Media Release Archives - Page 5 of 5

“A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women” Media Release: IWD 2013

“We need to keep our promise to women and children who are victims or survivors of any form of violence against women, to end that violence. Globally, nationally, locally we must take responsibility, each and every one us, and commit to speaking out against violence and changing attitudes and behaviour that allow it to continue unabated. The levels of violence are unacceptable, we are facing a global pandemic, we must act now.”

Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA

Read AWAVA’s International Women’s Day 2013 Media Release which includes AWAVA’s international and national efforts to raise awareness and to end violence against women and girls.

Continuation of National Women’s Alliance Funding

AWAVA is delighted with Minister Collins’ announcement yesterday (12 February 2013) that the funding for the National Women’s Alliances will be continued for a further three years until 2016. The renewed funding follows key recommendations from the independent review of the Alliances commissioned by the Government in late 2012.

AWAVA looks forward to working with all our member organisations over the next three years and welcomes the continued support of all our Friends & Supporters.

Please see the Minister’s Media Release and AWAVA’s Media Release.

Media Release: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – 25 November 2012

25 November has been marked by women’s and anti-violence activists as a day focussed 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.

[box] Julie Oberin, Chair of AWAVA says:

” The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is a reminder that male violence against women is a global, national and local issue and that ending this violence is everyone’s responsibility. It is an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, to acknowledge and reflect how far there is still to go, and to renew our efforts. Australia has an exciting opportunity with the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children to be a global leader and to really drive the long-term social change needed to address violence against women and girls.

The National Plan has a crucial focus on the importance of primary prevention and recognises gender and other social inequalities that are both a cause and consequence of violence against women and girls. We need governments, the preventing violence against women sector, schools, business, industry, media and communities to join forces and work in partnership, to learn from each other and to share good practices, knowledge and resources, alongside the lessons learnt along the way. We need a long-term, sustainable, comprehensive whole-of-government, whole-of-school, whole-of-community, cross-sector approach to achieve a real reduction in the disturbing levels of violence against women and girls.

IDEVAW, which is supported by the White Ribbon Campaign, provides the ideal opportunity for people to start conversations about how we can really make a difference and to begin to address violence against women and girls in all our communities.

If everyone works together we can end violence against women and girls”[/box]

Read AWAVA’s full media release here

Media Release: Motion Passed Calling For Employer Recognition of Domestic Violence

On Thursday 11 October, Amanda Rishworth, Federal Member for Kingston, introduced a motion calling for employer recognition of the impact of domestic violence on women’s workforce participation and economic security. Three of the Commonwealth-funded National Women’s Alliances: Equality Rights Alliance (ERA), Australian Women Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA), and economic Security 4 Women eS4W) issued a joint media release in support of the motion. Read the joint media release here

Text from Hansard:

Domestic Violence and the Workplace

Debate resumed on the motion:

That this House:

(1) notes that two thirds of Australian women who have experienced domestic violence with their current partner are in paid employment;

(2) recognises the:

(a) significant impact that domestic violence can have on the employment of women who are subjected to it, including:

(i) lost productivity as a result of anxiety and distraction in the workplace;

(ii) absenteeism due to sustaining physical and psychological injuries;

(iii) disrupted work histories as victims often frequently change jobs;

(iv) lower personal incomes and reduced hours of work; and

(v) risks to personal safety in the workplace as well as to co-workers; and

(b) positive impact of the inclusion of domestic violence clauses in contracts of employment to ensure protections for victims, including:

(i) additional paid leave to enable employees subjected to domestic violence to, for example, attend court hearings and medical appointments without exhausting other forms of personal leave;

(ii) access to flexible working arrangements where possible; and

(iii) assurance that employee details will be treated confidentially and disclosure will not lead to discriminatory treatment;

(3) acknowledges the introduction of domestic violence clauses for public sector employees in both Queensland and NSW, and congratulates organisations in the private sector that have also moved to incorporate these clauses in contracts of employment; and

(4) urges all private companies and public sectors to include domestic violence clauses in their enterprise agreements to provide victims with important protections such as access to leave in addition to existing entitlements.

Question agreed to.

Media Release: Next Steps for Addressing Violence Against Women – National Implementation Plan Released

Minister Collins today released the Federal Government’s National Implementation Plan for the First Action Plan 2010 – 2013 Building a Strong Foundation . The first of four three-year implementation plans to deliver the 12-year National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

AWAVA’s Chair, Julie Oberin, commented: “We need strong leadership from federal, state and territory governments, close collaboration with the preventing violence against women sector and real drive behind the National Implementation Plan. We are pleased that ending violence against women is a key priority for the Government and to see the commitment given to sharing information and good practice, and working together across jurisdictions and sectors”

Access documents here:

National Implementation Plan

Minister Collins Media Release: Key step towards reducing violence against women

AWAVA Media Release – National Implementation Plan Published

Media Release: Stopping Violence Against Women Before It Happens: Toolkit

The National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC), AWAVA and Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (CDFVR), CQUniversity Toolkit Stopping Violence Against Women Before it Happens: A Practical Toolkit for Communities launched by Minister Julie Collins

“We need to break the silences that surround violence against women. We need men and women in our communities to have those difficult conversations and to start to redress gender and other social inequalities. We need our communities to recognise that it’s everyone’s responsibility to address violence against women – this Toolkit is a great starting point.” – Julie Oberin, Chair of Australian Women Against Violence Alliance

Read Minister Collins’ Media Release and Project Partners’ Media Release

Click to download: Stopping Violence Against Women Before it Happens: A Practical Toolkit for Communities

Joint Media Release: International Women’s Day 2013

International Women’s Day 2013 – joint media release with Homelessness Australia, Equality Rights Alliance and WESNET.

Women more vulnerable than ever

“”The face of homelessness is increasingly that of a woman. Women are more vulnerable than ever with a greater likelihood of experiencing poverty and violence, putting their risk of homelessness at an all time high. Is this the face we want to show to the world on International Women’s Day 2013?”

Read media release here

Family Violence Bill Announced

The Attorney-General announced this morning that he is introducing the Family Law Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2011 into Parliament today. This followed consultation on the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill 2010 Exposure Draft, which was supported by 73% of respondents.

While the proposed changes are an important first step to better protecting the safety of women and children in the family law system, more changes are necessary to ensure the family law system does not jeopardise the safety of women and children.

Find out more at Women’s Legal Services Australia’s campaign page – www.safetyinfamilylaw.com

You can see our media release here.

Media Release – 25 Nov – Day Against Violence

In 1999 the United Nations declared November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with the aim of inviting the organisation of activities designated to raise public awareness. Women’s activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981 marking the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabel sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders from Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo.

November 25th is also White Ribbon Day. AWAVA supports White Ribbon Day which urges men to speak out against violence against women. White Ribbon Day was established by men on the second anniversary of one man’s massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. AWAVA calls on all men to step forward speak up and join the campaign to stop the endemic violence against women and their children in Australia and across the world.

Click here to download the full media release from AWAVA.

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