Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 11

Weekly Round-Up * 24 November

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, in the lead up to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women as well as the 16 Days of Activism on Gender-Based Violence, people around the country, including Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Michaelia Cash and former AFL player Luke Ablett, have been speaking out about the need to change our behaviours and attitudes if we want to prevent and eliminate men’s violence against women. The links below highlight concrete strategies and initiatives being put in place by activists and organisations across the world to prevent gender-based violence and to promote gender equality.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and twitter feed for more information, stats, and resources every day during the 16 Days of Activism!

Around the Country

The collective leadership of Australia and New Zealand’s Police Commissioners held a breakfast at Parliament house on 24 November on the theme, ‘Standing together to tackle violence against women and children’
The Commonwealth Government has committed $1 million over three years to be used by the sporting community to reduce violence against women and children
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has spoken to male business leaders who support gender equality to take substantive action to address rates of violence against women
In Melbourne, calls to the Family Violence Response Centre from people experiencing family violence have risen by 86% over the past 2 years
[TRIGGER WARNING: Extremely graphic recording of violence, violence against children]
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) have launched ‘Sexual Violence Research (SVR) asthe new name under which they will conduct and communicate research related to sexual violence – replacing the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA)
In Victoria, increasing numbers of women and young children find themselves living in dangerous and unsuitable rooming houses after fleeing domestic violence
In Perth, over 500 people have marched to protest domestic violence against women
In the ACT, police have been criticised for their slow response to an allegation of assault on a Canberra woman [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence]
In Victoria, the Hume council has created a sign spelling out ‘Violence against women – Hume says no’ large enough to be seen by passengers on planes flying in to the Melbourne airport
In Queensland, the Caboolture Region Domestic Violence Service is working on an early intervention program for children in primary schools to address high rates of domestic violence in the region
No conviction has been recorded in the sentencing of former AFL player Stephen Milne after he plead guilty to indecently assaulting a woman in 2004
In Victoria, domestic violence services have expressed dissatisfaction with the commitments made so far by both the Coalition and Labor parties in the lead up to the state election
South Sydney Rabbitohs have stood down new player Cody Walker for domestic violence offenses

Around the World

In India, the deaths of 13 women after being operated on at a ‘sterilisation camp’ has prompteddiscussion about empowerment and access to contraceptives for the country’s women. [TRIGGERWARNING: Descriptions of forced medical procedures, death] Chief Justice HL Dattu has spoken about the need for a holistic, systemic change in order to address violence against women
The United States has recently been reviewed on its efforts to “prevent and punish violence and abuse of women” by the United Nations Committee Against Torture [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of gun violence, police violence]
In Afghanistan, feminist MP Shukria Barakzai has survived an assassination attempt that has killed three bystanders and wounded 22 [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence, suicide-attack, death]
In Israel, the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel has reported that only 15% of sexual assault cases in the country were reported to police in 2013
In Canada, a study has found that two thirds of women who have experienced sexual violence do not have faith in the country’s criminal justice system
In Afghanistan, a treatment protocol for all healthcare providers has been launched to provide guidance on how to care for survivors of gender-based violence
In Kenya, hundreds of people have marched in protest after a woman was attacked on the street for wearing a miniskirt
Women Scream International Poetry Festival 2015 has announced its first list of participating countriesset to join the festival in March next year

Research, Resources and Reports

Medical Journal The Lancet has published a series focussed on evaluating the extent of violence against women and the effectiveness of differing programs around the globe
An article from R.M. Field and A. Lynch entitled ‘Hearing parties’ voices in Coordinated Family Dispute Resolution (CFDR): An Australian pilot of a family mediation model designed for matters involving a history of domestic violence’ has been published by the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
The journal, Australian Family Physician, has published a paper entitled ‘Family violence across the life cycle’ which aims to address clinical questions that general practitioners (GPs) may have in identifying and responding to patients experiencing family violence
The full statement from the Asia Pacific Beijing+20 Civil Society Forum held in Bangkok on 14-16 November 2014 is now available online
Samantha Jeffries and Christine EW Bond have published an article in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology entitled ‘Taking the problem seriously? Sentencing Indigenous and non-Indigenous domestic violence offenders’
YWCA Australia have released the results of their She Speaks Survey, which collects responses from over 1,600 women aged 15-30 around Australia on topics including discrimination, sexism, violence and leadership

Get Involved!

