AWAVA Secretariat, Author at AWAVA

Changes in Migration Act – 2019

In April 2019, the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act commenced, changingthe previous arrangements for partner visas. Previously, the visa application and sponsorship application were lodged together. A valid visa application could be lodged prior to the sponsorship being approved.

Under the new arrangements, the sponsorship must be lodged and assessed first. It that a valid visa application cannot be made until sponsorship is approved. In addition, the Minister of Home Affairs will refuse to approve the sponsorship if the sponsor has been convicted of a relevant offence and, as a result of those convictions, has a significant criminal record.

We anticipate that the new framework will limit the ability to apply for family violence provisions as well as increase disadvantage.

Consider two of the following scenarios to see the implications on victims/survivors of domestic and family violence.

Scenario 1

Amina holds a student visa. Before the amendment came into affect, if Amina lodged an application for a subclass 820 visa with her partner/sponsor Harry, this would have included the sponsorship application simultaneously. In that case, she would have been granted a Bridging visa A while the sponsorship and visa application were being assessed.

If, prior to a decision on the 820 visa application being made, Harry perpetrated family violence against Amina and they separated, Amina would still able to meet the time of decision criteria for the grant of the subclass 820, relying on the family violence provisions. This means that, if successful with the family violence provisions, Amina would become a permanent resident after her relationship breakdown with Harry.

Scenario 2

Under the new arrangements, there are no protections for an applicant affected by family violence whose relationship breaks down prior to sponsorship being approved.

Consider the same situation. Amina holds a student visa that will expire on 25 September. As Amina is in a relationship with Harry, they decide to apply for a partner visa. On 20 September, they lodge a sponsorship application. Sponsorship approval may take several months. On 26 September, Amina’s student visa expires, that immediately makes her unlawful in Australia. She is able to apply for a Bridging visa E, which is granted without work rights.

While waiting for the sponsorship to be approved (which takes several months), Harry perpetrates family violence. As Amina Jane has no work rights and is therefore totally financially dependent on Harry, making leaving the relationship extremely difficult.

If Amina leaves, she will be unable to lodge a valid application for a subclass 820 visa. As no visa application was lodged, if they separate, Amina will have to leave Australia.

Joint Statement – Make family law safe: stop putting victim-survivors of family violence and child abuse in harm’s way

Over 100 peak bodies and practitioners working to prevent and respond to violence against women and children have today launched a joint statement rejecting the legitimacy of the Government’s new Family Law Inquiry.

The statement, organised by community campaigning group Fair Agenda and AWAVA, the body set up to inform government policy on violence against women, denounces the delay in real action and urges five immediate changes to improve safety in the system, noting concerns about the safety of victim/survivors participating in the Inquiry, and declaring their focus will remain on responding to the unprecedented levels of demand for safety support, with many unable to divert vital resources to this dangerous inquiry.

Immediate action is required to stop putting victim-survivors of violence and abuse at risk, starting with:

1. Making sure courts identify safety risks that should be considered in any court decision, by implementing consistent screening and risk assessment process to protect children and parents at risk of violence;

2. Ensuring the courts have access to all relevant information by establishing a national information sharing framework to ensure information from state jurisdictions can be considered where relevant, and the courts are supported to make informed decisions that prioritise child safety and wellbeing;

3. Ensuring victim-survivors of family violence are supported and don’t have to go through the court process alone – by providing social and legal supports for all parties to family law matters involving family violence or child abuse;

4. Prioritising matters where people are at high-risk – by creating a specialist case management stream for family violence matters involving children and parents at serious risk of harm, and

5. Requiring those who influence court proceedings to have competency in identifying and responding to domestic and family violence in diverse family contexts – by implementing an accreditation framework for all court officials and family law practitioners and professionals, starting with court report writers and supervised contact centre workers.

