine Ford wrote in a recent article, “The boundaries of cyberspace might be difficult to detect, but that doesn’t mean the people moving in that space are any less real…”

Around the Country

The Federal Government will provide panic alarms and security upgrades to women under a new three-tiered strategy to address domestic violence.
In NSW, a new women’s refuge has opened in Sydney’s west to provide short-term accommodation and crisis counselling to women.
In Queensland, Premier Palaszczuk has announced a number of initiatives to address domestic and family violence. Changes include a roll out of body-worn cameras for police, the trial of a “one-stop-shop” for support services and reform of police reporting procedures.
Also in Queensland, under the recent reforms Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath has introduced a bill to increase penalties for breaching domestic violence orders (DVOs).
Again in Queensland, deputy anti-discrimination commissioner Neroli Holmes has said that Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Act needs reform to better protect vulnerable groups, including domestic violence victims and older workers.
In Western Australia, the government has passed a new law under which burglaries involving sexual or physical assault will carry a mandatory sentence amounting to 75 per cent of the maximum sentence.
Miki Perkins has written about relationship between domestic violence and homelessness.

Around the World

In Pakistan, the country’s first Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) was launched on Tuesday last week. The VAWC will provide multiple services from one location to women experiencing violence.
In South Africa, the ANC Women’s League has called for action on gender-based violence, following the court appearance of Sindisiwe Manqele, the woman accused of killing former rapper Nonkululeko “Flabba” Habedi.
In Chile, the Health Commission has approved the latest version of an abortion bill allowing access to safe abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Get Involved!

Next Thursday 24 September Women’s Services Network (WESNET) is presenting the second of two free webinars on technology and safety for community legal service and domestic/family violence practitioners. Places limited. Register here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summers’ ground-breaking text of the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
British-Somalian activist Nimco Ali and Anne Summers will be discussing female genital mutilation in a public lecture in Melbourne on 28 September.
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 to 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help raise awareness about homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 to 6 November 2015. More information here!

Weekly Round-Up* 21 September 2015

Around the Country

The Federal Government will provide panic alarms and security upgrades to women under a new three-tiered strategy to address domestic violence.
In NSW, a new women’s refuge has opened in Sydney’s west to provide short-term accommodation and crisis counselling to women.
In Queensland, Premier Palaszczuk has announced a number of initiatives to address domestic and family violence. Changes include a roll out of body-worn cameras for police, the trial of a “one-stop-shop” for support services and reform of police reporting procedures.
Also in Queensland, under the recent reforms Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath has introduced a bill to increase penalties for breaching domestic violence orders (DVOs).
Again in Queensland, deputy anti-discrimination commissioner Neroli Holmes has said thatQueensland’s Anti-Discrimination Act needs reform to better protect vulnerable groups, including domestic violence victims and older workers.
In Western Australia, the government has passed a new law under which burglaries involving sexual or physical assault will carry a mandatory sentence amounting to 75 per cent of the maximum sentence.
Miki Perkins has written about relationship between domestic violence and homelessness.

Around the World

In Pakistan, the country’s first Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) was launched on Tuesday last week. The VAWC will provide multiple services from one location to women experiencing violence.
In South Africa, the ANC Women’s League has called for action on gender-based violence, following the court appearance of Sindisiwe Manqele, the woman accused of killing former rapper Nonkululeko “Flabba” Habedi.
In Chile, the Health Commission has approved the latest version of an abortion bill allowing access to safe abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Get Involved!

Next Thursday 24 September Women’s Services Network (WESNET) is presenting the second of two free webinars on technology and safety for community legal service and domestic/family violence practitioners. Places limited. Register here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summers’ ground-breaking text of the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
British-Somalian activist Nimco Ali and Anne Summers will be discussing female genital mutilation in a public lecture in Melbourne on 28 September.
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 to 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help raise awareness about homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 to 6 November 2015. More information here!