The call for papers for the 5^th ACFID University Network Conference, Evidence and practice in an age of inequality, is now open and closes on 26 January 2014
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign starts tomorrow! Check out this calendar of events from around the globe to see how you can get involved

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

Weekly Round-Up * 17 November

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we highlight perspectives on the prevention of men’s violence against women from services, survivors, allies and also perpetrators. The role of pervasive sexist attitudes in the continuation of violence against women in our communities is undeniable. Therefore, it is important that we address these harmful attitudes when responding to gendered violence. Reflecting on what responses are successful in preventing violence and what responses are not is crucial and we must constantly undertake this process of analysis and reflection to ensure our responses to gendered violence address the root causes of this violence and are effective in reducing and ultimately preventing this violence.

Around the Country

The UN Committee Against Torture has stated that Australia, as a signatory to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, has an obligation to take action on preventing violence against women in Australia
In Victoria, Police Commissioner Ken Lay has launched an investigation into sexual harassment and violence against women within the ranks of Victoria Police
Community justice groups have raised concerns that reduced funding for community legal centres
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse, violence, financial abuse] will prevent the effective implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children
In New South Wales, the NRL has suspended South Sydney Rabbitohs player Kirisome Auva’a until August next year after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend. The NRL’s decision to suspend Auva’a follows public criticism of the Rabbitohs who failed to adequately respond to the incident. The Rabbitohs response also drew criticism from country clubs who are participating in the Tackling Violence program [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
ABC Radio journalists have spoken to a man who admits to using violence against his partner and is working on changing his behaviour [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]

Around the World

In India, a survey has found that 6 in 10 men are willing to admit to using violence against their wives or partners
After the revocation of ‘pick-up artist’ Julian Blanc’s Australian visa, similar efforts have grown around the globe as people express their disgust at his advocating of racism and violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, slurs, sexual violence]
In the United States, lawyers for Bill Cosby have said that the comedian will not comment on the numerous allegations of sexual assault that have been made against him by more than 13 women since 2002
In Nigeria, a national action plan is being developed to address the intersection between gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS
In Canada, the continuing investigation into sexual harassment by Jian Ghomeshi has prompted discussion of changes in culture required to prevent such behaviour [TRIGGER WARNING: Examples of victim-blaming] and declarations of admiration for the women who are speaking out
In New Zealand, an independent inquiry has estimated the cost of domestic violence and child abuse in the country as $80 billion over the next ten years
In Malawi, Muslim women activists are calling for stronger messages from the judiciary about the unacceptability of gender-based violence
Musician Feist has donated $10,000 for the creation of a documentary on violence against women
In the United States, the White House’s ‘It’s On Us’ campaign has released another video targeting bystanders to prevent college sexual assaults [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of implied sexual assault]

Research, Resources and Reports

The journal, Feminist Media Studies, has published an article entitled ‘#YesAllWomen: Intersectional Mobilization Against Sexual Assault is Radical (Again)’ by Michelle Rodina-Colocino
Sexual Health has published an article entitled ‘Experiences of sexual coercion in a representative sample of adults: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships’ by Richard O. de Visser et al
The Journal of Interpersonal Violence has published a paper entitled ‘Survivor-Defined Practice in Domestic Violence Work: Measure Development and Preliminary Evidence of Link to Empowerment’ by Lisa A. Goodman et al
Amanda George and Bridget Harris have published research entitled ‘Landscapes of violence: women surviving family violence in regional and rural Victoria’ online
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has released the first edition of its fortnightly newsletter

Get Involved!

The Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) is calling for papers for the 9th Australasian Women and Policing Conference being held in 2015
ANROWS is currently recruiting a Research Manager (temporary maternity leave cover for up to 12 months) to lead the ongoing development and implementation of the ANROWS research and knowledge translation and exchange functions
No More Deaths and Fair Agenda have created a petition calling for candidates in the upcoming Victorian election to commit to a set of actions to address domestic and family violence. The petition can be signed here

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

Weekly Round-Up * 10 November

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the links we share highlight the work being done by activists and organisations to change insidious violence-supporting attitudes in our communities and to prevent men’s violence against women. It is inspiring to see the myriad ways in which women’s rights activists and organisations continue to instigate the social change that is necessary to improve the safety and security of women in our society.

Around the Country

In Queensland, the Domestic Violence Inquiry has heard that counselling hotline DV Connect Queensland receives so many calls for assistance that some go unanswered
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, injuries]
In New South Wales, White Ribbon Australia’s ‘Breaking the Silence’ program has been credited with an 80% reduction in violent and aggressive behaviours amongst students at one South Sydney primary school
The naming of Rosie Batty as Victorian of the Year has encouraged more women to tell their stories of surviving domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse, suicide]
Police Commissioners from around Australia have empahsised the links between men’s ‘vulgar and violent’ attitudes towards women and the high levels of violence against women throughout the Australia
White Ribbon Australia is considering legal action against the fraudulent ‘White Ribbon’ website launched by A Voice for Men
In Sydney, ABC journalists have spent a night with Fairfield Police to understand the extent and impact of domestic violence within the community [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse]
University of Sydney students have held protests demanding that a robust policy structure be put in place by the university to deal with all complaints about sexual harassment, sexual assault and intimidation
Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia have launched the Full Stop Foundation to implement evidence based primary prevention programs to change the violent attitudes and behaviours that lead to sexual assault and domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Survivor’s reflections, gun violence]
South Australia’s Victims of Crime Commissioner has called on courts to do more to address domestic violence given the extent of its impact across the community