Read the media release here:

Read the full Joint Statement here as a PDF document:

Joint Statement

Make family law safe: stop putting victim-survivors of family violence and child abuse in harm’s way

18 October 2019

As peak and practitioner bodies charged with preventing and responding to violence against women and children we do not accept the legitimacy of the Government’s new select committee inquiry into Family Law. We are alarmed that it is proceeding against the unanimous advice of experts in the domestic and family violence sector.

This Inquiry is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous. We know what is needed to improve the system. The decision to further delay implementing these urgently needed changes is absolutely unconscionable. Women’s and children’s lives are on the line. They cannot wait another year for action.

The use of domestic and family violence is having a devastating impact in our communities – 8 women are hospitalised at the hands of a current or ex-partner every day, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women 32 times more likely to be hospitalised than non-Indigenous women. Right now many of the people trying to escape this violence and abuse are forced through the family law system.

This system is consistently failing them. It is manifestly unfit for purpose – it is failing to identify harm, actively discouraging people from disclosing violence, and forcing children into contact with abusive parents. In many cases it is facilitating further violence and harm.

This situation is so dire that more than one in three children post-separation report feeling “not at all safe” in their care arrangements.

Cases before the courts are often complex, and every case is different. Our government needs to ensure the court has all the information and expertise it requires to determine what’s best for a child’s safety and wellbeing, particularly in the context of family violence and child abuse.

Immediate action is required to stop putting victim-survivors of violence and abuse at risk, starting with:

1. Making sure courts identify safety risks that should be considered in any court decision, by implementing consistent screening and risk assessment process to protect children and parents at risk of violence;

2. Ensuring the courts have access to all relevant information by establishing a national information sharing framework to ensure information from state jurisdictions can be considered where relevant, and the courts are supported to make informed decisions that prioritise child safety and wellbeing;

3. Ensuring victim-survivors of family violence are supported and don’t have to go through the court process alone – by providing social and legal supports for all parties to family law matters involving family violence or child abuse;

4. Prioritising matters where people are at high-risk – by creating a specialist case management stream for family violence matters involving children and parents at serious risk of harm; and

5. Requiring those who influence court proceedings to have competency in identifying and responding to domestic and family violence in diverse family contexts – by implementing an accreditation framework for all court officials and family law practitioners and professionals, starting with court report writers and supervised contact centre workers.

Beyond these initial urgent safety changes, the system needs comprehensive reform in accordance with expert advice including the domestic and family violence sector.

We emphasise that the achievement of any substantive improvement in the safety of the family law system will require the Federal Government ending the under-resourcing which puts victims of family violence and child abuse at unacceptable risk.

Peak and practitioner bodies stand ready to co-design and help implement reforms that are focused on improving the safety of the system. But we refuse to be complicit in the harm created by this new inquiry.

Given the nature of this inquiry, the manner in which it has been set up, and the composition and expressed positions of those leading it, we are aware that many victims-survivors do not feel safe to participate.

We remain extremely concerned that any victim-survivors who do wish to ensure their experiences are considered by this process will be unable to do so safely. In any inquiry like this where victim-survivors’ testimonies must be central, essential safeguards and supports must be put in place to make the process safe for them to participate. Such safeguards should include domestic and family violence and cultural competency training for committee members, options to give evidence anonymously and remotely including via audio visual link, provision of all Inquiry materials in the full range of accessible formats, including Easy English, funded access to counselling and legal services, and media protocols around reporting.

Finally, we note that as representatives of the organisations working on the frontline responding to women and children impacted by domestic and family violence, our primary objective will always be the safety of those who rely on our services. Some organisations in our sector will engage with the inquiry under the principle of minimising harm for victim-survivors and ensuring evidence is circulated to counter misinformation. For many organisations their focus will be on responding to the unprecedented levels of demand for safety support, and therefore they will not be in a position to divert vital resources to this dangerous inquiry.