Weekly Round Up* 15 September 2015

Welcome to this week’s round up. This week, in Queensland and Sydney, three women and two children have been murdered, bringing the number of women who have been killed this year to sixty-two. In all of these cases, the alleged perpetrators were known to the victims. The numbers are grim, as are the stories of countless women who continue to face violence and terror within their homes. We join the rest of the country in mourning the deaths of all the women and children who have died at the hands of domestic and family violence. Over the past week, high profile women have been using social media to speak out against family and domestic violence. We encourage you to read what they have to say and share their important message!

Around the Country

The Federal Government is awarding targeted grants which will be used to develop education modules to address violence amongst LGBTI communities, Aboriginal high school girls, young ruby league players and preschool children.
Anti-domestic violence campaigner, Rosie Batty, has used Father’s Day to encourage men to be positive role models.
The Country Women’s Association has launched an awareness and fundraising campaign to support rural women who experience domestic violence.
Girl Guides have introduced a program aimed at teaching young people how to recognise and act against domestic violence.
Our Watch, a national organisation aimed at preventing violence against women and their children,announced the winners of its journalism awards last week.
In Queensland, the Premier has indicated that she is willing to deliver whatever resources domestic violence helpline, DV Connect, needs in the wake of recent attacks in the state.
In Tasmania, women’s advocacy group, Jodi Law Foundation, is hoping that the Attorney General’s inquiry into the criminal background of a convicted killer will reveal flaws in domestic violence legislation.
In SA, Labor and Liberal MPs have launched Parliamentarians United Against Domestic Violence to support frontline domestic violence organisations.
In Victoria, a video by young footballers addressing domestic violence has gone viral on the Internet.

Around the World

In California, United States, the government has passed new legislation which will require high schools to teach students about affirmative consent and sexual assault.
In Zambia, UNESCO will provide US$20000 to implement programs designed to sensitise youth leaders on the negative effects of gender-based violence.
In Canada, a recent report has shown that much needs to be done to address the status of women in the nation.
In the UK, a taskforce has been set up to address violence against women in universities.

Get Involved!

Women’s Legal Services Australia is conducting a survey on the impact of direct cross examination by perpetrators on victims/survivors of domestic violence. If you are a victim/survivor of domestic/family violence, and were involved in family law proceedings and would like to help please click here and answer the short survey. It should take about 5 – 10 minutes to complete. If the survey in any way makes you feel upset, concerned or has any other negative impact on you please contact the National Domestic and Family Violence hotline on 1800 737 732. (24 hours/ 7 days)
Women’s Services Network (WESNET) is presenting two free webinars under the Recharge project funded by ACCAN on technology and safety for community legal service and domestic/family violence practitioners. Places limited. Register here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summer’s seminal text by the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
British-Somalian activist, Nimco Ali, and Anne Summers will be discussing female genital mutilation in a public lecture in Melbourne on 28 September.
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 – 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help raise awareness about homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 – 6 November 2015. More information here!

Weekly Round Up* 8 September 2015

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA weekly round-up! Last week was Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick’s last week in the role. Elizabeth Broderick has made immense contributions to improving the lives of women and girls over her 8 years in this role and we pay our respect to her. In a recent speech at the National Press Club, she spoke about the need to view domestic violence as a human rights abuse, while highlighting that domestic violence cannot be addressed until we tackle larger societal attitudes about women. More on her speech can be found here.

Around the country

Legislation criminalising “revenge porn”, which involves the distribution of sexually explicit images without consent, has been proposed by the federal Opposition.
Rodney Vlais from No To Violence has talked about the need to work with men in preventing domestic violence.
Daisy, the domestic violence app developed by the Australian government, has been downloaded 100 times every week since its launch 6 months ago.
In Tasmania, Governor Kate Warner has warned about the shortcomings of law reform as a tool to combat violence against women, suggesting that changing community attitudes is critical in order to achieve change.
In Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology will offer Australia’s first graduate certificate in responding to domestic violence, starting February 2016.
Also in Queensland, the specialist domestic violence court which is to be trialled for the next six months has opened.
In Victoria, the Greens have made proposals to remove the right of religious schools to discriminate on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation from current anti-discrimination law.

Around the World

Get involved!