Around the World

In Harlem in the United States, events have been held to ‘shine a light’ on domestic violence in a way that is accessible to communities of colour
“There’s a growing call for a ‘data revolution’ for the post-2015 agenda — not only that data is available, but also that it is disaggregated by sex, ethnicity, age, disability and socio-economic status, to really capture inequalities and disparities”
In Zimbabwe, men are being trained to solve domestic disputes without resorting to violence or abuse[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In Palestine, as head of the Palestinian Civil Police Family Protection Unit, Lieutenant Colonel Wafa Khaled Ayyad Muammar is the highest-ranking female officer in the police
In Gambia, the Network Against Gender-based Violence is conducting a campaign to raise awareness of gender-based violence among house helpers, domestic workers and cleaners
Calls are being made for psychiatrists, who are often ‘first responders’ to domestic violence, to receive increased training on how to respond to this violence
In Bangladesh, rates of violence against women spiked in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, suicide]
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has issued practical guidelines on protecting the rights of women asylum-seekers and refugees
Non-profit organisation Women, Action & the Media has partnered with Twitter to develop a new way for people to report gender-based harassment on the platform

Research, Resources and Reports

Our sister alliance the National Rural Women’s Coalition has prepared a FREE kit called Weather the Storm which is designed to support women to prepare for disasters and emergencies
United States advocacy group ‘Know Your IX’ has produced a guide for journalists and editors writing about gender-based violence with specific reference to college campuses
The Policy Press has published a new book, Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls: Educational work with children and young people edited by Jane Ellis and Ravi K. Thiara
Donna Roberts, Peter Chamberlain and Paul Delfabbro have written an article entitled, ‘Women’s Experiences of the Processes Associated with the Family Court of Australia in the Context of Domestic Violence: A Thematic Analysis’

Get Involved!

The Women’s Electoral Lobby has organised a protest on Thursday 13 November in Sydney against the foetal personhood Bill, known as Zoe’s Law, which is set to be reintroduced to the NSW Upper House

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

Weekly Round-Up * 3 November

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we highlight a variety of opportunities for individuals and organisations to contribute to the elimination of male violence against women. We also highlight a number of stories from activists and organisations who are taking action in their communities and around the world.

It can be overwhelming when we are confronted with the huge scale and entrenched nature of gender-based violence. However, it is inspiring to hear of the countless number of women and men who are devoted to the realisation of gender equality and who work tirelessly to prevent violence against women!

We had the opportunity to meet some of these women and men last Friday 31 October at the Canberra Reclaim the Night march. It was wonderful to walk with so many people from all over Canberra to publicly reject sexual violence and the culture that makes women feel unsafe and vulnerable in public places.

AWAVA staff reclaiming the night with members of the Canberra community

Around the Country

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has lodged a claim at the Fair Work Commission to make a minimum of 10 days of leave available to all workers in Australia who experience domestic violence
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has announced a $3.5 million research program to look into violence against women and children in Australia over the next 2 years
The Queensland Premier’s Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence has begun its work by emphasising the need to focus on the actions of perpetrators and avoid victim-blaming
Two $1,000 grants have been provided to groups in rural NSW to continue their programs that raise awareness about violence against women
Randwick City Council and NSW Police Force are encouraging fathers and sons to share pictures on social media under the hashtag #ARealManSaysNo to demonstrate their commitment to opposing violence against women
In New South Wales, Constable Genelle Warne has been nominated for Police Officer of the Year for her work as a domestic violence liaison officer in the Blacktown Local Area Command
In Victoria, a number of new domestic violence-related laws have come into force, including one which allows victims to ‘name and shame’ their attackers
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) have rejected claims that they have not adequately addressed historic allegations of abuse at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)

Around the World

In India, the ‘Rise’ campaign against violence against women continues to gain support and attention

[TRIGGER WARNING: Images of harassment, assault, sexual violence]

In Spain, thousands of people have participated in a ‘feminist strike’ to protest discrimination and violence against women

In New York, a video created by Hollaback! [TRIGGER WARNING: Street harassment] to highlight everyday street harassment has generated wide-ranging discussions about methods of activism, intersectionality, and how to effectively communicate issues of systemic abuse

