Policy Officer, Author at AWAVA

AWAVA at CSW 58

The AWAVA delegation members attending the 58th session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW), in New York, will be providing specialist knowledge and expertise on all forms of violence against women, bringing extensive experience from across Australia, and working with international partners to reach Agreed Conclusions. The representatives are:

Head of the delegation: Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA and WESNET, AWAVA Executive Member (VIC)
Margie Charlesworth, Women with Disabilities Australia
Margaret Augerinos, WESNET and CEO of Centre for Non-Violence, AWAVA Executive Member (VIC)
Tracy Howe, CEO of DV NSW (NSW)

AWAVA will be sponsoring and presenting 6 Parallel Events and will be posting regular updates on interesting activities and reporting on events from the AWAVA delegation. We hope you will follow us!

csw technology 2

International Women’s Day 2014: Message from Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2014, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash sends her greetings to the National Women’s Alliances and acknowledges the work we collectively do to further gender equality and equity.

We thank the Minister for her kind words and look forward to continuing to engage, collaborate and work with her!

Media Release: One Billion Rising

The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance welcomes women and girl’s leadership of and participation in the global One Billion Rising Movement. We believe such important campaigns continue to raise awareness of the nature, prevalence, and consequences of gender-based violence.

Please follow the link to read our One Billion Rising media release

Thank you, Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse

The Australian Women against Violence Alliance thanks the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse for services rendered to our Sector. The contribution of ADFVC to our Sector has been significant. For more than a decade, the ADFVC has contributed to the knowledge base on domestic and family violence and effective responses and best practice based prevention for survivors and victims through the provision of resources, up-to-date-information, and cutting-edge research and services. In particular, the ADFVC has assisted our Sector in the work we do through the robust translation of research to practice and we extend our deep gratitude to the staff, past and present.

To read AWAVA’s full media release, follow the Link

Weekly Round-up * 3 December

The 16 days of Activism continue to be marked and celebrated across Australia and around the world. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is a global campaign to raise awareness about violence against women and its impact on women’s physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being. As AWAVA believes, human rights cannot be universal without human rights for women. “The 2013 16 Days Campaign advocates for awareness and action on the multi-faceted intersections of gender-based violence and militarism, while highlighting the connection between the struggle for economic and social rights and ending gender-based violence”. Women’s Health in the North has created a fantastic tool kit to assist organisations and individuals to participate in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign (16 Days Campaign). For further details, please follow the link

Around the Country

In Victoria, “record numbers of domestic violence order applications and an all-time high in breaches of orders are drowning the Magistrates Court and family violence services“
In NSW, Simon Gittany has been found guilty of murdering his fiancée Lisa Harnum. Louise Taylor writes that the trial should be “a wake up call for abusive men“
Moo Baulch, Project Manager at Domestic Violence NSW, writes “We must stop judging and blaming victims when they struggle to leave and instead offer them support. We must stand up as active bystanders when we witness abuse”
In Sydney, Sex workers have rallied at the Opera House “in protest against what they call the legal discrimination and human rights abuses they face“
“Australian women and girls with disabilities are twice as likely as women and girls without disabilities to experience violence throughout their lives, yet this has remained largely outside public debate”, write Elizabeth Broderick and Graeme Innes
Podcasts and Transcripts are now available from the National Symposium -Stop the Violence: Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities
More than half of the women seeking accommodation from the Salvation Army are facing domestic or family violence according to a new report

Around the World

The WHO reports that “violence against women interacts with the HIV epidemic in many ways, all to the detriment of women”
Walter North, the US Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, writes “No nation can be truly free and independent when its women are wounded, shamed, and abused“
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for renewed efforts to end violence against women
Women in Syria are increasingly the targets of violent abuse and torture by government forces and armed groups. Some 6,000 women have been raped since the start of the conflict in March 2011
In Zimbabwe, Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development minister, Oppah Muchinguri notes “most married women in Zimbabwe have experienced marital rape at the hands of their spouses, greatly exposing them to HIV and AIDS”
UNFPA has launched the Regional Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence in the Arab States Region for 2014-2017
In the UK, London Mayor Boris Johnson Mayor has launched a “revised pan-London Strategy on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in November 2013 to build upon the success of his previous strategy and make sure that London continues to take a global lead in preventing and eliminating VAWG”

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

Weekly Round-up * 25 November

(AWAVA members with the Hon. Prime Minister and Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash at the White Ribbon Breakfast, 19 November)

Today, 25 November, is the International day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. 25 November has been marked by women’s and anti-violence activists as a day focused on the elimination of violence since 1981. 25 November also starts 16 Days of Activism on ending violence against women and girls. AWAVA is delighted to receive a message from Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women on this important day. The Minister reminds us that “violence and sexual assault against women is totally unacceptable. Sadly, statistics tell us that one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and almost one in five have experienced sexual violence. The Coalition Government understands that in order to prevent violence against women and their children, attitudes around gender equality and violence need to change”. AWAVA Thanks the Minister for her vision, leadership, and commitment to responding to and preventing violence against women and their children. Finally, AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin writes that today is an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, to acknowledge what else needs to be done, and to renew our efforts and reaffirm our commitment.

