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Weekly Round-up* 17 February

This week three of the National Women’s Alliances – Australian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Alliance (AIRWA), Equality Rights Alliance (ERA) and AWAVA – met with a Chinese delegation, organised by JERA International, to discuss how the Alliances work together, and with the Government.  Other news in Australia and around the world:
  • Findings from the first survey of the whole of Queensland, by the Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research, provide a benchmark for measuring against the 12-year national plan to reduce violence against women and their children by 2022
  • The Australian reports on the launch of the AFL Tackling the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD which will help spread the message to young footballers across Australia that violence against women will not be tolerated
Internationally
  • The Himalyan Times reports on the National Alliance for Women Human Rights’ Defenders (NAWHRD) letter to Kathmandu’s Prime Minister Babu Ram Bhattarai asking him to end Gender Based Violence (GBV)
  • Turkish Women’s Rights’ group urged ‘Forget the flowers, stop the violence for Valentines Day’ read more here
  • Read here how the Violence Against Women Act has become a partisan issue in the US for the first time in its history, it will now go to the full Senate for consideration
  • Dominican leaders signed an agreement to end violence against women, read more here
  • Eve Ensler launched V-Day’s One Billion Rising campaign for a global strike to end violence against women on 14 February 2013. Read more in Eve’s article here, or sign up now
Coming Up

20 February: Exploring sexual violence and institutionalisation in the ACT Public Forum, on Monday, at the National Library in Canberra
23 February: ERA Federal Budget Training in Brisbane
28 February: ERA Federal Budget Training in Canberra
2 March: if you’re in Canberra, don’t miss the National Women’s Alliances International Women’s Day Event
7 March: in Western Australia Robyn McSweeney MLC, Minister for Women’s Interests, is holding an International Women’s Day Discussion Lounge on the theme of “The mothers of invention – women as innovators and agents of change”
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Weekly Round-up* 10 February

As usual, there has also been plenty of news Around the Nation and Internationally:

  • Tricia Malowney reminds us of the complexity of issues women with disabilities can face when trying to escape violence
  • Listen here to one woman’s story as a survivor of the Black Saturday fires and Domestic Violence

Internationally

  • In Scotland, there are questions around changing the ‘corroboration’ clause in sexual assault cases – read more about the Cadder Ruling and its impacts here
  • Amnesty International and the European Women’s Lobby call for the EU to do more to end violence against women
  • In the UK, Aisha Gill looks into honour-based killings
  • Read here about forced marriages of young women in NZ, and the government response
  • The Center for Disease Control in the USA has released its findings on the number of women who will experience violence in their lifetimes, as reported here on The Rocket
  • In Pakistan, NGOs are pushing for domestic violence to be criminalised

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Coming up!

some great events are coming up over the next few months:

20 February: In the ACT there is a public forum on Exploring Sexual Violence and institutionalisation in the ACT

23 February: Equality Rights Alliance Federal Budget Training in Brisbane – see Events

28 February: Equality Rights Alliance Federal Budget Training in Canberra – see Events

2 March: National Womens’ Alliances International Womens’ Day 2012 in Canberra – see Events

15 March: The Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture in Western Australia is focussing on The Sexualisation of Girls in the Digital Age

14-16 November: The No To Violence conference is being held in St Kilda

And there is still time to register for Identifying the Hidden Disaster and the 2nd World Shelter Conference

**articles included are not necessarily the views of AWAVA

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In Focus: Female Genital Mutilation

This week saw the International Day to end Female Genital Mutiliation on Feb 6.  This day recognises that three million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide each year, that’s 8000 girls every day, and that it is time to end this form of violence against women and girls.

In keeping with this, we have an In Focus post with articles on FGM (sometimes called female circumsion or “cutting”) that have appeared in the news around the world.

Female Genital Mutilation

  • Fionnuala Murphy asks whether the government is doing enough to end FGM in Britain
  • Mrs Florence Ali, president of the Ghana Association for Women’s Welfare poses the same question in Ghana
  • According to the LA times, progress is being made in Africa, with 8,000 communities putting an end to FGM.  You can also read more about ending FGM in Africa here
  • In Ireland, there is debate between Amnesty International and government officials about wording of laws to ban FGM
  • In continental Europe, Amnesty International have joined forces with the European Women’s Lobby to lobby government for change
  • In Uganda, there is pressure on government to do more in educating local communities
  • And in Yemen, there is a need to look at new strategies to end widespread FGM**articles included are not necessarily the views of AWAVA
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Equality Rights Alliance Federal Budget Training

How would you spend $365bn?

You’re invited to a training workshop to help your women’s organisation:

  • Write an effective Federal Budget submission
  • Run a rocking public campaign supporting your submission

And best of all, it’s FREE!

