AWAVA joined with 61 other women’s organisations across Australia to call on COAG to take urgent steps to address violence against women. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, we called for robust funding for primary prevention initiatives and sustained and adequate resourcing for women’s specialist services.
Read our joint Letter to the Prime Minister here.
Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance is reflecting on Australia’s achievements and ongoing challenges in preventing male violence against women.
AWAVA stands in solidarity with those whose lives have been impacted by violence, with survivors who fight for justice and an end to violence, and with the individuals and organisations committed to preventing male violence against women and achieving gender equality.
We are heartened that there is finally a national dialogue on the issue of male violence against women and that this dialogue has placed gendered violence firmly on the political agenda. Further, we are encouraged by the improvements we have seen in the media’s response to this violence, by women’s use of social media to progress gender equality, and by the thousands of Australia women, and men, who work tirelessly to support survivors of violence, to challenge gender inequality, and to effect social change.
Yet, the impact of gender-based violence for Australian women, their families and their communities remains overwhelming. Across the country one in three women experience physical violence and one in five experience sexual violence since the age of 15. Almost one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner each week. Women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities and women with disabilities experience particularly high rates of violence.
It is obvious that, in spite of our collective efforts, not enough is being done to prevent male violence against women. Further, it is clear that the responsibility to address this violence falls on all of us.
If we are to genuinely address male violence against women we must come together as a community to demand action, we must challenge attitudes and institutions that normalise and justify violence and we must work together to build a society that has a zero tolerance to gender-based violence and inequality.
If we are to genuinely address male violence against women we must come together as a community to demand action, we must challenge attitudes and institutions that normalise and justify violence and we must work together to build a society that has a zero tolerance to gender-based violence and inequality.
For comment:
Julie Oberin, Chair (email, 0419 539 346)
Sophie Hardefeldt, Program Manager (email, 0428 541 396)
The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance commends the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments for their release of the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children on June 27, 2014. The impact of Violence against women for Australian women, their families and their communities is devastating. Across the country one in three women experience physical violence and one in five experience sexual violence since the age of 15. Almost one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner each week.
AWAVA applauds the Governments’ prioritisation of reducing violence against women and their leadership in strengthening our mechanisms to prevent and respond to this violence. We recognize the particular vulnerability of women from marginalised communities to violence and are pleased that the Second Action Plan 2013-2016 specifically targets high risk communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and women with a disability.
Julie Oberin, the Chair of AWAVA, said today that she “welcomes the Action Plan’s focus on improving support services for women and children who are experiencing violence, whilst also addressing the root causes of violence against women such as gender inequality and community attitudes supporting and enabling violence to continue.” Ms. Oberin states that “it is a key strategy to engage with the media and key community institutions.”
AWAVA also welcomes the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence.
AWAVA looks forward to supporting the implementation of the Second Action Plan over the next 3 years. In particular, AWAVA is excited to be facilitating an International Conference on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children in collaboration with The Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and Children in late 2015/early 2016.
For comment: Julie Oberin, Chair (email or 0419539346) Sophie Hardefeldt, Program Manager (email or 0418574018)
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
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
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
The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) commends the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments for the establishment of the new National Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children. As the Commonwealth funded, issue based alliance on violence against women, AWAVA believes that the $6.5 million invested in the new Foundation is evidence of bipartisan government support for and a strong commitment to the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. We extend our congratulations to Natasha Stott Despoja inaugural Chair of the Foundation and the other members of the Board on their appointments. Read the full media release here
The Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) commends the Commonwealth
Government’s investment of $3 million to support research looking at ways to prevent
perpetrators of violence against women from reoffending. AWAVA welcomes the initiative to
develop national outcome standards for perpetrator interventions via consultation with the
Australian women’s sector.
Read the full media release here
AWAVA comments on the 2013-14 Federal Budget announcements:
Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA, comments
“An ongoing budgetary commitment, clearly linked to the National Plan implementation, across the entire plan and its lifetime, is fundamental each year. This needs to be commensurate with the scale of the issue. The announcements in the 2013-14 budget for the Royal Commission reflect this and give a much-needed focus on child sexual assault, for which the Government should be congratulated, it needs to be acknowledged that similar funding levels are needed across all forms of violence against women and their children.”
“AWAVA are keen to work with, and to participate in the development of the Foundation
[to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children] so that it can draw upon and build on the existing primary prevention and early intervention knowledge base and work undertaken by the preventing violence against women’s sector. The National Plan requires continued, coordinated, partnerships and it is key that the new foundation develops on work already being progressed within the sector.”Read AWAVA’s full media release here: AWAVA 2013-14 Budget Media Release
How will we now protect survivors and victims of domestic violence from the discrimination we know they face in the workplace and in accessing safe, secure, long-term accommodation?
The Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus QC, has just announced that the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 will be on hold, missing a once-in-a-decade opportunity to introduce much-needed protections for survivors and victims of domestic violence. The Government will be introducing the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people from discrimination in Commonwealth laws, which is obviously welcomed, but the protections must go much further. Read the Government media release
AWAVA are very supportive of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 and are extremely disappointed that the recommendation to include the status of being a survivor/victim of domestic violence as a protected attribute stands and falls with the Bill
“We have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make a real difference to women who are currently experiencing, or have experienced, domestic and family violence by including the status of being a survivor/victim of domestic violence as a protected attribute in the consolidated Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination (HRAD) Bill 2012. Not taking this opportunity to provide a much-needed protection and support to women is an absolute travesty.”
“How do we protect Australia’s most vulnerable women if there is no specific legislative protection from the discrimination we know they still face in the workplace and when seeking safe, secure and long-term accommodation? If we can include protections in the Fair Work Act and workplace indicators, why not in our discrimination laws? We know that this is absolutely needed for the safety and security of women and their children to find their way out, and stay out of,abusive relationships.” – Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA
Read AWAVA’s full Media Release here