Anglican leaders around the world have spoken out against gender-based violence in solidarity with women in preparation for the start of the 16 Days of Activism campaign in November

In the UK, victim-blaming and lack of support for survivors continue to result in very low rates of reporting of violence against women

In Uganda, Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Mary Karooro Okurut has called for greater action to address the disproportionate negative impact of the oil industry on rural women

In Turkey, a pilot program where ‘panic buttons’ were issued to women who had experienced domestic violence has been deemed a failure

In Somalia, women continue to experience extremely high rates of violence with little support from the country’s government

In Canada, investigations continue into possible assaults committed by former radio presenter Jian Gomeshi

Research, Resources and Reports

Our sister alliance Equality Rights Alliance (ERA)’s Young Women’s Advisory Group have created a paper on the state of sexuality and respectful relationships education in the national curriculum: Hearing Young Women’s Voices: The Equality Rights Alliance Young Women’s Advisory Group (YWAG) Policy Position on Sexuality Education
A new paper in The International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect has been published, entitled Do family order and neighbor intervention against intimate partner violence protect children from abuse? Findings from Kathmandu
The International Journal of Sexual Health has published an article entitled Experience of forced sex and subsequent sexual, drug, and mental health outcomes: African-American and Hispanic women in the Southeastern United States
Research has been published in the Journal of Law and Medicine by C. Forster entitled Compensating for the harms of family violence: statutory barriers in Australian victims of crime compensation schemes

Get Involved!

The Office for Women would like to invite all interested individuals, non-government and civil society organisations to provide input into the Australian government priorities for the 59th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59), via a written submission
The Women’s Centre for Health Matters (WCHM) is conducting a survey to help find ways to better support people from LGBTIQ communities who have experienced domestic violence. They want to hear from anyone who identifies as LGBTIQ and has experienced domestic violence, as well as people who have supported someone from the LGBTIQ community who is experiencing domestic violence. Click here to complete the survey
On Wednesday 5 November, the Women’s Legal Services NSW Foundation will be hosting a forum on Commercial Surrogacy and Women’s Rights
The Call for Abstracts for the Child Aware Approaches Conference in Melbourne 18-19 May 2015 will close on Friday 14 November
Details have been announced for the webinar consultation for Australia’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council. This is an important opportunity for Australian NGOs to encourage and influence the Australian Government to improve protection and promotion of human rights and fulfil its international obligations and all interested parties are encouraged to attend
There are also some places still available at the Canberra Universal Periodic Review of Rights in-person consultation to be held on 27 November
On 21 November, Flinders University will be hosting Symposium for policy-makers, service providers, researchers, consumers and interested individuals to share knowledge and experiences on enabling social inclusion: gender and disability responsive good governance
Hollaback is working with Cornell University’s ILR School professor Beth Livingston to study the experiences and impacts of street harassment internationally. To get more information about their research or complete their survey online, click here

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

Weekly Round-Up * 27 October

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the articles we’ve selected focus on the aftermath of gender-based violence. Violence has complicated and long-lasting effects for female survivors as well as for the broader community. To truly acknowledge the structural impacts and causes of violence against women, we must value and consider the perspectives of people from all sectors of our communities.

Around the Country

MPs Tim Watts, Andrew Broad and Ken Wyatt have launched a new group, Parliamentarians Against Family Violence, to help members of parliament learn more about the issue
[TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence, death]
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has been named Australia’s most influential woman
Evidence has been presented by a number of organisations about the unique challenges faced by women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who experience domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, violence against children]
The inquest into the murder of Luke Batty has received extensive media coverage [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, threats]
New comprehensive research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the divergent approaches from the AFL and the NRL to preventing violence against women
The dispersed, international nature of the ‘gamergate’ movement has caused difficulties for Australian women in the video game community seeking assistance after receiving threats

Around the World

Misogynistic ‘Men’s Rights’ group A Voice for Men has launched a deceptive website claiming to represent the White Ribbon campaign as collect donations while providing dangerous and sexist misinformation about gender-based violence
In Nigeria, dozens more young women have been kidnapped by Boko Haram despite reports that a cease-fire deal had been made
Wazhma Frogh, founder of the Research Institute for Women Peace and Security in Afghanistan, has written about the growing freedom and engagement of Afghan women
In Tunisia, substantive equality and safety for women are slow in following what are considered advanced legal protections for women’s rights
In South Africa, Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment and will be eligible to apply for house arrest after 10 months
In Hawaii, hundreds of men have joined in the 20^th anniversary Men’s March Against Domestic Violence
YouTuber Laci Green has spoken about her involvement in calling out fellow YouTuber Sam Pepper for indecently assaulting women in his videos
There has been a large amount of online backlash about the possible use of sexual assault as a plot device on the television series Reign
In Iceland, participants at the conference ‘Zero Tolerance: Seminar on Actions to Prevent Gender-based Violence’ have discussed strategies to address structural causes of gender-based violence across the Nordic region

Research, Resources and Reports

Psychologist Nina Burrowes has created a video with advice for people whose friends or family have disclosed their experience of sexual abuse

Get Involved!

