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WEBINAR: Vicarious Trauma: Looking After Yourself At Work

“You are invited to register for the upcoming 1800RESPECT webinar.

Date: Thursday 24th July 2014
Location: Online, at your computer!
Presenter: Anne-Laure Couineau, Senior Clinical Specialist, Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health
What time in your time zone?
NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, QLD: 1:00pm – 1:45pm
NT, SA: 12:30pm – 1:15pm
WA: 11:00am – 11:45am

This webinar will provide you with practical strategies to both prevent vicarious trauma and manage the day-to-day impact of working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. The webinar is aimed at workers and managers: it will present individual and organisational approaches to the care of front-line practitioners. The presentation will cover:

Vicarious trauma- what is it? Long and short term impact of working with trauma
Main risk and protective factors
Promoting resilience – strategies for individual workers and managers
Practical tools to help manage the emotional impact of working with survivors of violence
When to get help – signs you or colleagues are not coping
Getting help that works”

For more information, visit: http://www2.redbackconferencing.com.au/webmail/18592/287797224/380a86b5ef0ab1c9e9948616fd807f84

Weekly Round-Up * 21 July

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. In the last week, AWAVA had the privilege of attending the Canberra launch of the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

Group of women standing in front of Second Action Plan 2013-2016 Poster. From left to right: Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja and daughter; AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash; AWAVA Program Manager, Sophie Hardefeldt; Canberra Domestic Violence Crisis Service Executive Director, Mirjana Wilson; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre CEO and AWAVA Advisory Group member, Chrystina Stanford

From left to right: Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja and daughter; AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash; AWAVA Program Manager, Sophie Hardefeldt; Canberra Domestic Violence Crisis Service Executive Director, Mirjana Wilson; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre CEO and AWAVA Advisory Group member, Chrystina Stanford

In keeping with the incredibly positive atmosphere of the event, the links highlighted below include actions being undertaken by people around Australia and all over the globe to prevent and eliminate violence against women. We encourage you to take a moment and read about these passionate advocates and activists working to make a difference.

Around the Country

Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja has hosted a meeting in Tonga bringing together women leaders from more than 30 Pacific nations, including Australia, to discuss topics including ending violence against women and girls
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has proposed specialist sexual assault courts to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Ruby Hamad writes about what needs to happen for us, as a society, to “take rape seriously”

[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, harassment]

The NSW Police are working with the Australian Hotels Association NSW to display drink coasters and posters about domestic violence in hotels and pubs throughout New South Wales

The parents of Rachelle Yeo have praised the actions of neighbours who came to the aid of their daughter when she was attacked and killed by her ex-partner two years ago [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]

Preparations continue for the 8^th National Homelessness Conference, Complexities & Countermeasures, being held 10 – 12 September 2014

Awareness is growing about the ways that Family Court rulings can negatively impact victims of domestic violence

There is still uncertainty about the loss of specialist violence against women services in NSW after the state government tender process

The Outback Rugby League has pledged to continue with a successful domestic violence prevention scheme, despite funding support from the Government coming to an end this year

“But this murder [of Allison Baden-Clay] was not about sensationalist media stories. Rather, it was about a mother lost to her daughters and other family members”

Around the World

Malala Yousafzai has vowed to help the Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria
In the United States, Patti Hammond Shaw has worked to ensure that transgender people, particularly transgender women, are treated with dignity and respect by police [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of assault, sexual assault, slurs]
In Jordan, a video showing two young women being harassed by a large group of men has attracted widespread condemnation
In Canada, a Sikh Temple President has been stripped of his rank after being charged with assaulting his wife
In the United States, a new study is being planned to investigate the effects of violence against women on cancer care for women
In Kurdistan, news coverage of military violence has distracted from ongoing efforts to reduce violence against women and so-called ‘honour-killings’ [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of extreme violence, abuse, suicide]
The United States Army’s “former lead special victims prosecutor was relieved of his duties last month after an investigation into a claim by a fellow Army sexual assault prosecutor”
In Canada, a new study has developed a method of estimating the cost of violence against women to individual businesses
Research has revealed that 64% of scientific researchers (41% of men and 71% of women) haveexperienced sexual harassment while undertaking field research
The hashtag #YouOKSis has become the centre of a conversation about women of colour’s experiences of street harassment
In London, gangs are compiling lists of rivals’ female siblings and girlfriends to sexually assault as a ‘low-risk’ option of attack [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of sexual assault, violence against children]

Get Involved

Reclaim the Night Melbourne are currently looking for expressions of interest to be a part of the organising committee on the 2014 Melbourne Reclaim the Night March!
The Coalition of Women’s Domestic Violence Services South Australia have created a video to promote their 1 in 3 Day of Action on Tuesday, 22 July

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

Family Violence Homicide Vigil

“Following the death of Luca Janzow on 8 July 2014, the Murray Bridge Regional Collaboration on Violence Against Women and Children (MBCVAWC) invite you to a Vigil to mark his death and raise awareness about family violence in our community.

