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In this double edition of the weekly round-up, we are delighted to inform you that registration remains open for a six-part webinar series on online safety in a digital world called ‘From Faxes to Facebook’ to be delivered by AWAVA’s lead agency, the Women’s Services Network (WESNET), as part of its Safety Net Australia Project. Collectively, these webinars offer “a comprehensive understanding of how technology may be misused by abusers as well as best practices for agencies in using technology to enhance their support services for women experiencing gender-based violence…”. Information on the individual topics each webinar addresses in-depth, and free registration, is available via the WESNET website.

Around the Nation

• From Canberra, a victim/survivor of domestic violence shared their story of struggle and hope in this powerful personal testimony
• Intersections between racially-motivated and gender-motivated violence frequently emerge. The Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner published this piece providing a snapshot of casual racism in Australia and why taking a stand matter
• Results from a national survey on the sexual harassment of women doctors by patients has uncovered results that experts describe as “disturbing“
• In Sydney, a former director of the Vagina Monologues is working on a new theatre project that aims to bring the lived human element of domestic violence to the forefront of community consciousness
• From Melbourne, the Herald Sun reported on the increased prevalence of stalkers using mobile technology and social media to terrorise victim/survivors of domestic violence
• ‘The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’ held more face-to-face consultations with Commissioners in both Melbourne and Perth this week. Over the next month, they will also be visiting Darwin, Brisbane and Canberra.

Around the World

• The Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister blasted the United Nations General Assembly with a speech renouncing early and forced marriage, saying “Canada’s government doesn’t seek to have our values or principled foreign policy validated by elites who would rather ‘go along to get along…”
• President Barack Obama announced that October 2013 is America’s first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Erin Hogeboom unleashed this response to the US Government’s recent announcement of $10 million in new funding to protect women and girls from violence, saying that “in not yet ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)… the U.S. is sending a clear message…that it will set the moral compass but not be held accountable to the same standards”
• Panellists at a United Nations ministerial meeting advocated for violence against women and girls to be a pivotal focus of the post-Millenium Development Goals agenda, with the new Executive Director of UN Women saying that “violence against women is one of the most pervasive human rights violations during times of peace and conflict…”
• At the 2013 Social Good Summit, the Executive Director of UN Women also said that with your tweets, social media has the potential to end violence against women
• Remarks at the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) encouraged women to speak out to ensure the inclusion of gender-based issues in the country’s new Constitution
• In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said there is a need to change public and private mindsets to stop violence against women
• Extreme cases of street harassment motivated columnist Soraya Chemaly to discuss the “gendered asymmetry in violence” 
• From Canada, one journalist covered the annual ‘Take Back the Night’ march and reflected on the challenges and achievements that have typified the thirty years since the first iconic march took place, and another journalist featured a separate ‘Take Back the Night’ march in Chatham
• Fears that stoning may be on the rise in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq led to women’s rights activist groups launching a new international campaign, with a spokesperson saying stoning is “one of the most brutal forms of violence perpetrated against women in order to control and punish their sexuality and basic freedoms”
• Experts say that the dearth of current statistics on violence against women in Canada contributes to the issue’s invisibility in both communities and in public policy
• Panama passed new legislation in an attempt to counter-act rising trends worldwide of femicide, which can be defined “as an extreme manifestation of human rights violation in which the murder of the woman is based in gender biases”
• In the US, an appeals court ruled that military personnel who are victim/survivors of sexual assault are eligible for disability pay for psychiatric trauma even if they did not report incidents
• From the UK, The Guardian published an article on the importance of employers creating safe and supportive spaces for victim/survivors of domestic violence.
• The Guardian also recounted the story of Raven Kaliana who was trafficked by her parents into child pornorgraphy and now works as a passionate advocate for victim/survivors through her campaign ‘Outspiral’
• In Nairobi, a local NGO called Maishi e. v. reported extremely high levels of prevalence for gender-based violence in Kenya and identified the dire need for more support services to become available
• From Tennessee in the US, a spokesperson for Voice for Victims focussed on the importance of education in combating domestic violence, stating that “A woman who leaves an abusive relationship increases her chances of being murdered by 75 percent”
• The lack of adequate trigger warnings included in the controversial depiction of sexual violence in the popular British television series ‘Downtown Abbey’ was condemned by many viewers