Signed,

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance
WESNET – The Women’s Services Network
Harmony Alliance – Migrant and Refugee Women for Change
Women With Disabilities Australia
National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
National Child Protection Alliance
Women’s Legal Services Australia
Women’s Safety NSW
Coalition of Women’s Domestic Violence Services of SA
Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA)
Domestic Violence NSW
Domestic Violence Victoria
Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria
Women’s Community Health Network WA
Women’s Health NSW
No To Violence
Doctors Against Violence Towards Women
National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum
YWCA Australia
Community Legal Centres Australia
People With Disability Australia
In Touch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
Carrie’s Place Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services
North Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Yarredi Services Inc
Women’s Community Shelters
Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services Inc
Penrith Women’s Health Centre
Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre
Women’s Health and Resources Foundation
Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Warrina Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services
North West Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Central Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Women’s Centre for Health and Wellbeing Albury Wodonga
Central West Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Parramatta Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Women’s Centre for Health Matters ACT
Sydney Women’s Counselling Centre
Hunter Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Sisters Inside
Marie Stopes Australia
Association of Women Educators
Women’s Legal Service Queensland
Women’s Legal Service NSW
NSW Older Women’s Network
Sexual Assault Support Service (Tas)
CASA Forum – Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault
Safe Steps Victoria
Project Respect
Wirrawee Gunya
Wilmah
Jessie Street
Penrith Women’s Refuge
Sera’s Women’s Shelter
Women’s Centre Far North Queensland
Australasian Centre for Human Rights and Health
Linking Communities Network Ltd, Griffith
Griffith Women’s Refuge
Emma House Domestic Violence Services
Engender Equality
Mitcham Family Violence Education and Support Service
Jenny’s Place Inc
Nova for Women and Children
Newcastle Staying Home Leaving Violence
Annie North Women’s Refuge
Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services
99 Steps – CALD specific DFV service in Logan/Beenleigh
Women’s Information, Support & Housing in the North
Women’s Information and Referral Exchange
Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights
Centre Against Violence
Eastern Domestic Violence Service
Safe Futures Foundation
Bethany Community Support
Emerge Women & Children’s Support Network
Northern Specialist Family Violence Service, Berry Street.
Kara House Inc.
WRISC Family Violence Support Inc.
Centre for Non-Violence
WAYSS Housing and Support Services
Georgina Martina Inc.
Northern Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services
Blue Mountains Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services
South Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services
Mallee Sexual Assault Unit Inc.
Mallee Domestic Violence Services
Western Specialist Family Violence Service, Berry Street
Southern Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Far South Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Mid Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
South Eastern Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Women’s Health West
Orana House Inc
Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service
North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service
Lucy Saw Centre
Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
YWCA Canberra
Elizabeth Morgan House
Western Integrated Family Violence Committee
Starick
Community Legal Centres NSW
Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre
Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand
Good Samaritan Inn
Quantum Support Services Inc
Salvation Army Family and Domestic Violence Services Western Australia
The Salvation Army Australia

National alliance and domestic violence services unite in extraordinary call to stop the Andrews-Hanson inquiry

Media statement

14 October 2019

National alliance and domestic violence services unite in extraordinary call to stop the Andrews-Hanson inquiry

The national body representing organisations working for women’s safety across the country, Australian Women Against Violence Alliance, has called on Senators to stop the family law inquiry from going ahead.

Domestic and family violence groups across the nation are unanimous in their opposition to the Government allowing the Andrews-Hanson family law court inquiry to pursue a biased and damaging agenda. Since the inquiry was announced, not one service that works with victims-survivors of domestic violence has expressed any support for the process.

“This inquiry is dangerous and unnecessary. Experts in the domestic and family violence sector are unanimous in our opposition. This inquiry will only delay real action when women’s and children’s lives are on the line,” said AWAVA Program Manager, Dr Merrindahl Andrew.

“We call on parliament to stop this harmful and unnecessary inquiry, and instead take immediate action to make the system safer,” said Tiffany King, Co-Chair of CWDVSSA, Coalition of Women’s Domestic Violence Services of South Australia.

