AWAVA has produced an election report card comparing and contrasting major parties' positions on ten key policy areas, including women’s specialist services, housing, the NDIS, the caring workforce and the just use of power. While AWAVA does not endorse candidates or parties, it does encourage friends and supporters to consider party policies and [...]
This week the Women's Electoral Lobby celebrates its 40th anniversary - find 15 minutes in your day to watch this YouTube clip and remember some of the great achievements of this group of women. Around the Nation Graeme Innes, National Disability Discrimination Commissioner has called for the criminalisation of forced sterilisation In Victoria, new Family Violence [...]
Yesterday, October 11, was the first International Day of the Girl Child - and Australia played an important role with Prime Minister Gillard launching the day. To read the UN report click here. A key theme was early and child marriages - see what Nepal is doing to tackle this issue, how the UNFPA will direct funds [...]
Domestic and family violence were a key new's focus last week with major announcements in Victoria (see below for a round-up!) and the 7th National Homelessness Conference highlighting the impact domestic and family violence can have on women and their children. Bob McColl, ABS Statistician, pointed out at the conference that domestic violence is still the number one driver [...]
Last week AWAVA was excited to attend the formal launch of the Stopping Violence Against Women Before It Starts: A Practical Toolkit for Communities by Minister Julie Collins at the Country Women™s Association of Australia National Conference, in Hobart. The Toolkit was featured on ABC news. The 15 easy-to-understand Toolkit factsheets support the National Plan to Reduce [...]
This week the chair of AWAVA, Julie Oberin, met with Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, from the Australian Human Rights Commission and representatives from the National Women's Alliances and attended the AusAID reception with UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet - a busy, productive and inspiring time! AWAVA attended Michelle Bachelet's Gender Equality a [...]
A busy week in the AWAVA office last week, with the joint report with NATSIWA, NGOs' Follow-up report to the CEDAW Committee, being finalised, submitted to the CEDAW Committee and published - thanks again to everyone who contributed to, and endorsed the report. All six National Women's Alliances and over 100 organisations supported it, a [...]
The emergence of blossoms on my trees tells me that spring is on the way! Last week AWAVA, along with member organisations and Friends & Supporters, endorsed the Joint NGO Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the Sixth Periodic Report of Australia, coordinated by NACLC [...]
The first weekly round-up edition for the month and the news has been dominated with Olympic 2012 headlines; still, a few interesting articles to share, and dont forget to check out what's on this month and coming up. A quick update on the NGOs' Follow-up CEDAW report: the final report was circulated this week for [...]
Firstly, a big thank-you to everyone who participated in the recent CEDAW online survey hosted by AWAVA and NATSIWA - we had some excellent, informative and well thought-out responses and really appreciate your contributions. For those that requested it, you will have received a draft report for comment by today 27 July. The report will be [...]