WHERE: Rural City Murray Bridge, Local Government Centre, 2 Seventh St, Murray Bridge, SA

WHEN: Wednesday 16 July 2014, 4:30pm to 5:00pm

Guest Speaker is Dr Elspeth McInnes AM, researcher, educator and community advocate with a long-standing commitment to reducing and preventing violence in families and communities.

You are welcome to bring a red rose to place beneath the Domestic Homicide Remembrance Flag.”

For more information, visit: http://www.victimsa.org/news/family-violence-homicide-vigil

Training: Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH)

“As part of DVRCV involvement in the Outer South Regional Youth Sector Training Calendar 2014, DVRCV will deliver this training in Dandenong on 15th & 16th July 9.30am-4.30pm.

The key presenter will be Jo Howard from Kildonan Youth and Family Services who has developed the training and been the leading exponent on AVITH for the past decade.

The AVITH training is specifically designed to equip practitioners with knowledge and skills to feel confident to respond to adolescents who use violence or aggression against family members and work with adolescents and parents to restore family safety and wellbeing. The workshop is developed and delivered by practitioners with extensive experience in working with aggression and violence in adolescents and combines theory and best practice to enhance the skills of training participants.”

For more information, visit: http://www.dvrcv.org.au/course/non-accredited/adolescent-violence-home-avith

Weekly Round-Up * 14 July

It is time once again for another edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we have highlighted links which include a variety of responses to violence against women from all different sections of the community. We can take this opportunity to learn from both good and bad responses to gender-based violence and gender inequality. Violence exists on a spectrum, and it is the responsibility of every member of society to oppose violence against women in whatever form it takes.

Around the Country

In Victoria, student leaders from Waverley College organised the Waverley College Violence Against Women Forum to bring together students and consider what they can do to prevent violence against women
In New South Wales, a Nationals MP has used threatening and sexist language to attack a cabinet minister whose department made a decision he was not happy with
[TRIGGER WARNING: Violent language, threats]
Clementine Ford writes about the need to take ‘groping’ and assault seriously [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of indecent assault, sexual assault]
In South Australia, the State Coroner remains highly critical of the Police’s handling of domestic violence
Hannah Piterman writes that business must commit to addressing violence against women
In Orange, NSW, the local Domestic Violence Action Group are working to increase awareness of domestic violence and public support for victims and survivors

Around the World

In Nigeria, more than 60 girls and women have escaped from Boko Haram after having been abducted in late June
In the UK, a judge has highly made inappropriate comments while attempting to comfort a man being sentenced for sexual assault [TRIGGER WARNING: rape apologism]
Around the world, accusations of witchcraft and sorcery continue to serve as an excuse for gender-based violence
In New Zealand, judges will be given more power to order 24 hour GPS monitoring of domestic violence offenders
In Canada, the Supreme Court has ruled that defendants not be allowed access to the police records of victims when they are not related to the case in question
In the lead up to Mandela Day, people across South Africa are working to support survivors of gender-based violence
In the United States, Senator Claire McCaskill is raising concerns that colleges and universities areinadequately dealing with or outright ignoring incidents of sexual assault
In Lebanon, for the first time a man has been convicted under the new domestic violence law passed in April [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of domestic violence, threats of violence]
In Texas, a 16 year old girl is campaigning against sexual assault and online harassment after images of her being assaulted were posted online [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of sexual assault, use of social media to harass]

Research and Reports

Submissions remain open for funding from the newly established Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety to conduct research into stemming rates of violence against women
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society has published Norma’s Project: A Research Study into the Sexual Assault of Older Women in Australia by Rosemary Mann, Philomena Horsley, Catherine Barrett and Jean Tinney

Get Involved

The Take Back the Tech! campaign will be starting on July 21, in the hopes of encouraging large social media providers to better address violence against women on their platforms
Theatre group Improvising Change have called for the submission of short plays on the topic of ‘Mothers and the Impact of Domestic Violence’
A research project out of ANU is seeking people over 18, who currently reside in Australia, and who currently work with/on the issues of gender violence and the law/legal system in relation to Aboriginal women and girls in Australia, to complete a survey on Gender Violence and the Rule of Law in Aboriginal Australia

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

Weekly Round-Up * 7 July

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week we feature articles and links that document a wide variety of gender-based violence, and an even wider variety of actions being taken to help prevent and eliminate violence against women. Through collaboration and true commitment, we can continue to build on the progress being made by passionate people around Australia and the world.