Reclaim the Night marches are taking place around the country at the end of this month, including in Sydney and Canberra

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

Weekly Round-Up * 20 October

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we highlight news and articles that reflect on men’s violence against women and its place in our society. In order to eliminate men’s violence against women, it is crucial to examine not only individual incidents of gender-based violence, but also the structures, patterns and attitudes in our communities that perpetuate violence and send the message to perpetrators that their actions are acceptable. Sadly, these underlying factors are pervasive, however identifying them is the first step to creating safer and more equal communities for both women and men.

Around the Country

Representatives from AWAVA gave evidence about current efforts to prevent male violence against women at the second Public Hearing of the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence in Canberra on Wednesday 15 October
During the Public Hearing, AWAVA and Women’s Services Network chairwoman Julie Oberin presented information on the increasing rates of technology being used to stalk and harass women in Australia
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of harassment]
The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) has expressed concern about the levels of consultation with the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of Australia in the design of government programs to address violence against women
University of Sydney Professor Barry Spurr, who was also involved in the recent National Curriculum review, is currently being investigated after racist, sexist and violent emails that he had written were released to the public [TRIGGER WARNING: Racist slurs, description of sexual assault, violence, victim blaming]
In Victoria, Ellen Whinnett calls for the public to consider candidates’ policies on family violence when voting in November
In NSW, the opposition have committed to investigating the establishment of a specialist court for domestic violence and sexual assault cases
On the Sunshine Coast, fundraising is under way for the construction of two specially designed unitsfor victims of domestic violence in need of safe housing
In Victoria, a nightclub has attracted criticism for its use of violent and sexist imagery in an advertisement
Journalist Sarah Macdonald has written about her experience of the changing attitudes toward domestic violence in Australian media
In the lead up to the Coronial Inquest into the death of Luke Batty, Helen Garner has published herprofile of his mother Rosie Batty [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence against a child, threats, abuse]
A student at the University of Sydney has spoken publicly about the failure of university administrationto discipline a Resident Liaison who shared a naked image of her that was taken without her consent and to protect her from continuing harassment [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual harassment]

Around the World

Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
In Nigeria, the Government is in negotiations with Boko Haram for a ceasefire and the release of the 219 school girls kidnapped several months ago who are still in their custody
In Papua New Guinea, over 1,000 people have rallied following the abduction and assault of three female National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) employees [TRIGGER WARNING: Kidnapping, sexual assault]
In Uganda, police have spoken out about their own experiences of domestic violence and the lack of training and resources they receive to deal with violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of violence]
Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop havevisited India to promote Australia’s international gender equality efforts
In South Sudan, Zainab Bangura, the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Sexual Violence, has described the violence against women and children in the country as the worst she has ever encountered
Almost 40,000 people recently gathered to be part of Argentina’s 29th National Women’s Conferencein Salta
In Uganda, the SASA! Program has demonstrated remarkable results in reducing violence against women by 50% across entire communities
Despite signing on to the Istanbul Convention on eliminating violence against women, rates of domestic violence in Turkey continue to rise [TRIGGER WARNING: image of stylised violence]
Support is steadily falling for #Gamergate, the online group targeting Anita Sarkeesian and otherprominent women in the video game community with harassment and abuse [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of harassment, threats, gun violence]
In Canada, social service providers are reporting increases in cases of violence against women following an amendment to the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act that was designed to deter immigration fraud

Research, Resources and Reports

In ‘Criminal liability of carers in cases of non-accidental death or serious injury of children’, Lenny Roth discusses new legislation being considered in New South Wales
The Australian Parliamentary Library has published ‘Domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia: an overview of the issues’ by Janet Phillips and Penny Vandenbroek
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs in the United States has released their annual report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected: Intimate Partner Violence in 2013
A new international resource, Street Harassment: Know Your Rights, has been developed by Thomson Reuters Foundation, in conjunctions with iHollaback and DLA Piper, to detail women’s rights in relation to street harassment around the world
A researcher in Iceland has concluded that there is absolutely no connection between the number of Muslims in a country and rates of violence against women, instead showing that education and gender equality are key factors

Get Involved!

Consultation dates for Australia’s upcoming review by the UN Human Rights Council have now been set for Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra
The Office for Women is now calling for applications from individuals and representatives of non-government organisations who are interested in being considered for inclusion as an NGO delegate on the official Australian Government delegation to the 59th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

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

Weekly Round-Up * 13 October

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. In this issue we have a bumper crop of interesting and in-depth articles and links after our few weeks of hiatus, not to mention some fantastic resources and reports.