Get Involved

• Amnesty International’s blogging competition is open and will be taking submissions until 1 Nov 2013 on articles with a human rights theme
• Women’s Health Victoria will be holding a free seminar on Tuesday 19 October called ‘Beyond the Sext: Technology – facilitated by violence and harassment’. To register, please follow this link
• In Melbourne, US trainer and consultant David Mandel is presenting two workshops hosted by No To Violence and the Domestic Violence Resource Centre. The first is ‘Safe Together: a child-centred approach to the intersection of intimate partner violence and child maltreatment’ on Thursday 14 November. The second is ‘Safe engagement and assessment: working with fathers to support safe, positiver fathering’ on Friday 15 November. For more information, follow this link.
• Lifeline Australia provides a free domestic violence training program ‘DV Alert’ which teaches social service professionals how to recognise, respond and refer cases of domestic and family violence. This is accredited training program is available in all Australian states and territories. Find out if you are eligible.
• The Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse will be holding a national workshop together with the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault on 8 November in Adelaide for “advanced practitioners and clinicians working in the men’s behaviour change and therapy field”

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only

Last week, AWAVA Chair Julie Oberin and AWAVA Executive Member Margaret Augerinos attended the National Victims of Crime Conference and the National Homicide Symposium in Adelaide hosted by Victims of Crime South Australia. The important national conference and symposium provided a range of diverse papers, presentations and workshops that explore ways in which justice for victims can be significantly improved. The National Centre of Excellence to reduce violence against women and their children announced that it will be taking over delivery of services provided by the domestic, family and sexual violence clearinghouses across the country. The Australian Institute of Family Studies/ Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault and the Centre for Gender Related Violence Studies/ the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House issued separate statements

Around the Nation

• In Alice Springs, NT, the government-funded Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been unable to provide full forensic examination support services for victim/survivors since March this year due to staff vacancies and Co-ordinator of the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter described the situation as “appalling“
• In Melbourne, men’s behavioural change programs have reached a “demand crisis“ where many men who volunteer for programs are being turned away due to lack of capacity
• Women’s Health Victoria celebrated the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion by issuing this media release advocating for increasing women’s reproductive health rights around the world
• In Mackay, Queensland, the annual Reclaim the Night march is scheduled for 25 October 2013 and will be  dedicated to Shandee Blackburn who was murdered while walking home on Feb 9 2013
• Journalist Michael Rodden published this thoughtful and detailed examination of domestic violence in The Citizen

Around the World

• In Canada, over 2,500 male residents of Toronto walked more than 5 million steps in high heels to help end gender-based violence for the 5th annual Walk a Mile in her Shoes march
• Concerning India, the Washington Post explored mixed reactions to the rise of women-only spaces in this article and its accompanying photo essay by highlighting commentary stating that it’s “men who need to change their behaviour…not women“
• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that it will intensify efforts to fight gender-based violence in 50 countries at high risk of conflict and disaster, saying that “only a multi-pronged, multi-stakeholder approach will work“
• The US State Department announced $10 million in funding to end gender-based violence in international humanitarian crises that builds on the framework established by ‘the US National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security’ and ‘the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally’
• From the UK, acclaimed crime fiction author Ann Cleeves questioned the increasingly graphic depictions of violence against women in Nordic literature and named popular works like Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millenium Trilogy’ as culprits
• In Ireland, the first National Union of Journalists women’s conference announced that they will soon release guidelines for responding to all aspects of violence directed at women journalists
• In Nicaragua, thousands of women took to the streets to protest legal changes that could force dangerously unsafe mediation practices onto victim/survivors of domestic, family and/or sexual violence
• From the US, this insightful article argues that the best response to gender-based violence is rejecting all gender segregation and division, starting with our schools

Publications and Resources

• UNICEF has released a collection of teaching resources for raising student awareness of the importance of gender equality

Get Involved

• In Sydney, NSW, the National Centre for Excellence to reduce violence against women and their children is looking to appoint its first Chief Executive Officer 
• In Victoria, the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service is looking for a new Manager – Client Services and applications close on 9 October 2013
• In Glebe, NSW, AWAVA Advisory Group Member Organisation Domestic Violence New South Wales has announced its 2013 conference will be held on Monday 21 October. Please email [email protected] for further information

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only

For advocates and lobbyists around the world, social media has become a crucial bridge-building and outreach tool.  In the global movement to end gender-based violence, international conversations through various social media platforms are vital in order to share practice and knowledge and learn from one another. The Weekly Round-Up is one line of communication we use to tap into the passion, expertise and support provided by you – our readers. Another is our Facebook page. In March 2013, we only had 9 ‘likes’. As of today, our reach has climbed to 475 ‘likes’. We are hoping to reach 500 – a new and exciting milestone for all involved. Our page is constantly updated with news and relevant information. Please join us, so we can grow together and amplify our combined efforts to ensure the safety of women and girls everywhere.