Around the Country

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has asked for an additional two years in order to adequately hear all cases
The Australian Women Educators biennial conference, this year entitled Reclaiming Feminism: EnGendering Change, will be held on 3-4 October 2014. Submissions for presentations, workshops and roundtables close July 11
Fiona Guthrie is speaking out about her experience of sexual violence as a woman with disability in the hope of helping other women in similar situations
Monica Dux writes on the disapproval many women feel when walking alone
In Lismore, the only women’s refuge in the area may close by the end of the month
AFL player Majak Daw has been charged with three counts of sexual assault
Anti-abuse campaigners have warned that the recent increase in reports of indecent and sexual assault are only ‘the tip of the iceberg’

Around the World

In the United States, Lisa Sendrow, the woman initially targeted by George Will in his column dismissing sexual assault on university campuses, has spoken about her experiences
In Turkey, 114 women have been killed by male partners, ex-partners or relatives in the last five months
After the conviction of Rolf Harris in the UK, the need for robust support for victims and survivors has been highlighted
In New Zealand, a Malaysian official has used diplomatic immunity to leave the country after being charges with sexual assault
In India, MP Tapas Pal is being called on to resign following a threat of rape he made against the families of his political opponents
In South Sudan, actions to address gender-based violence are helping women to feel safer within refugee camps
[TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of sexual violence, military violence]

Research and Reports

The Right to Refuse report has now been released as a result of The Right to Refuse forum held by DVVic, Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service and Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand in September 2013. A fact sheet has also been produced entitled The Right to Refuse: Examining Forced Marriage in Australia
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse I nterim Report is now available
Submissions remain open for funding from the newly established Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety to conduct research into stemming rates of violence against women

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

Media Release: Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022: Moving Ahead

MEDIA RELEASE

Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022

Moving Ahead

The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance commends the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments for their release of the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children on June 27, 2014. The impact of Violence against women for Australian women, their families and their communities is devastating. Across the country one in three women experience physical violence and one in five experience sexual violence since the age of 15. Almost one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner each week.

AWAVA applauds the Governments’ prioritisation of reducing violence against women and their leadership in strengthening our mechanisms to prevent and respond to this violence. We recognize the particular vulnerability of women from marginalised communities to violence and are pleased that the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 specifically targets high risk communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and women with a disability.

Julie Oberin, the Chair of AWAVA, said today that she “welcomes the Action Plan’s focus on improving support services for women and children who are experiencing violence, whilst also addressing the root causes of violence against women such as gender inequality and community attitudes supporting and enabling violence to continue.” Ms. Oberin states that “it is a key strategy to engage with the media and key community institutions.”

AWAVA also welcomes the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence.

AWAVA looks forward to supporting the implementation of the Second Action Plan over the next 3 years. In particular, AWAVA is excited to be facilitating an International Conference on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children in collaboration with The Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and Children in late 2015/early 2016.

For comment: Julie Oberin, Chair (email or 0419539346) Sophie Hardefeldt, Program Manager (email or 0418574018)

A pdf version of this media release is available here.

Launch of the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022

On Friday 27 June, 2014, the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 was launched. More information about the Second Action Plan is available on the Department of Social Services website, or click here for a pdf version.

Also available are shorter fact sheets to explain different aspects of the Plan:

Weekly Round-Up * 30 June

Welcome once again to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. It has been an exciting week for us here at AWAVA. We began on Monday and Tuesday with the annual National Women’s Alliances Forum in Canberra: two full days of collaboration with our sister Alliances from around the country. You can read tweets from the forum under the hashtag #nwa2014.

Some highlights of the 2014 forum included the Parliamentary Breakfast hosted by Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, as well as the attendance of Tara Moss as a guest speaker at the Forum Dinner. Ms Moss discussed with us gender inequality and representation in the media.

It was a fantastic event, and a wonderful way to welcome our new Program Manager, Sophie!

