AWAVA Secretariat, Author at AWAVA

Workshop: Money Makeover Workshop Geelong

“Do you ever get that feeling you need to do something around
planning for your future?
Enjoy an inspiring evening with like-minded
women whilst mapping out a plan for your life
and personal finances.

What’s included?

– Money makeover workshop

– Goalsetting

– Super & Investing

– MoneySmart Week HealthCheck

– eS4W Employment Negotiation Checklist

– Q&A panel session with local finance professionals

– A3 Life & Money Planner

– Refreshments

Who’s it for?
Ideal for women, 18-45 years although everyone’s welcome!

When:
6.45pm-8.45pm, Monday 1st Sept 2014

Where:
Captains room, Simonds Stadium Geelong

Value:
FREE! Your ticket has been funded by 10thousandgirl, eS4W and MoneySmart Week.

How to register:
Tickets available at: www.10thousandgirl.eventbrite.com”

For more information, visit: http://www.security4women.org.au/news/events

Weekly Round-Up * 25 August

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week we have highlighted a number of ways to get involved in the effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women. From attending conferences, trainings, and events, to filling out surveys, there are a huge variety of ways that you can support the movement to address gender-based violence. But the key idea that all of these opportunities share is that it is the responsibility of every individual to take action to make our communities safe for all women and girls.

Around the Country

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse may have to begin turning victims away from September this year if their deadline and funding are not extended
In Victoria, the No More Deaths campaign has been launched to encourage political parties to effectively address family violence
Labor Leader Bill Shorten has issued a statement to the media about an allegation of sexual assault made against him
Workers who are sexually harassed by customers are highly unlikely to report the incident to their managers
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of harassment]
A pilot program is being rolled out to identify ways that vets can identify animals being abused by their owners and to measure the connections between animal abuse and domestic violence
In Victoria, new laws will allow offenders who breach family violence intervention orders to be named publicly without a court order, as well as allow police to issue family violence safety notices during business hours
New figures have shown that children who experience domestic violence are significantly more likely to have issues with the law into adulthood
In NSW, a man has been arrested for a number of sexual assaults of girls in the late 1980s and early 1990s following new DNA analysis [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual violence against children, kidnapping]

Around the World

In Papua New Guinea, gender-based violence is making international headlines
Rebecca Watson speaks about perceptions of false accusations of rape in the skeptic community and the general principle that ‘extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’
In Canada, the Government is being urged to address violence against Aboriginal women and girls
In the United States, a risk assessment system is being trialled to identify those domestic violence perpetrators most likely to seriously injure or kill women
In the Amazon, social inequality, including high levels of violence against women, is making environmental conservation efforts ineffective
In the United States, new research is showing that financial education is a key service for survivors of domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, financial abuse]
In India, a pilot program is providing women with internet terminals to report assault and harassment to the police without having to attend a police station

Research, Resources and Reports

AWAVA’s sister alliance, economic Security 4 Women, has launched a new online tool, Know Your Value, to assist women when negotiating pay and employment conditions
In the United States, the National Network to End Domestic Violence has developed a toolkit to providedomestic violence and HIV/AIDS service providers with information and resources to enhance services for persons exposed to HIV/AIDS and domestic violence
The Australian Institute of Family Studies has released a new report: Groups and communities at risk of domestic and family violence
The International Women’s Media Foundation has released a new report: Violence and Harassment Against Women in the News Media: A Global Picture

Get Involved!

AWAVA’s sister alliance, the National Rural Women’s Coalition, is calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons for the role of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Director
Registration is now open for the DVNSW Conference 2014
Registration is now open for the Is Prison Obsolete? Conference hosted by Sisters Inside
The 8th National Homelessness Australia Conference will be held on the Gold Coast in three weeks.Register now to avoid late registration fees
JERA International will be hosting a delegation of Egyptian business women and community leaders who are in Australia to investigate and build broad economic engagement of women in the Egyptian economy. A Conversation Luncheon will be held with the group in Canberra on Wednesday 27 August. For more information about the event and to RSVP email Judith or Carole at JERA International
The Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children is calling for submissions from suitable organisations in Victoria to build the capacity of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities to prevent violence against women and their children. This primary prevention project is funded by the Victorian Government, through the Department of Human Services. An information session will be held on Monday 1 September
WESNET will be presenting a two day Technology Safety Training session in Canberra on 16-17 October
Advocacy for Inclusion will be hosting a workshop in Canberra entitled Women with disabilities and violence: Inclusion and Awareness Training on 2 October
The Hague Conference on Private International Law is currently exploring the development of a new international treaty on the cross-border recognition and enforcement on protection orders, addressing domestic violence and other violence against women. The permanent bureau of the Hague Conference is seeking input from NGOs and other experts who have knowledge in this area through a short online survey

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

Workshop: Addressing adverse human rights impacts

“The United Nations Association of Australia (Victoria Division) is holding its sixth Business and Human Rights Workshop for 2014, entitled Addressing adverse human rights impacts: Managing human rights related complaints, disputes and grievances, on Monday 25 August, 2014 in Melbourne.