In the news this week, the international reaction against the death penalty handed down to perpetrators in the Delhi Gang rape case rocked the global news cycle. In Australia, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse began its public hearings in Sydney. The AWAVA team has and will continue to pierce through the high volume of media coverage to bring you insightful pieces that expose the social determinants and gendered nature of domestic, family and sexual violence.

Around the Nation

• In Sydney, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse began its public hearings and these can be watched via livestream
• Journalist and feminist Sarah McKenzie deflated poorly substantiated claims that domestic violence is equally experienced by men and women, stating that “to suggest that domestic violence is a gender-equal crime is plainly incorrect, and dangerous“
• In Port Augusta, the new Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children held pivotal consultations in order to “engage and involve the community in primary prevention”
• In the Hunter Region, crime experts and women’s refuge centres reported a 17 per cent spike in reported domestic violence

Around the World

• In an article on the Delhi Gang rape, this author argued that the death penalty awarded to the perpetrators in the case “deters (or at least distracts) us from confronting the broader institutional and cultural violence”
• Concerning the same sentencing, UN Women and Amnesty International both separately condemned the use of the death penalty. UN Women called on the Indian government to adopt a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women and Amnesty International demanded “far-reaching procedural and institutional reform“
• Further commentary on the Indian government’s ongoing response to the recent focus on sexual violence revealed the gross inadequacies of the Mumbai resolution in an article entitled ‘Banning lingerie from storefronts won’t solve India’s gang rape problem’
• In Bangladesh, a journalist severely criticised the dispossession of Saudi women’s rights in the name of misappropriated religious norms, arguing “it’s one thing to be protective, and another to relegate a woman’s say in her own life”
• Concerning Afghanistan, UN Women called for justice for the targeted intimidation and killing of women government officials in this compelling statement
• In ‘the Guardian’ newspaper, feminist fireband Soraya Chemaly raised concerns about Facebook’s failure to curtail misogynistic rhetoric and practices whilst also writing an article for ‘The Salon’  uncovering how casual harassment sustains and perpetuates violence against women
• In the US, the Institute for Global Ethics discussed the doubling of sexual assault reports in the US Navy this year which has been attributed to some internal improvements in reporting procedures and workplace culture
• The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called for, amongst other things, meaningful progress in ensuring the safety of  journalists and human rights defenders who train a spotlight on violations of women’s rights

Publications and Resources

• In the US, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) released its 7th consecutive annual census report capturing the number of individuals who sought domestic violence services in a single 24-hour period
• The Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse released “Fast Facts 11 – Domestic and Family Violence and People from Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds“

Get Involved

• The National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT  has opened registration for its free ‘Workers Webinar Series‘ which provides crucial information relevant to professionals involved in the areas of domestic, family and sexual violence
• AWAVA sister National Women’s Alliance, the Equality Rights Alliance, has released the Housing Stress-O-Meter – a two minute online survey designed to uncover hidden housing stress in Australian communities. The intersectionality between women and children’s experiences of violence and housing stress makes this is incredibly important work
• In a region-wide event for Hume in NSW, the Goulburn Valley Family Violence Prevention Network is hosting a forum on “Responding to the Abuse of Older Women and Men” on Wed 9 October 2013 (9:30am – 3:00pm) focussed on relevant legislation and key support services
• The Eastern Domestic Violence Service (EDVOS) has three upcoming events. There is a fundraiser with internationally acclaimed speaker Johnella Bird scheduled for Tuesday 29 October 2013 from 3:00-5:30pm in Doncaster, Victoria for which registration closes on Friday 18 October 2013. There are also two workshops facilitated by Vikki Reynolds – one called ‘Resisting Burnout’ on Wednesday 9 October from 9:40am-4:00pm and another called ‘Justice Doing and Solidarity in Community Work’ on Friday 11 October from 9:30am-4:00pm. Registration for both closes on Tuesday 1 October. Please email [email protected] for more information on any of these events.