“Victims/survivors and the community at large can have no confidence in this parliamentary inquiry when it’s clear it has been designed to create a platform for those who choose not to believe victims/survivors, and is co-chaired by someone who has openly stated her prejudiced view about women raising domestic violence in the Courts” said Hayley Foster, CEO of Women’s Safety NSW.

“Moving forward with this inquiry can only undo important progress our parliament, and community have made in trying to ensure victims of domestic violence can come forward, and be believed,” said Kedy Kristal, Policy Officer of the WA Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services.

“It just seems to be a waste of taxpayers’ money, coming immediately after two major inquiries into family law,” said Karen Bentley, National Director of WESNET – The Women’s Services Network.

“The biggest priority of our Government should be in implementing the changes that previous inquiries have already shown are needed,” said Heidi La Paglia, Project Officer at Women With Disabilities Australia.

“The current system is manifestly unfit for purpose – failing to identify harm, actively discouraging people from disclosing violence, and forcing children into contact with abusive parents. Indeed, the system is not only failing to protect those subjected to violence – in many cases it is facilitating further violence and harm,” said Lindy Edwards, Coordinator of Seras Women’s Shelter (Townsville).

More than one in three children post-separation report feeling “not at all safe” in their care arrangements. This system is failing children.

The violent misuse of power is having a devastating impact in our communities. The use of control, manipulation and financial abuse widespread; and every single week a woman’s life is taken from her by horrific violence from a partner or ex-partner. So many of the people trying to escape this domestic violence and abuse are forced through the family law system. It’s beyond time that this system was made safe.

Media contact

Dr Merrindahl Andrew

AWAVA Program Manager

Ph: 0428 541 396

www.awava.org.au

Urgent reforms needed now for safety

Independent experts through several reviews have already determined what’s required, and the government needs to act urgently on those recommendations to put safety at the centre of the system.

We call on the government to immediately work with practitioner experts across the family law system, including women’s specialist domestic and family violence peak and practitioner bodies, to:

Make sure courts identify and manage domestic and family violence risks safely
Build specialisation into the family court response
Implement an accreditation and training framework, and
Ensure victim-survivors of family violence are supported

These reforms can and must be implemented without delay, notwithstanding any inquiry.

Become an AWAVA Friend & Supporter

Our Friends and Supporters share our vision to ensure that all women and children are able to live free from all forms of violence and abuse. We currently have over 200 individuals and organisations from a diverse range of backgrounds in our friends and supporters network.

AWAVA’s Vision, Values, Principles and Objectives can be found here.

As a friend and supporter, you will receive regular updates about AWAVA’s work, about policy and service delivery updates relating to violence against women, as well as hear about opportunities to support our efforts to prevent gender-based violence.

If you would like to become an AWAVA Friend and Supporter, please do so via our online form here.

Submission into the review of adequacy of Newstart payments

AWAVA has made a submission to the Senate inquiry into the adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia.

We have called on the government to increase Newstart and other related payments by at least $75 per week.

Download our submission here

See the list of organisations that endorsed our submission here:

Blueprint for Reform

Removing Barriers to Safety for Victims/Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence who are on Temporary Visas

Violence against women is a grave violation of human rights. The National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children envisions an Australia free from all forms of violence and abuse against women and their children.

On the international stage, Australia is leading the way in efforts to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and uphold human rights bodies such as the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Victims/survivors should be empowered to make decisions which promote their safety, well-being and recovery through access to specialist services including housing, health, legal, social security, education and stable visa status. Victims/survivors and their dependants should have a right to determine their place of residence without impediment from the perpetrator.

In 2018 the National Advocacy Group on Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Violence produced a Path to Nowhere report that examined the issues for women on temporary visas experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants. Report findings highlighted a national crisis, affirmed by evidence and reviews nationally, which requires immediate law and policy reform by the Australian and State and Territory governments.

