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A busy and focused couple of weeks for women right around the world, with the 2nd World Shelter Conference having just concluded, CSW56 in full swing and organisations and individuals preparing for, and celebrating International Women’s Day.

News on gender-based violence against women continues to appear in the media daily, so here is just a snippet of what has crossed our virtual desks this week

Around the Nation:

• Police and other services report a surge in reports of Family Violence in Victoria – as The Age reports here
• The Age has also started a series of articles examining the causes of Violence Against Women
• The National Times says that Domestic Violence is our Biggest Law and Order Issue

Around the World

• In Ireland, a new report reveals an average of 8 calls per hour from women experiencing violence over the new year period
• In the UK, new laws will allow women to ask police about any history of violence their partners may have
• Heather Barr reflects on the ever-changing situation for women in Afghanistan

And some of the media attention that the 2nd World Conference of Women’s Shelters received:

• The Daily Star noted safe shelters save lives
• The Bahamas Weekly quoted Melanne Verveer as saying violence against women and girls is amongst the world’s greatest challenges

IWD also drew lots of attention from the Media – a few articles that caught our eye:

• In Pakistan, rape continues to be used as a tool to oppress women
• Still in Pakistan, and an awareness-raising event as part of the We Can All End Violence Against Women campaign was held in Islamabad
• At home, Elizabeth Broderick asks us to think about rural women living with violence
• And Penny Williams talks about women making a difference in the Pacific region
• Khady Koita looked at putting a universal end to female genital mutiliation

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Reports and Publications

• DVRC has released this report into filicide and the link to Domestic Violence

• 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

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

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:

• Identifying the Hidden Disaster: The First Australian Conference on Natural Disasters and Family Violence – Melbourne – 9 March
• Dont miss Eve Ensler at Sydney Theatre on 14 February
• The International Women’s Conference being held in June is calling for submissions
• And don’t forget the 2nd World Shelter Conference in Washington DC, 27 February-1 March