In the last two weeks, AWAVA have been very busy. We attended both the Violence Prevention – It’s Everybody’s Business conference held in Bendigo last week, as well as participating in an extremely valuable training workshop run by Advocacy for Inclusion in Canberra on the violence experienced by women with disabilities. We always welcome the chance to share and learn from our colleagues, and we hope that you find some of the many resources linked to below as useful as we have.

Around the Country

In Queensland, Dame Quentin Bryce, head of the recently formed Domestic Violence Taskforce, has stated her concerns that incidents of violence are becoming more common and more severe
In Victoria, the motorsport community are working to raise awareness of violence against women and children
Muslim women have become the target of growing levels of islamophobic violence following increasing public rhetoric about terrorism in Australia
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In Blacktown, NSW, police attribute a rise in reports of sexual and indecent assault to more women being comfortable reporting domestic violence
In Queensland, a coronial inquest into the murder of Noelene Beutel by her partner is expected to hand down its findings this month [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
After the gruesome murder of Mayang Prasetyo by her partner Marcus Volke, who then took his own life, a number of media outlets have used salacious language and slurs to describe her [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, slurs, suicide]
In Victoria, a group of women have raised over $1000 to support their friend who had been placed into an induced coma following a violent attack by her partner last month [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
Amy Stockwell has written for Mamamia on the process of applying for intervention orders, domestic violence orders, and apprehended violence orders as they are variously known around Australia
The Bankstown Sports Club has become one of the latest workplaces to offer paid leave and support to staff experiencing domestic violence
In Brisbane, a group of filmmakers have created The #YesAllWomen Project to look at gender equality, misogyny, harassment, assault, safety, and women’s right to speak freely in the context of social media [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In New South Wales, a system of cooperation between police and domestic violence services being trialled in Waverley and Orange may reduce fears felt by Aboriginal women in approaching police for assistance if they are experiencing domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In the ACT, reductions in funding have contributed to a large number of women having to be turned away from refuges after fleeing family violence

Around the World

In Myanmar, activists are calling for law reform on violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, victim-blaming]
In Iraq, concern is increasing about violence against women being perpetrated by ISIS forces, however little attention is being paid to the high prevalence of gender-based violence already presentin the region
In Poland, Catholic leaders are arguing that the country should not ratify the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence
A heavily criticised ‘men only’ conference being held in Iceland on the topic of violence against women has announced that they will be including women as participants, but the conference will remain focussed on men and boys
The World Bank has presented further research that violence is a contributing factor to women’s poverty in South Asia
Queen Latifah has spoken about the importance of discussing domestic violence in all areas of the community
Estimates suggest that violence against women and children in domestic settings around the worldgreatly outstrips the magnitude of violence and killing in civil wars
In Rwanda, mishandling of evidence is a key reason that many sexual assault prosecutions are dropped
At a recent conference in Dhaka, Parliamentarians from 12 different Asia Pacific countries have been told to play the role of watchdog in preventing violence against women
In Winnipeg, Canada, two different women have been killed by their partners in the week following the annual Take Back The Night march
In South Africa, it has been estimated that violence against women costs the country between $2 and $4 billion dollars every year
On the island of St. Lucia, doctors and nurses are being trained in how to deal with victims of sexual assault at the urging of the local police force
At the United Nations General Assembly, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has used general terms to highlight the issue of sexual violence against women during wartime
Lena Dunham has written about college sexual assault and her own experience of sexual violence in her new book
Actress Jennifer Lawrence has spoken out about the theft and sharing of nude images of her

Research, Resources and Reports

The 2014 Progress Report on the Australian National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security 2012-2018 is now available online
A review of programs throughout the world that aim to prevent sexual violence has found only 2 have rigorous evidence to support their effectiveness, and ‘one-off’ interventions can be shown to be ineffective
Presentations from the 8th National Homelessness Conference have now become available online for download
The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare has published a review entitled ‘Safe at home’ programs in the context of the Victorian Integrated family Violence Service System Reform by Karen Crinall, Jenny Hurley and Lucy Healey

Get Involved!