Women and their children have the right to be safe from all forms of violence in Australia, regardless of their visa status. This Blueprint sets out necessary reforms to achieve safety for all women.

To improve women’s and children’s access to safety and justice, we call on the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to implement the following three steps:

1. Improve the migration system so that all women on temporary visas who experience domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants can access protections, services and justice.
2. Ensure eligibility and access to services and government support are based on women’s needs for safety and recovery, regardless of their migration status.

3. Ensure that women on temporary visas who have experienced domestic, family and sexual violence and their dependants have immediate and full access to safety, protection, justice and fully funded specialist support with demonstrated gender expertise and cultural competency.

Download Blueprint for Reform here:

Download social media images here.

Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women: A survey of activities in Australia – Report

26 September 2019

Primary prevention is an approach to address the underlying gendered and other intersecting drivers of violence to stop violence before it occurs. Primary prevention of violence against women encompasses activities to build respectful relationships and increase gender equality to reduce and ultimately end violence against women. It also includes activities to counter other forms of discrimination that combine with gender inequality and can contribute to increased severity or prevalence of violence against women experiencing these multiple forms of discrimination.

Between December 2018 and February 2019 AWAVA conducted a survey of prevention activities, led by our Violence Prevention Working Group. This was the first attempt to map primary prevention activities across Australia. The survey aimed to create a picture of activities to inform policy, practice and advocacy, and to identify key enablers as well as barriers and challenges to prevention work.

Read the report on the survey here:

Technology-facilitated abuse legal guides

WESNET, Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria and the Women’s Legal Service NSW have prepared legal guides on laws relevant to people experiencing technology-facilitated abuse and stalking.

For more information on laws in each State or Territory, click here.

Employer Guide to Family and Domestic Violence

The Australian Government’s Fair Work Ombudsman has produced an Employer Guide to Family and Domestic Violence. Knowledge, awareness and planning can help employers support their employees, meet their workplace obligations and protect their workplaces.

The guide outlines:-

the role of the Fair Work Ombudsman and how they can help
a checklist for managing family and domestic violence issues in the workplace
what family and domestic violence is and how it affects workplaces
employers’ legal obligations
a suggested approach to supporting employees and developing a workplace response to family and domestic violence
support and referral services

Access the guide here.

Data: Fighting or facilitating violence against women?

Photo by Franki Chamaki on Unsplash

In early 2018, Google has launched a website titled “Me Too Rising”

[1] that visualises trends of web searches of across space and time at a global scale, noting cities where a markedly high proportion of total searches are for “MeToo”. Me Too is a movement founded in 2006 by African-American activist Tarana Burke to raise awareness of the pervasiveness sexual assault [2], which spread rapidly in 2017 as social media users adopted the hashtag #MeToo to share their experiences of sexual assault. Using a tool like this immediately highlights regions of significant search activity, as clear evidence of the power and potential of technology for facilitating, growing and furthering movements [3].

Over four months from November 2018 to February 2019, a project – funded by the Victorian government – developed by digital mapping company Crowdspot and Monash University’s Space Gender Communication (XYX) Lab, collected data to map experiences of gender inequity and equity in the Darebin and Milton council areas in the Melbourne region. The Gender Equality Map will allow urban planners to better understand “patterns of exclusion and inclusion” [4], providing an indication of the scale and extent of gender inequality based on contributions by people of all genders. This example of crowdsourced mapping is not the first of its kind: the Free to Be project has been a platform for women and girls to indicate places in Melbourne and Sydney where they have felt unsafe – including providing anonymous descriptions about particular incidents [5]. (It is important to consider here that the majority of sexual violence is perpetrated by someone that the victim/survivor knows, as opposed to a stranger [6]. Planning for safer public spaces is not alone enough to end violence against women, and forms part of a solution that ultimately addresses the underlying issues in society that lead to perpetrators’ acts.)