Women’s Services Network (WESNET) is presenting two free webinars under the Recharge project funded by ACCAN on technology and safety for community legal service and domestic/family violence practitioners. Places limited. Register here!
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is recruiting for the position of Senior Project Officer (Perpetrator Interventions). More information here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summer’s seminal text by the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 – 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help combat homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 – 6 November 2015. More information here!

Male Champions of Change Forum and more* Weekly Round-up 1 September 2015

Welcome to the latest weekly round-up from the responding to violence against women sector. The 2015 Male Champions of Change business forum was held in Sydney on Tuesday. We are pleased to see the commitment of leaders in the business community to tackling both gender equality and domestic violence, and are delighted that domestic violence is increasingly being recognised as a workplace issue in public discourse. Read retired Lieutenant General, David Morrison’s, insightful speech from the forum here. For more information about the initiative, have a look at their website here!

Around the country

At the recent Male Champions of Change event, former Lieutenant General, David Morrison, has compared domestic violence to war zone horrors.
Lecturer of Political Science at the University of Melbourne, Kaye Quek, has written about the need for education on gender-based violence prevention both in schools and in the broader community.
Jenna Price talks to women working to protect Aboriginal women from violence.
Daphne Haneman, writer and former domestic violence victim/survivor, has written about the need for the legal system to recognise trauma experienced by domestic violence victims.
The Country Women’s Association of Australia’s national conference was held in Port Macquarie this week.
In the ACT, midwives may be given greater responsibility to screen pregnant women for signs of domestic violence under a plan proposed by health professionals.
In NSW, Safe Haven Refuge for women has been given a $9750 CommBank grant under the Sisters of Charity Outreach program.
In Queensland, the Not Now Not Ever report, which was adopted by the government last week, has been praised for its prominent inclusion of LGBT communities.

Around the world

Get involved!

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is recruiting for the position of Senior Project Officer (Perpetrator Interventions). More information here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summer’s seminal text by the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 – 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help combat homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 – 6 November 2015. More information here!

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.

Victoria to introduce domestic violence leave and more** Weekly Round-Up 24 August 2015

Welcome to AWAVA’s weekly round-up! This week, we bring great news from Victoria, where the government has introduced family violence leave for public servants. We would like to congratulate the government for recognising domestic violence as a workplace issue and showing commitment to securing women’s economic independence! For further commentary on the implications of domestic violence leave, listen to Gender Violence Research Network’s Shabnam Hameed, as she discusses the importance of supportive workplace conditions for victims of domestic violence in this interview.

Around the Country

Support workers have called for reforms to the legal system for sexual assault cases.
The Legal Services Commissioner has expressed concerns about the use of technology in domestic violence cases, stating that almost 80 per cent of domestic violence cases involve the use of technology.
A number of recent reports, including a UN report, have shown that Australia has one of the highest rates of reported sexual assault in the world.
Melissa Jeltsen has compiled stories of six women and their experience of domestic violence.
[This piece includes descriptions of violence and sexual assault that may be distressing]
In Queensland, the government has adopted all 140 recommendations made in the Not Now, Not Everreport. For commentary on the prospects of this strategy, read Janet Ransley and Christine Bond’s analysis in The Conversation.
In Victoria, the government will introduce Respectful Relationship Programs in 30 Victorian schools as part of a pilot program starting next year.
Also in Victoria, a study undertaken by Victoria Care shows high rates of sexual assault involving children in the state’s residential care system.
In Tasmania, support groups have congratulated the government on its “nation-leading” family violence plan as they await details and break down of funding.
In the ACT, government workers including bus drivers, rangers and police, will be given domestic violence training as part of the second phase of the government’s Prevention of Violence Against Women Strategy.

Around the World

In Papua New Guinea, a free domestic violence hotline has been launched in response to high rates of violence against women and girls.
In Colombia, officials recently passed a law criminalising femicide – defined as the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender.
In Cambodia, government and activists are harnessing the potential of technology and social media to address and prevent violence against women.
In California, United States, a new law has been passed to afford greater protection to transgender individuals who are victims of hate crimes.

Research, Resources and Reports

The Senate’s domestic violence report was tabled on Thursday last week. Recommendations including domestic violence training for judges and domestic violence leave can be found here.

Get Involved!