Facilitated by Kate Macdonald, Lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at The University of Melbourne, this workshop looks into the remediation aspect of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, as explained the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. More specifically, it seeks to provide an overview of the different remediation mechanisms available to address adverse human rights impacts, including how to assess and ensure their effectiveness.

Bringing together experts and practitioners from across business, government and civil society, the workshops provide a unique learning forum on how to integrate human rights considerations into everyday business practices, including through partnership and collaboration.

Workshop details
Date: Monday 25 August, 2014
Time: 8:30 am Registration – 9am to 12:30 pm Workshop
Venue: Hosted by Corrs Westgarth Chambers, Level 36, Bourke Place, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Registration Fees:
Business/Government: $350 +GST
NGO/Academia/UNAA Members: $300 + GST
RSVP Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 21 August
Places are limited. Please register early to avoid disappointment.”

For more information, visit: http://www.unaavictoria.org.au/events/business-human-rights-workshop-addressing-adverse-human-rights-impacts

Weekly Round-Up * 18 August

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the articles we have highlighted focus on the need to change the broad attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of communities. The sexism and prejudices that lead to violence against women can be found in the way that institutions, organisations and individuals interact at all levels of society. It is the responsibility of all people and organisations to examine their own actions and beliefs and make changes to prevent and eliminate violence against women.

Around the Country

The Federal Court has upheld a decision that awarded almost $500,000 of damages to Jemma Ewin after she experienced sexual harassment at work
[TRIGGER WARNING: Description of sexual violence, harassment, assault, drugging]. This follows a decision last month in which the Court dramatically increased the level of damages awarded for sexual harassment in response to changing community standards
Police are urging the public to take action and notify them if they hear evidence of domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse]
Women who do not have Australian citizenship or permanent residency often find themselves without options when experiencing domestic violence
In NSW, new research will investigate the abuse of family pets along with broader incidents of domestic violence, in the hopes of engaging vets to identify cases of violence and abuse
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is calling for paid domestic violence leave to be extended to all workers
In Victoria, a new centre has been opened to provide integrated support to people, both adults and children, who have experienced sexual abuse
“Successful, career-driven women are just as likely to be victims of domestic violence”
Participants in the Australian CEO challenge are highlighting the presence of domestic violence inworkplaces around the country
In Victoria, Father Bob Maguire and Senior Magistrate Bob Kumar are supporting a new program tohelp young people prevent violence against women

Around the World

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused on rape culture and violence against women in his biggest speech of the year
In Turkey, more than 5,000 women currently living in refuges or under police protection as victims of domestic violence were not permitted to vote in the recent presidential election
In France, new legislation has been passed that lifts restrictions on abortion before 12 weeks of pregnancy
Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, has spoken about the horrifying and disproportionate impact conflict in the Middle East is having on women [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, military violence, sexual violence, violence against children]
In California in the United States, legislators are contemplating a bill that would require people to obtain affirmative consent for sexual activity
Clementine Ford writes about the online reactions to the assault suffered by Christy Mack [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse, sexual assault, images of injuries]
In Korea, a forum is being held on wartime sexual violence against women, with a focus on the experiences of Korean and Chinese women during World War II
In Tunisia, a new law is being drafted to consolidate actions to prevent violence against women
In Iraq, researchers and advocates are calling for more attention to be paid to growing rates of sexual violence against women

Research, Resources and Reports

The Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights has developed a new resource focussed on media representations of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) entitled Respectful Dialogue: A guide for responsible reporting on Female Genital Cutting
A full version of the submission made by ANROWS (Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety) to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee’s inquiry into domestic violence in Australia is now available online

Get Involved!