The value of collecting data is that it allows for the aggregation of experiences and incidences, to identify patterns and relationships across space and time. Correlations between certain events and experiences of violence can reveal factors relating to violence: the link between family violence and major sporting events and seasonal holidays is clear and well-known [7], so much that police and services anticipate and prepare for spikes in calls they receive for family violence-related matters [8,9]. The uneven distribution of violence due to the compounded experiences of marginalisation with gender-based violence faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, immigrant and refugee women, women with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ women, and young and elder women, is also highlighted and can be better understood and studied through demographic analysis of data. Data also reveals the sheer scale of violence against women: knowing, thanks to extensive data collection and analysis, that one in three women have experienced violence since the age of fifteen drives home the prevalence and severity of the problem [10], emphasising the urgency with which action must be taken. In theory, through analysing data relating to violence against women, support services can be planned for accordingly, and policies implemented to address the underlying patterns and issues that are identified.

However, there is a grim side to data’s relationship with violence against women. The power of data and technology can also be used by perpetrators to harass, intimidate and abuse. A recent case in Queensland where a police officer breached privacy and shared the details of a victim of domestic violence to an abusive former partner [11] is an example of this risk. The Australian Government’s online My Health Record [12] and myGov portal [13] have come under scrutiny for the possible ease of access perpetrators of violence have to a wide range of personal details and records, all through a single log-in. Moreover, surveillance in the name of national security is becoming increasingly prevalent [14], where people are unaware of what data or footage is being collected, for what purposes, and where it is stored. Personal information may be accessed and used by perpetrators of family violence. While there is sometimes the option to choose not to provide their information to online databases such as My Health Record, having an opt-out system, as compared to an opt-in one, may place victims/survivors who may not have access to and/or proficiency with technology (such as older people) in a position where they are unable to exercise their choice not to participate. A shift towards online databases and increasing dependence on the Internet may in fact place older people at greater risk of online abuse as well [15].

It is therefore all the more crucial that service providers and database managers ensure confidentiality of data and promote the use of security measures such as two-factor authentication [16] in order to maintain the safety of technology users. Moreover, any data collection taking place should involve transparency, and be accompanied by support on technological literacy to reduce the risk of online abuse.

Statistics on violence against women are only as good as the available data. People and groups of people who face barriers in reporting experiences of violence and/or seeking support are underrepresented in data collected by the police and/or service providers, and data available on violence against women is therefore likely to be an underestimation of the actual prevalence of such experiences. Incident-based reporting, employed by police, can fail to pick up on patterns of abuse, misrepresenting the ongoing and serious nature of control and coercion. Even statistical surveys such as those conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have their limitations [17]. The benefits of data mentioned above, such as identifying patterns, can only be fully realised when barriers to reporting are broken down, allowing for a more holistic and comprehensive picture.

It is also important to consider that data can be misconstrued or reported in a way that fits the agenda of whoever is presenting it; the very same data can be used to reach different (at time opposing) conclusions, depending on subtle phrasing differences [18]. We should be aware of these complexities in the way we read data that we may come across scrolling through social media or reading the news.

Data is neither essentially helpful nor inherently harmful to the goal of ending violence against women: rather, data’s value depends on how it is collected, used, and presented. Data, like many other things, can be used to perpetuate abuse and harmful attitudes that promote violence. At the same time, sound data is vital for understanding the issues and investigating possible responses. Individual and collective efforts to promote safety can be strengthened by understanding more about data, and by developing ethical, critical approaches to its use.