YWCA Canberra is looking for a Communications and Advocacy Officer. Apply here!
The Damned Whores and God’s Police 40 Years On Conference on Anne Summer’s seminal text by the same name will be held at the University of Technology Sydney, from 21 – 23 September 2015. Register here!
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Festival of THE Rural Woman, a free online global event, is running from 12 – 15 October 2015. Register here!
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help combat homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in The Hague from 3 – 6 November 2015. More information here!

National Roundtable on violence against women in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and more* Weekly Round-Up 11 August 2015

National Roundtable on violence against women in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and more*

Welcome to the latest edition of AWAVA’s Round-Up of the Anti-Violence against Women Sector. This week, the government held a National Roundtable on violence against women in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Follow AWAVA_women on Twitter for updates from the Roundtable! You can also download a copy of the family safety pack that was launched at the Roundtable here. In addition, the government has announced that it will provide women who arrive in Australia on partner visas with information packs on domestic violence before they migrate. AWAVA is pleased to see that addressing the unique experiences of CALD women is high on the agenda!

Around the Country

The Federal Government has introduced a new means test to be applied by Community Legal Centres across Australia. It is argued that this will effectively deprive thousands of Australians of crisis legal support.
Kerry Carrington, Professor of Criminology at the Queensland University of Technology, has proposed a trial of women-only police stations in Australia.
The Royal Commission into Family Violence has heard from Dandenong police about the drop in reoffending since the zero tolerance approach to domestic violence was introduced 18 months ago.
In a submission to the Commission, Victoria Police have recommended that police officers should be able to grant and vary the terms of intervention orders at the scene of domestic violence incidents.
The Commission has also heard from the Supreme Court of Victoria about the lack of appropriate facilities in its heritage listed buildings, including outdated technology, which is undermining victims’ safety.
In NSW, two specialist District Court judges have been appointed for child sexual assault cases.
In Victoria, University of Melbourne Professors, Kelsey Hegarty and Cathy Humphreys, have established the Research Alliance to End Violence against Women and Children in order to encourage interdisciplinary research on the topic.
In Tasmania, Premier Will Hodgman has promised to allocate more resources to combatting domestic violence, following a meeting with Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.

Around the World

In Somalia, the Ministry of Women Affairs has announced that it is planning to introduce a new law that will ban female genital mutilation.
In Canada, members of the Canadian Football League will undergo mandatory training on preventing violence against women.
In New Zealand, Justice Minister Amy Adams has proposed the creation of standalone domestic violence laws.
In Indonesia, reforms to the system allowing discriminatory by-laws to be enforced may result in fewer by-laws, and increased protection for women and other minority groups.
In the UK, Cambridge University has revised its guidelines on reporting sexual assault and harassment following criticism that its previous disciplinary system was inadequate.

Research, Resources and Reports

The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee has released a report on improving women’s access to justice.
YWCA Canberra has launched ‘Relationship Things’, an online resource for young people that explores topics around respect, communication, gender equality, diversity, safe sex and consent.

Get Involved!

YWCA Canberra is hosting its ‘She Leads Workshop’ on 11 August 2015. These workshops are designed to equip women with skills to take on leadership positions on boards. Register here by COB 10 August 2015.
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is hosting two public lectures with internationally renowned scholar on legal responses to domestic violence, Professor Leigh Goodmark, on 10 and 14 August 2015. Register here!
Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, will discuss her role and the development of her 2015 Parliamentary report through a webinar at 1pm on 12 August 2015. Registerhere!
The Women’s World Summit Foundation’s new campaign – 17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women and their Communities – begins on 1 October 2015. More information here!
The 2015 National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference will be held on 7 October 2015 in Carrara, Queensland.
The Canberra Community Sleepout will be held on 16 October 2015. Find out here how you can get involved and help combat homelessness in Canberra!
The 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters will be held in the Hague from 3 – 6 November 2015. More information here!
Ask LOIS (Legal Online Information Service) is a free online service, providing legal information to community workers assisting women in NSW. Find out more about upcoming webinars on various legal issues on their website.

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the view of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only.
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National Roundtable on violence against women in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and more*

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!