On Wednesday, we participated in a Round Table on the Economic Impact on Women in Disaster Affected Areas in Australia hosted by our sister alliances economic Security4Women and the National Rural Women’s Coalition. This highly productive discussion, held at Australian Parliament House in Canberra, was attended by a wide variety of stakeholders and brought to light the significant need for disaster response to be assessed through a gender lens.

AWAVA has also had the pleasure of attending the launch of the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 on Friday morning. You can read more about the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 on the Department of Social Services website.

Around the Country

“The Federal Government and every State and Territory Government have agreed to implement the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme” in order to make court orders intended to keep victims safe enforceable nationwide
From 1 July 2014 The Line social marketing campaign is transferring to the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children
In New South Wales, surprise and concern is being expressed that a large number of women’s refuges, including Australia’s first women’s refuge Elsie, have been handed over to large religious organisations by the NSW Government
Anne Summers has spoken about her experiences of violence and personal journey as a feminist
[TRIGGER WARNING: sexual violence, unsafe abortion]
Doctors in Victoria have been urged to be more vigilant following a report showing that half of all women who die either during pregnancy or soon after giving birth were killed or took their own life
In South Australia, police have spoken about reforms which have been put in place since the public murder of Zahra Abrahimzadeh in 2010 [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of abuse, physical violence, threats of violence, death]
In Victoria, the Government has introduced a bill to Parliament to remove defensive homicide provisions initially intended to family violence victims
An inquest is being conducted into the killing of Noelene Beutel and the role of doctor/patient confidentiality [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of physical violence]
In the aftermath of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, reports of sexual assault have dramatically increased across the country
In NSW, a police officer charged with sexually assaulting a young girl has been released on bail

Around the World

UN Women, in conjunction with OHCHR, have launched the UN Secretary-General’s Guidance Note on Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
In Libya, Women’s Rights Activist Salwa Bugaighis has been assassinated
Soraya Chemaly has created a list of ‘10 Everyday Sexisms’ that typically remain unnoticed or unremarked upon
In the United States, research is examining the pressure on survivors of domestic violence to maintain a ‘two-parent household’
In New Zealand, a new resource including a short film as well as a set of lesson plans has been developed to help support children who have experienced family violence
In Fiji, Police Chief of Operations ACP Rusiate Tudravu has stated that the Fiji Police Force does not have sufficient expertise or funding to deal with violence against women
In the Great Lakes Region in Africa, a new World Bank project has been approved to provide support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence
Robin Thicke’s latest music video is being criticised for attempting to romanticise stalking and harassment

Research, Reports and Resources

An inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia has been passed by the Senate with tri-partisan support. The closing date for submissions is 31 July 2014
Submissions remain open for funding from the newly established Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety to conduct research into stemming rates of violence against women
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety is creating a Networking Database “to enable researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, community members, and others interested in reducing the impact and incidence of violence against women to connect directly with each other.”

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

Film Screening: Africa Rising

“The Sydney Feminists are proud to invite you to the Australian premiere of Equality Now’s uplifting and powerful short film Africa Rising which celebrates the rise in Africa of grass-roots, community movement to end the centuries-old practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

You will be treated to incredible African food from African Feeling which serves the best West African food in Sydney from the fabulous restaurant in Newtown, and an exciting performance of traditional Ethiopian dance and folk dance by Ethiopian dancers Samrawit. There will also be an exhibition of African bead work, in support of women in Kenya.

This event will raise money for the African Women Australia’s FGM education program “Our Voices: Filling the Gaps – FGM Spokesperson’s Project” which aims to support women who have survived the practice to allow the voices of the affected communities to be heard. The evening’s line-up will include guest speakers from the African Women Australia project and the Director of No FGM Australia, Kadija Gbla.

No FGM Australia, Australia’s leading organisation working to abolish FGM in Australia, is proud to support The Sydney Feminists and African Women Australia in bringing you this remarkable event.

• Date: 30th June 2014
• Time: 6.30pm – 9.30pm
• Venue: Mitchell Theatre, Sydney Mechanics School of Arts, Level 1, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney
• Tickets: $35 (purchase online)
Seats are limited so please book early so you don’t miss out on what promises to be a memorable evening.”

For more information, visit: http://sydneyfeminists.webs.com/africa-rising

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 and Reports

Get Involved

Around the Country

Around the World

Research and Reports

MEDIA RELEASE

Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022

Moving Ahead

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Reports and Resources