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This week, AWAVA welcomed the launch of a new National Foundation to prevent to violence against women and their children. Chaired by former Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, this foundation represents an incredibly important commitment from both the Federal and Victorian governments to eliminate gender-based violence. Separately, the Hon. Minister Collins also announced 3 milllion dollars in funding for research into preventing perpetrators of violence from re-offending.  In response , AWAVA has developed a media release commending this step as part of a broader strategy to prevent violence against women and girls.

It was an exciting week full of rousing announcements and developments for the women’s sector. AWAVA’s collaborative and long-term vision to prevent and eliminate all violence against women has been energised by these renewed efforts. We look forward to continuing strengthening partnerships at all levels for the benefit of women and children everywhere.

Around the nation

• The Minister for Women, the Hon. Julie Collins, and Victorian Minister for Community Services, the Hon. Mary Wooldridge launched a new Foundation to prevent and protect women and their children from violence chaired by former Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja. Check out their promotional video, facebook page and coverage from the Herald Sun, the Australian,the Guardian in the UK, Sunrise and online media
• The Minister for Women, the Hon. Julie Collins, also announced a 3 million dollar investment into research on preventing perpetrators of violence from reoffending
• In Victoria, the deputy editor of the Bendigo Advertiser newspaper won an Eliminating Violence Against Women Award for her work raising awareness of domestic violence in the community and was pictured alongside AWAVA Chairperson Julie Oberin
• The Unslut Project has challenged the dangerous culture of ‘slut shaming’ by creating an online space for young women to share their experiences, ask question and receive answers. Contributors noted this site is equally useful for educators working to spread awareness, “As educators, we have a responsibility to talk about victim-blaming and slut-shaming with students. By talking about the way society polices girls and women, based on the way they dress or their perceived sexual activity, we have the opportunity to foster caring learning environments, prevent suffering and save lives.”
• In Melbourne, the brutal murder of Tracy Connelly was a confronting reminder of the ongoing experiences of violence that all women and children face, and the King’s Tribune provided useful information on how to help the community Tracy left behind
• In Victoria, the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service gave unique access to the Herald Sun so the newspaper could  report on the realities of working at the frontline of family violence
• In Victoria, Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay was joined by Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and AFL Chief Andrew Demetriou in calling for high-profile men to speak out to end against family violence
• The National Women’s Alliances joint project Women Vote 2013  received coverage from online media focussing on why it is crucial for women to cast an effective, informed and independent vote

Around the world

• UNICEF released the most comprehensive compilation of data and analysis on female genital mutilation / cutting to date in an important new report showing rates of FGM/C declining in many countries
• In North India, a powerful dance-drama performance at an annual teaching principals’ meeting energised ongoing efforts to sensitise students and teaching staff to gender-based violence
• In Nepal, women’s rights activists have been staging weekly protests since April to call on policy-makers to drive the elimination of violence against women by establishing a fast-track court and amending rape laws
• In England, the Crown Prosecution Service reported promising increases in conviction rates for violence against women following the release of the CPS Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2012 – 2013

Get Involved!

• Join the joint National Women’s Alliances Project Women Vote 2013 by participating in the “Women! Use your Vote” campaign
• The NSW Government recently released a series of documents relating to the NSW Domestic and family violence framework (reforms) for public consultation.  Responses to their survey are due by 5:00pm on 30 July 2013

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

This week AWAVA has been supporting the launch of the joint National Women’s Alliances Project- Women Vote 2013. The six National Women’s Alliances have come together to encourage women to use their votes in the 2013 Federal election. We think that it is important that women’s voices are heard in this election. We want women to vote in a way that reflects the diverse lives and experiences of women in Australia.