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only

The AWAVA team would like to congratulate Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott and the Coalition on their federal election victory. We look forward to working with the new Government and progressing the important work of preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls. Given the domination of intense election coverage from almost all media outlets over the last two weeks, AWAVA is delighted to present a special Double Edition of the Weekly Round-Up. We’ve condensed our bulletin to help reduce the information flow that we have all no doubt been wading through. Next week, it will be back to business as usual for the Weekly Round-Up!

We would also like to extend our warm and heartfelt congratulations to AWAVA Advisory Group member organisation, Women’s Refuge Movement NSW, who are now Domestic Violence NSW. The launch of their new website marks an important moment for the preventing violence against women sector in NSW and the broader Australian community.

Around the Nation

• Ken Lay, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, delivered a searing analysis of the damaging social myths driving victim-blaming and false characterisations of family violence, stating “our culture is heavy with warped and misspent masculinity“
• An editorial in The Age dissected the creeping influence of raunch culture into popular culture and highlighted the vulnerability this creates for young people avidly consuming online content, saying “Media and digital literacy is an essential skill in which our whole community should be involved. Just as drug and sex education programs are having a positive effect on young people’s behaviour, educating our youth about raunch culture is also a priority” 
• The Tasmanian government has unveiled a new ten-year plan to reduce violence against women and their children aimed at lowering the prevalence of domestic violence and “making sure all government policies and services and programs apply that gender mainstreaming lens”
• In Victoria, a victim/survivor of domestic violence “has been told she is not allowed to know the area where her paroled attacker is living because of his right to privacy”     

Around the World

• In Harlem USA, the violent murder of Islan Nettles, a young transgender woman starting a promising career in fashion, left her local community distraught and provided clear evidence of the life-threatening discrimination endured everyday by those identifying as sex and/or gender diverse
• In the Asia-Pacific Region, the United Nations released findings from a new study exploring why men use violence against women and girls affirming that gender-based violence “is preventable, not inevitable”
• In the UK, the Guardian covered the launch of Paladin, a new organisation created to assist women who met abusive partners through online dating sites. This agency was set-up in response to a rash of serious data breaches caused by the hacking of popular dating platforms
• The Women’s Media Centre is undertaking important work in documenting reports of sexualised violence in Syria to help build an evidence-base for violence against women in conflict
• In the USA, the President’s Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities released a new report on these overlapping challenges for the health and well-being of people in the United States
• Human Rights Watch shone a spotlight on the situation in Afghanistan by calling on President Hamid Karzai to “take urgent action to fight child marriage and domestic violence or risk further harm to development and public health in Afghanistan” in this open letter
• UN Women continued to position violence against women and girls as the single most pervasive human rights violation in the world, with “up to seven in ten” women experiencing violence in their lifetime. UN Women intensified their ‘Say No, Unite to End Violence Against Women’ campaign by calling on all governments to commit to adding their voices to this global fight 
• In the UK, Writer Jane Martinson argues that “falling domestic violence statistics are a sign of police failure” 

Get Involved

• The National Centre of Excellence to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children has issued an open invitation to all those involved and/or interested in domestic, family and sexual violence to send submissions to help steer their National Research Agenda with a closing date of 1 October 2013
• The 2013 National Indigenous Health Conference is designed to bring together both government and non-government agencies working in the field of Indigenous health
• UN Women’s ‘Say No- Unite to End Violence Against Women’ campaign released a quiz to test knowledge of facts on violence against women and “what’s more, every point you score counts towards the Say NO action counter. Let’s show the world we are not silent anymore. Take action now!” 
• In Brisbane on 20 September 2013, Law, History & Personal Narratives: An Indigenous Family Violence Perspective will address historical, legal, political and personal issues in relation to family violence faced within Indigenous communities
• Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria is hosting, on 24- 25 September 2013, “Making Children’s Safety and Well-being Matter– a two day workshop that will explore some dilemmas and possibilities for enhancing children`s safety and wellbeing, by focusing on the child within the family context”
• The NSW LGBTIQ Domestic Violence Interagency Working Group is hosting the second national LGBTIQ domestic violence conference “Stronger links for safer communities, because it’s all of our business” on 19-20 September, 2013

**Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of AWAVA and are included as items of interest only