Around the Country

The Alice Springs Domestic and Family Violence Outreach Service has won an Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award for its work keeping families safe
In NSW, The controversial foetal rights bill known as Zoe’s Law was passed in the lower house of the Parliament on 21 November, 2013
Reforms to homicide laws in Victoria were introduced in 2005 to improve legal responses to women who kill abusive intimate partners. A new discussion paper by DVRCV and Monash University, Justice or Judgement? The impact of Victorian homicide law reforms on responses to women who kill intimate partners, examines whether the reforms are working as intended.
“A startling snapshot of Victorian young people struggling with drug and alcohol problems has shown girls are suffering much higher rates of abuse, neglect, violence and self-harm than boys“
In Victoria, Police is shocked by the massive rise in family violence
Centre for Non-Violence chief executive and AWAVA Executive Committee Member, Margaret Augerinos says that the common denominator is gender equality-“Where gender inequality exists you often have violence against women and children”
The Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault has published its paper “Engaging men in sexual assault prevention“
Tracking Equity– the report released by the COAG Reform Council reveals that despite being highly educated, women and girls are being left behind their male counterparts in the workforce in Australia

Around the World

Sayeed Aleemullah Shah, Tari project co-ordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, writes that the “epidemic of family violence in PNG requires a co-ordinated response“
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says that “it is a glaring omission that ending violence against women was not included in the Millennium Development Goals” and urges all UN Member States to make ending violence against women and girls a priority in the new development framework
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says “This International Day to End Violence against Women is an opportunity for all people to recommit to preventing and halting all forms of violence against women and girls“
In the UK, Women’s groups Imkaan and The Project are marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with Purple Butterflies
In the UK it is being reported that the Metropolitan Police Service is “significantly under-recording rape offences according to new evidence presented to MPs“
Also in the UK, four groups (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA), Imkaan, Rape Crisis England & Wales, Respect and Women’s Aid England) have come together to create a “robust and well co-ordinated framework” to align existing service standards and accreditation frameworks and those under development

Get Involved

Natasha Stott Despoja AM, Chair of Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children and Ken Lay, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, will be speaking at the National Press Club of Australia on November 26th. More information and registration details can be found here

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

Media Release: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – 25 November 2013

25 November has been marked by women’s and anti-violence activists as a day focused on the elimination of violence since 1981. In 1999 the United Nations declared 25 November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). 25 November also starts 16 Days of Activism on ending violence against women and girls. AWAVA Chair, Julie Oberin writes:

“The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a reminder that violence against women and girls is a global issue and that ending this violence is everyone’s responsibility. Today is an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, to acknowledge what else needs to be done, and to renew our efforts and reaffirm our commitment. Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights in the world today. It affects women and girls across all cultures and societies and remains a significant public health and global development issue. Today, let us remember that violence against women and girls is both a cause and consequence of gender and structural inequalities, a construct of power, and though prevalent- it can be prevented. Australia has an exciting opportunity through the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children to be a global leader and to drive the requisite social change needed to prevent violence against women and girls. We need governments, specialist preventing and responding to violence against women sectors, schools, business, industry, media and communities to join forces and work in partnership to end violence against women and girls. We need a long-term, sustainable, comprehensive, whole-of-community approach to prevent and ultimately end violence against women and girls.”

Read AWAVA’s full media release here

Message from Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash

“Violence and sexual assault against women is totally unacceptable. Sadly, statistics tell us that one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and almost one in five have experienced sexual violence. The Coalition Government understands that in order to prevent violence against women and their children, attitudes around gender equality and violence need to change”

– Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, has sent a message to the National Women’s Alliances marking this important day.

We thank the Minister for her vision and leadership. A transcript of the Minister’s speech is available here

Reclaim the Night: 25 October, 2013

AWAVA and Equality Rights Alliance are standing in solidarity today, 25 October 2013, to reclaim the night.

Both alliances strongly believe that safety and equality go hand in hand. AWAVA understands that gender-based violence against women is both a consequence and cause of gender inequity, which is embedded deeply within all levels of our society. Violence is perpetrated through institutions and the public sphere as well as in the privacy of intimate relationships. Efforts to end gender-based violence against women must be accountable to women and promote women’s empowerment and social and gender equality.

Job Opportunity: AWAVA Administrative Assistant

AWAVA is seeking an independent, motivated, innovative, and solutions oriented administration assistant to join our team. The administration assistant will provide administrative, organisational, and communication support to the AWAVA Chair and Program Manager, AWAVA Executive and Advisory Group or AWAVA delegate and WESNET as Lead Agency, to deliver the aims and objectives of AWAVA and AWAVA funded contract deliverables.

For more information, including position description and selection criteria, closing date and interview dates, please follow the link

The position is based in Canberra.

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

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