Our Sister Alliance, the National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC), is looking for a woman to represent South Australia on their Networking the Networks Advisory Group, which administers the National Rural Women’s Network! If you are a woman who wants to ensure that rural, remote and regional women’s voices are heard, be sure to check out this fantastic opportunity
Also from our Sister Alliances, economic Security 4 Women (eS4W) & NRWC are holding a community discussion about how the economic impact on women could be accommodated in approaches to natural and environmental disaster preparation, emergency management, disaster relief, recovery and mitigation policy and financial assistance. The forum will take place on Thursday 23rd October 2014 10:00am – 1:30pm in Marburg, QLD. Register online by Friday 17 October
The Challenging Responses to Family Violence Conference will be held in Ballarat, Victoria on 12-13 November 2014. The focus of the conference is how to work with the complex effects of family violence on women, men and children, to explore ideas and approaches for preventative work, and to challenge, explore and become innovative
ANROWS is now taking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the October 2014 Grants Round as part of ANROWS’s Research Program 2014-2016. Researchers from academic and research institutions, non-government organisations (NGOs) and community organisations are invited to apply

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

Weekly Round-Up * 22 September

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week many of the links we share address misconceptions and myths relating to violence against women. The release of the findings from VicHealth’s National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey have highlighted, once again, that an alarming number of Australian’s accept and excuse violence against women. Further, many still apportion blame to the victims of this violence. In order to prevent gender-based violence it is vital that these attitudes are addressed and that we build a no-tolerance approach to violence against women across the country.

Around the Country

In South Australia, a new crisis accommodation complex has officially been opened for women and children escaping domestic violence
In the Northern Territory, the State Government has partnered with Our WATCh to facilitate programs to address violence against women with a focus on prevention, early intervention, victim protection, and accountability and positive change for perpetrators
Indigenous health and domestic violence agencies fear they may fold following changes in the Federal budget
Journalist Diane Armstrong writes about the experience of giving evidence in a criminal trial
[TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual violence against children]
In Warrnambool, the Take A Stand program has been launched in workplaces to provide training to staff on how to help co-workers who become victims of domestic violence
Rodney Vlais, Acting CEO of No To Violence & Men’s Referral Service, has written about the choices men make to use violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Victim blaming language, violence language]

Around the World

Aki Peritz and Tara Maller have questioned why the Islamic State’s use of rape and violence against women as a weapon of war is not being addressed with the same concern as other aspects of the conflict
In Rwanda, a National Police campaign against gender-based violence and child abuse continues its tour around the country, urging local communities to take action
In the United States, the White House has launched a new campaign against sexual assault called ‘It’s On Us’
Concern continues over the characterisation of Oscar Pistorius’s relationship with Reeva Steenkampas ‘normal’ by Judge Thokozile Masipa
In Canada, a doctor who has admitted to sexually assaulting women in his care has been permitted to continue practicing so long as he only takes on male patients [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of assault, assault by a medical professional]
In Namibia, women are gathering together to share experiences as well as to learn about their rightsin relation to gender-based violence
In the United States, a District Court Judge is being called upon to resign after being charged with domestic violence
In Peru, United Nations investigators report that rates of violence against women are not decreasingin the country and urgently need to be addressed
In China, activists are calling for a government response to a rising number of sexual assaults in primary and secondary schools across the country
In Nigeria, four women are taking the Nigerian army and a number of other government security agencies to court, claiming that violence and discrimination committed against them by these groups violated their human rights

Research, Resources and Reports

The results from the latest National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women survey were released last week. Activists have expressed dismay at the fact that the Australiancommunity as a whole continues to significantly misunderstand violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of violence]
The full research report from Norma’s Project into the sexual assault of older women in Australia is now available online, along with links to resources for the primary prevention of sexual assault of older women. Dr Philomena Horsley, one of the researchers who worked on the report, has provided an interview about the motivation and findings of the report [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, assault by medical professionals, violence]
The joint submission to the Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia from Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA); First People’s Disability Network Australia (FPDNA); People with Disability Australia (PWDA); Children with Disability Australia (CDA); and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) is now available for download online
A new report has been released by the World Bank, entitled, ‘Violence Against Women and Girls: Lessons from South Asia’

Get Involved!

A new petition has been launched calling for a national inquiry into violence, neglect and abuse against people with disability in residential and institutional settings

A Quick Note from the AWAVA Team:

Our Weekly Round-Up wizard will be taking some much needed leave as of the start of next week, and the Weekly Round-Up will be taking a brief pause. We’ll be back with the next edition of the Round-Up on Monday, 13 October!

Weekly Round-Up * 15 September

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. In this double edition, we highlight new activist movements as well as campaigns with decades of work behind them. The goal of preventing and eliminating violence against women can only be achieved when we acknowledge and respect the diverse points of view of those who have experienced gender-based violence and who continue to work passionately against it.

This week, AWAVA was also able to attend the 8^th National Homelessness Conference on the Gold Coast. It was a tremendously productive experience, and a large emphasis was placed on the role of domestic violence as the single largest factor behind homelessness.