AWAVA Chairperson Julie Oberin attended the EVAs on 19th July- Congratulations to all the winners of the EVAs Media Awards for excellence in the reporting of violence against women

Around the nation

• “Australian boys need to be taught an ”alternative way of being men” if the community is to break a cycle of domestic violence fuelled by aggressive and physical stereotypes of masculinity”
• In Victoria, the award-winning Bsafe program faces an uncertain future
• In Western Australia, “domestic violence laws will be put under the legal microscope as part of the first comprehensive review into how victims are treated by the WA justice system”
• In Campbelltown, pubs and bars “stand up to violence against women“
• In Victoria, a man with a history of violence “who subjected a woman to a “sustained and brutal” assault” has been jailed sending an unequivocal message against domestic violence
• “The New South Wales government is setting up a telephone hotline for men who perpetrate domestic violence in a bid to shift the focus to early intervention”
• Ross Honeywill, the national convenor of the of the Centre for Gender Equity, writes that  although “women are running neck and neck with their male counterparts in Australia’s universities. And they are dominating important professional categories…any semblance of equity appears a long way off“

Around the world

• In this article, Prof Nadje Al Ali writes that “women in Iraq bear the brunt of increasing levels of gender-based violence, inadequate infrastructure and poverty”
• In the UK, grocery shop chain Londis has apologised after one of its branches used the term ‘wife beater’ to advertise a brand of lager
• In India, the Supreme Court, in a bid to stop acid attacks on women, “has ordered national and state governments to regulate the sale of acid chemicals by classifying them as a poison”
• In Malawi, President “Dr. Joyce Banda has called on non-governmental organization to help the country in fighting against gender based violence”
• “A Norwegian woman has spoken out about the 16-month prison sentence she received in Dubai after reporting a rape incident to police”
• In Scotland, the prostitution and sex work criminalisation versus legalisation debate heats up

Publications and Resources

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published research on the “ Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence“

Get Involved!

• Join the joint National Women’s Alliances Project Women Vote 2013 by participating in the “Women! Use your Vote” campaign

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

This week AWAVA heard news of the departure of Penny Williams as Australia’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls. The position of the Global Ambassador for Women and Girls is responsible for high-level advocacy to promote Australian Government policies and activities regarding gender equality and the social, political and economic empowerment of women and girls. Ms Williams, a passionate gender equality advocate and a great supporter of AWAVA’s work,  finished her role on 12 July and will be sorely missed.

Around the nation

• The Royal Commission has announced that it will be releasing ‘Issues Papers‘ on a range of topics that are relevant to its work. Currently released are its first Issues Paper on the Working with Children Check and the second issues Paper Towards Healing 
• In this article, Mia Freedman notes that rape cultures and misogyny continue to thrive in popular music (note: *trigger warning*)
• According to Women’s Health East, “Women with disabilities who are victims of sexual assault in the east are going without specific support because their numbers are unknown…police have begun recording the number of assaults specific to women with disabilities but no figures are yet available”
• “A sexual assault expert who consulted the AFL on its Respect & Responsibility policy has lambasted the league for allowing Stephen Milne to resume playing while charged with rape, saying any player on such a charge should be stood down until the case is resolved”
• In this poignant article on the “Dark undercurrents of teenage girls’ selfies“, 11 year old Olympia Nelson urges us that “as feminists we correctly blame patriarchy because boys are securely at the top of the status game”

Around the world

• In this article, the author asks us to remember that “language matters” and  that we need to reframe “the conversation around domestic and sexual abuse to stop blaming victims”
• Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter believes “the most pervasive and unaddressed human rights violation” in the world is violence against women and girls, persisting as it does in most countries globally
• UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka from South Africa as the new Executive Director of UN Women, the organization leading UN’s work on advancing gender equality and women’s rights
• The New York Times reports that an Afghan Court has reversed convictions in a case involving the torture of a young girl. The decision threatens to “reverse the strides made by women”  in Afghanistan
• Dr Meredith Nash argues that  “in spite of its (very effective) emotive appeal to female consumers to challenge beauty norms”, Dove’s “real beauty” advertisements  do not seek “to create awareness of the fact that body image and rising rates of eating disorders throughout the West are social issues that are intimately linked with the beauty industry”

Publications and Resources

• A new research paper from the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House has been released on ‘Reading Statistics: A Guide For Professionals Working With Domestic And Family Violence‘ 

Get Involved!

• The NSW Government recently released a series of documents relating to the NSW Domestic and family violence framework (reforms) for public consultation.  Response is by survey and is due 23 July 2013
• Make a submission on the Abortion Law reform proposed in Tasmania to decriminalise abortion here
• Nominations are now open for the 2013 Anti-Slavery Australia Freedom Awards. The Awards will recognise outstanding work and contributions to initiatives against slavery, slavery-like practices, including forced labour and forced marriage, and human trafficking. More details here 

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