Early bird registration rates for the Violence Prevention: It’s Everybody’s Business conference in Bendigo close 22 August
Registration is still open for the Association of Women Educators Conference, Reclaiming Feminism: EnGendering Change on 3-4 October 2014
JERA International is holding a Beijing +20 Caravan in Melbourne on 5 September to start a conversation about the Beijing +20 review, as well as to give organisations an opportunity to engage with the caravan concept which they can use to inform their own caravans. You can register for the event here

Weekly Round-Up * 11 August

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. Many of the links we have shared this week highlight the interconnectedness and intersectionality of violence against women. The conversations and actions taking place around the world are crucial if we are to prevent and eliminate violence against women. From violence against women with disabilities; to violence against women in culturally diverse communities; to relationships to violence in the trans* community; as well as many other intersecting identities and communities, gender-based violence is a key topic of discussion.

Around the Country

Former Governor-General Quentin Bryce has been appointed chair of a new taskforce addressing domestic violence in Queensland
In the ACT, a new scheme has been introduced to assist women with disabilities who experience sexual assault and domestic violence
The Conversation has launched a series of articles with a particular focus on domestic violence, including: sexist media workplaces and poor reporting on violence against women; an analysis of the question ‘why doesn’t she just leave?’; and many others
Current regulations around spousal visas are contributing to the exploitation and abuse of women
In Bunbury, domestic violence victims are being provided with mobile phones to help with their recovery
Intimate partner violence and homicide is an ‘everyday event’ in Australia
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, gun violence]
The Fitzroy High School Feminist Collective continue to draw praise after their successful Kickstarter campaign which raised over 4 times their $3,000 goal
Debra Byrne has used social media to appeal for witnesses of her being sexually assaulted during her time on Young Talent Time [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual violence, child abuse]
Professor Rachel Jewkes has spoken about the necessity of research into why men perpetrate violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, attempted justification of violence]

Around the World

Evidence is growing of links between intimate partner violence and HIV infection rates, as well as of the fact that reducing intimate partner violence is also necessary for comprehensive HIV prevention
Malta is set to ratify the Istanbul Convention on Violence Against Women in November
In the United States, a man who attempted to come to the aid of a group of women being harassed on the street was attacked and severely injured by the harassers
In Tanzania, journalists have been condemned for using images of victims and survivors of gender based violence in ways that do not respect the subject’s human rights or dignity
In Peru, the Government is taking steps to criminalise street harassment
In the UK, a move away from funding refuges has led to concern that women may be forced to return to violent partners [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual violence, abuse]
In India, a fashion photographer has drawn condemnation with his photography series ‘The Wrong Turn’ which is said to glorify violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of violence, descriptions of violence, sexual violence]
In the United States, new legislation is being considered to reduce availability of guns to people who have been convicted of domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Gun violence]

Research, Resources and Reports

Over 100 submissions that were received by the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia are now available online

Get Involved!

JERA International is currently undertaking the Coordinated Australian NGO 20 year review of the Beijing Platform for Action. Information will be gathered from civil society groups and individuals throughout July through until September, 2014. The review of the BPFA takes place each 5 years and in 2015 we will be celebrating the 4^th complete review of the BPFA and the 20^th year of the existence of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The online survey can be found at http://esurv.org/?u=Beijing20
The Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children is currently recruiting three Project Implementation Leaders as part of their Respectful Relationships Education in Secondary Schools project. Applications close at 4pm on 22nd August 2014

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

Lecture: What Works? Strategies for preventing sexual violence

“The Graeme Schofield Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Oration 2014

Topic:
“What Works? Strategies for preventing sexual violence”

Speaker:
Professor Rachel Jewkes
Director of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, South Africa

Internationally recognised expert on sexual violence Professor Rachel Jewkes will discuss effective measures for the prevention of sexual violence at the Graeme Schofield Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Oration, 2014.

Professor Jewkes is a public health physician and the Director of the Gender and Health Research Unit at the South African Research Council in Pretoria, South Africa. She is also the Secretary of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative and the Director of the global program called What works to prevent violence?

Globally a third of women and girls have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. In some regions this prevalence is even higher.”

For more information, visit: http://www.eventbee.com/v/schofieldoration2014?ct=t%282014_Oration_VIFM_News_5_5_2014%29

Weekly Round-Up * 4 August

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we welcomed the opportunity to provide our advice and comment to the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia. A copy of AWAVA’s submission can be found here: http://awava.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AWAVA-Submission-to-the-Senate-Inquiry-into-Domestic-Violence-in-Australia.pdf

Many of the links we are highlighting this week represent beginnings: the building of new facilities, the commencement of pilot programs, the directions of courts and the entering into force of new laws, among many others. Much like the recommendations we provided in our submission to the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence, these endeavours will only be successful in preventing and eliminating violence against women if we continue to build on them and commit ourselves to moving forward together.