Sumithri Venketasubramanian

AWAVA Admin & Comms Assistant

References

[1] Google Trends, 2018. Me Too Rising. Google. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://metoorising.withgoogle.com/

[2] Brockes, E., 2018. Me Too founder Tarana Burke: ‘You have to use your privilege to serve other people’. The Guardian. 15 January. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/15/me-too-founder-tarana-burke-women-sexual-assault

[3] Tripathi, R., 2018. #MeToo has arrived in India, and it’s changing how technology is used to fight injustice. The Conversation. 27 October. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://theconversation.com/metoo-has-arrived-in-india-and-its-changing-how-technology-is-used-to-fight-injustice-105755

[4] Precel, N., 2018. Know somewhere that’s not gender equitable? Crown mapping aims to help. The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 October. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/know-somewhere-that-s-not-gender-equitable-crowd-mapping-aims-to-help-20181028-p50chb.html

[5] Kalms, N., 2018. To design safer parks for women, city planners must listen to their stories. The Conversation. 18 June. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://theconversation.com/to-design-safer-parks-for-women-city-planners-must-listen-to-their-stories-98317

[6] Our Watch, n.d. Myths about violence. Our Watch. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://www.ourwatch.org.au/Understanding-Violence/Myths-about-violence

[7] Pescud, M., 2018. Whether teams win or lose, sporting events lead to spikes in violence against women and children. The Conversation. 13 July. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://theconversation.com/whether-teams-win-or-lose-sporting-events-lead-to-spikes-in-violence-against-women-and-children-99686

[8] Noonan, A., 2018. AFL grand final night one of the busiest nights for family violence, Victoria Police chief says. ABC News. 27 September. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-27/afl-grand-final-night-family-violence-victoria-police-chief/10313052

[9] Wainwright, S., 2017. Domestic violence spikes over summer, authorities warn, with alcohol, festive stress blamed. ABC News. 28 December. Online. Accessed 11 December 2018. Available at:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-28/domestic-violence-cases-spike-over-summer-authorities-warn/9287272

[10] Our Watch, n.d. Facts and figures. Our Watch. Online. Accessed 30 October 2018. Available at:

https://www.ourwatch.org.au/understanding-violence/facts-and-figures

[11] Smee, B., 2018. Queensland police constable told to give evidence in domestic violence privacy case. The Guardian. 7 November. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/07/queensland-police-constable-told-to-give-evidence-in-domestic-violence-privacy-case

[12] Moore, T., 2018. ‘Serious’ risks of domestic violence in new online health system. The Brisbane Times. 23 July. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/serious-risks-of-domestic-violence-in-new-online-health-system-20180723-p4zt2j.html

[13] Hendry, M., 2018. myGov portal can be used by abusive partners to track down victims, Government warns. ABC News. 18 October. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-18/mygov-portal-can-allow-abusive-partners-to-track-down-victims/10386708

[14] Lidberg, J., Muller, D., 2018. Book: In the name of security – secrecy, surveillance and journalism. The Conversation. 5 November. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://theconversation.com/book-in-the-name-of-security-secrecy-surveillance-and-journalism-105486

[15] Balg, M., 2013. Elder Abuse and Technology. Huffington Post. 18 July. Online. Accessed 18 January 2019. Available at:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mehroz-baig/elder-abuse-and-technolog_b_3605646.html

[16] Australian Government, n.d. Two-factor authentication. Stay Smart Online. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/protect-yourself/do-things-safely/two-factor-authentication

[17] Mitra-Kahn, T., Newbigin, C., Hardefeldt, S., 2016. Invisible women, invisible violence: Understanding and improving data on the experiences of domestic and family violence and sexual assault for diverse groups of women: State of knowledge paper. Sydney: ANROWS. Online. Accessed 11 December 2018. Available at:-

https://www.anrows.org.au/publications/landscapes-0/invisible-women-invisible-violence-understanding-and-improving-data-the

[18] McPhedran, S., 2018. FactCheck: is domestic violence the leading preventable cause of death and illness for women aged 18 to 44? The Conversation. 16 April. Online. Accessed 9 November 2018. Available at:

https://theconversation.com/factcheck-is-domestic-violence-the-leading-preventable-cause-of-death-and-illness-for-women-aged-18-to-44-94102

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