Event in Alice Springs, Railway Terrace, on Monday 23 July 10am-4pm.  Please RSVP to ERA or call 02 6175 9926 by Thursday 19 July

Alice Springs Training Workshop Invite

 

Previous events in Brisbane on 23 February and Canberra on 28 February, see flyers below

Brisbane ERA Training Workshop Invite

Canberra ERA Training Workshop Invite

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Weekly Round-up* 2 February

How this year has flown!  February already, and I know that lots of you will be making plans for IWD celebrations, as well as the upcoming 2nd World Shelter Conference and CSW56.

With so much happening, now seems like the perfect time to take a few minutes to breathe and read-up on what has been happening in Australia and around the world, with lots of international articles popping up this week.

Around the Country

  • More research confirms the prevalence of Family Violence after disasters, as reported here by the Age
  • And the Australian goes into more detail on the same topic here

Internationally:

  • This United Nations Report looks at conflict-related Sexual Violence
  • From the USA, read this media release on Sexual Violence, Stalking and Intimate Partner Violence in the US, which highlights the importance of prevention
  • Still in the USA, read about the campaign Women are Watching, which is keeping a close eye on ever-more restrictive laws on abortion and birth control
  • In the Maldives, there is growing concern over rising rates of violence against women, particularly Female Genital Mutiliation
  • In the UK, women’s groups are calling for stronger laws for sexualised images in the media and accurate reporting of violence against women

Coming up

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Dont forget, you still have time to register for these events:

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International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

Three million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide each year. That’s 8000 girls per day.

FGM is a form of violence against women and children.  Today (6 February 2012) is International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, an official UN day to raise awareness.  Although illegal in Australia, the Melbourne Royal Women’s Hospital alone has reported seeing between 600 and 700 women affected by FGM annually.

END FGM, a European campaign, led by Amnesty International Ireland, working in partnership with a number of organisations in EU member states, have created a video to celebrate the 42,000 signatures of support demanding leaders to take action.

 

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2012-2013 Pre Budget Submission: Focusing on, and investing in, addressing VAW

AWAVA submitted two Pre Budget Submissions to Treasury, one in collaboration with the Equality Rights Alliance; both emphasised strengthening the focus and investment in addressing violence against women.  AWAVA was disappointed that the 2012-13 budget announcements and Women’s Statement included no new commitments.

Although AWAVA is very supportive of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children, the plan is only effective if it is properly funded, implemented and monitored.

Chair of AWAVA, Julie Oberin’s comments on the 2012-13 Federal Budget below:

“Federal Budget decisions were made on applying the Government’s core values of ‘protecting the most vulnerable in our community and the frontline services Australian families rely on’ and prioritising spending to ‘people most in need.’  Women and children that are experiencing violence, and the services that support them, are noticeably missing.  This group is arguably one of Australia’s most vulnerable, but it seems that they are one of the costs to the Government achieving a surplus.   We have to remember that there was no funding announced with the National Plan for Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children and that the $86 million sometimes referred to, includes initiatives from as far back as April 2009. 

We have repeatedly raised our concerns that the safety of women and children must not be compromised and it must be recognised that increasing awareness and prevention activities for violence against women will increase demand for services. We do not want to see a situation where women and children are turned away from services unable to cope with the numbers seeking help.  There is already a current turn away rate for shelter beds and specialist support, and waiting lists for sexual assault counselling. One in two people who request immediate accommodation are turned away each night due to high demand and under-resourcing.  The Australian Government needs to invest in refuge, shelter and crisis housing and support services, alongside investment in primary prevention, to address this gap.

AWAVA wants to see real commitment from the Australian Government, which means investing properly in vital services for women and their children and in meaningful, not ad-hoc, primary prevention activities.  If we are serious about addressing the root causes of violence against women and girls, gender and social equality needs to be embedded across every part of society including the national curriculum and in pre and in-service teacher-training.”

Download our submission here 

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Weekly Round-up* 20 January

A quieter week this week for VAW in the news – but still a few ‘must reads’ that have caught our attention…

Around the Nation

  • Still more on the ADF enquiry, as the Age looks at women in the armed forces
  • CASA – the Centre Against Sexual Assault – has seen an increase in the number of children showing sexualised behaviour, according to this report in the Age
  • The Age also reports on the growing number of registered sex offenders in Victoria

Internationally:

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Looking forward to working with you in 2012

I’m very excited to have joined AWAVA as the Program Manager!  I’m really looking forward to working with our Friends and Supporters in 2012 to move towards AWAVA’s ambitious, but essential, vision to ensure that all women and children are able to live free from all forms of violence and abuse.  AWAVA’s Friends and Supporters bring together organisations, networks and individuals that contribute to achieving our vision by putting women, and their voices, at the heart of the work we all do.  I’m proud to be part of AWAVA and to play a role in working with others to make sure women’s voices are heard, and that those voices lead to change.

 

Please contact me, Amy Blain, if you have any questions, queries or suggestions by clicking on the link here

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