Around the Country

In many abusive relationships, “money is used as a weapon or means of control”
[TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence, financial abuse]
The Victorian Police Association has suggested GPS tracking be used on repeat domestic violence offenders
In the Grampians region, work continues to address the everyday discrimination and sexism that leads to violence against women
People continue to express extreme concern at the availability and prevalence of ‘stalker apps’
The Women in Prisons Advocacy Network (WIPAN) has received last-minute funding to prevent their mentoring program for women leaving prison from having to close down
A new trial program being run by Victoria Police and the Safe Futures Foundation has begun to issue ‘safety cards’, which include duress alarms, to family violence victims
In Bendigo, construction of a new multidisciplinary centre (MDC) for victims of sexual assault and child abuse has begun

Around the World

The Istanbul Convention on Violence Against Women has now entered into force for the first eleven signatory countries
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled against the Government of Guatemala, finding thatit has not done enough to address massive rates of violence against women in the country [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual abuse, torture]
In Turkey, after Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told women not to laugh in public in order to preserve their ‘decency’, many Turkish women have begun tweeting images of themselves laughing in defiance
In Egypt, civilian groups aimed at preventing sexual harassment in public are growing more organised
In Taiwan, voters are being urged to pressure local governments to commit more resources to addressing violence against women
In Kathmandu, a sit-in by women’s rights activists has entered its ninth week as the protesters demand action to eliminate gender-based violence
“The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has urged Swaziland toenact into law, without further delay, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence bill”
In the United States, a rapidly increasing number of sexual assault reports in the military is being hailed as a positive sign
In Liberia, UN Women has praised the work of the Government to begin to address high rates of violence against women and girls
In Uganda, the amount of money allocated by the Government to address domestic violence is only a fraction of the huge cost to the economy it creates

Research, Resources and Reports

Abstract submissions are now open for the Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN)’s inaugural Asia-Pacific conference on Gendered Violence and Violations

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

AWAVA Submission: Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia

In AWAVA’s Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia, we outline policy recommendations relating to domestic and family violence and sexual violence for consideration by the Finance and Public Administration References Committee. We welcome the opportunity to provide our advice and comment on the points of inquiry.

Over recent years, the Commonwealth Government has demonstrated leadership and commitment towards preventing violence against women, improving both community understanding and awareness of domestic violence, and ensuring that legislation and services are put in place to protect and support women who have experienced violence. AWAVA has welcomed this leadership and is firmly committed to working in partnership with Government and stakeholders across all sectors to address and ultimately prevent intimate partner violence.

AWAVA expresses our concern regarding the short timeframe allocated for this National Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia. We are concerned not only by the short timeframe for submissions to the Inquiry but also by the allocation of only 4 months to investigate an issue that impacts 17 per cent of women across the country. We also note that there have been numerous inquiries into domestic and family violence and that now is a time for action.

We hope that the implementation of these recommendations will be pursued by Government in partnership with the specialist women’s services responding to and preventing violence against women sector, as we work together to support and empower all Australian women to live lives free of violence and abuse. It is also important that the recommendations made in earlier inquiries are also implemented.

Download our submission here

To read more information about the Inquiry, click here.

Workshop: women reclaiming their lives

“Helen Wirtz and Jennifer George from Monashlink Community Health Service share their narrative therapy approach to groupwork which draws on the experiences, abilities and knowledge of clients. This approach aims to help a woman reclaim her identity, which can be lost or ‘submerged’ as a result of living with a violent and controlling partner.

When:
Tuesday, 29 July 2014 – 10:00am to 1:00pm

Where:
Melbourne (CBD) – TBN. Information regarding venue and any pre-reading will be forwarded with confirmation email.

Cost:
$50 SHS funded workers
$100 non SHS funded workers

Provider:
DVRCV (Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria)”

For more information, visit: http://www.dvrcv.org.au/course/non-accredited/group-work-women-reclaiming-their-lives

Public Forum: Men’s Violence Against Women: Can we end it?

“The White Ribbon Australia South Australia Committee and the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders University are hosting a public forum to enhance efforts in SA to prevent family and domestic violence. A panel discussion will be followed by a Q and A:

25th July, 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Flinders University City Campus
Room 2.1 Level 2, 182 Victoria Square, Adelaide, SA 5000”

For more information, visit: http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/events/adelaide-white-ribbon-night-events

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

About AWAVA Secretariat