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From left to right: NNEDV’s Cindy Southworth, AWAVA Admin Assistant
Tara Ashford, AWAVA Program Manager Sophie Hardefeldt,
and WESNET’s Claire Petrie

Around the Country

The Our WATCh campaign has been launched to address domestic violence by using “similar approaches to campaigns that have successfully reduced tobacco use and dangerous driving”
Concern has been raised by an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous People that Australia is not doing enough to address violence against Indigenous women
Reporting of the murder-suicide of a woman and her three young children by their husband and father has been heavily criticised as not reflecting the reality of the crimes the man committed
Max MacKinnon, better known as MC Eso from the Australian hip hop trio Bliss N Eso has been criticised for posting a series of inappropriate violent images to Instagram [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of simulated violence, sexual violence]. Australian rapper Chance Waters has responded to the incident by speaking out to say that violence against women is unacceptable [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of simulated violence]
600 members of the Transport Workers Union have taken the White Ribbon pledge as the first step in a campaign to involve tens of thousands of transport workers in the effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women
The Hon Tim Watts MP has written about the gendered nature of violence against women
Calls are being made for focus on the roles, both positive and negative, that technology can play in domestic violence and homelessness

Around the World

In Bangladesh, rates of violence against women continue to grow
In Afghanistan, fifteen girls have participated in a bicycle race, with over a hundred people supporting them, to raise awareness of violence against women
In Spain, a consciousness-raising event has been held to address femicide in Mexico, specifically in the city of Ciudad Juarez
In the United States, it is the 20^th anniversary of the passing of the Violence Against Women Act
The theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign has been announced: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Gender-Based Violence
Women around the world have been sharing their stories of violence and abuse on twitter under the hashtags #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse, sexual abuse, gun violence]
Hillary Clinton has called for a unified response to the use of violence against women by terrorist groups
In Namibia, attention is being drawn to the fact that the Government does not have any safe houses available for victims and survivors of abuse
At Columbia University in the United States, students have held public protests to draw attention topoor responses to sexual violence by the University administration
In Slovakia, two calls for proposals are now open for programs to address violence against women in the country
As the verdict has been handed down in the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the high rates of violence against women in South Africa continue to draw attention [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual violence]

Research, Resources and Reports

A new technology safety program, Safety Net Australia, has been launched by WESNET Inc
The United States National Online Resource Centre on Violence Against Women has produced a webinar and resources on ‘Sheltering Animals and Families Together: Expanding safety and support services for survivors while helping to protect their pets’ as well as creating a resource to address thereasons why pets ‘mean so much’ for victims and survivors
The Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) has launched its latest report, Helping Not Hindering: Uncovering Domestic Violence & Utility Debt

Get Involved!

Our sister alliance, the National Rural Women’s Coalition, has opened applications for E-Leaders Social Media webinar program
Gender equality activist group the Sydney Feminists are holding an information evening this Thursdayfor those who may wish to volunteer with them
The Domestic Violence Prevention Council in Canberra will be hosting its 3rd Seminar focussed on raising awareness of Domestic Violence in the LGBTIQ Communities

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Weekly Round-Up * 1 September

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we highlight the many responses to violence against women that come from our communities: both everyday individuals and people in positions of power. It is vital that we acknowledge the inspiring progress made by those who work tirelessly to address violence against women. However, we must also continue to expect more from those who, through inaction or participation, contribute to cycles of violence. Gender-based violence is both a consequence and a cause of gender inequality. We must address this violence, along with the other factors that prevent women and girls from participating equally in society, in order to realise women’s right to feel and be safe from all forms of abuse.

Around the Country

In NSW, the Deputy Coroner will recommend that domestic violence and abusive relationships are covered in school curricula following the investigation into the murder of Kate Malonyay
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse]
In Victoria, police have admitted to a conflict of interest in the investigation into the murder of Kelly Thompson in February this year [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, stalking]
Lessons learnt by mental health advocacy organisation, Beyond Blue, will be applied to the problem of violence against women in a new national campaign
Domestic Violence Victoria CEO, Fiona McCormack, has listed five ‘best practice’ actions that must be taken to address domestic violence in Australia
Video is now available online of a talk given by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the ANU Gender Institute in Canberra during the lead up to the 20^th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action
Victoria Legal Aid has reversed a decision to stop funding legal assistance for family violence victims in child custody hearings

Around the World

In the United States, reactions to a nail polish that was developed to detect the presence of ‘date rape drugs’ have been mixed
In Papua New Guinea, violence against women is rampant, with many police officers implicated [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual violence, domestic abuse, police violence, images of torture]
In the United States, a court has found that domestic violence may form the basis of a claim of asylum
In the UK, a new report has revealed pervasive and unaddressed child sexual abuse in the town of Rotherham [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence against children, sexual abuse, threats] prompting Ruzwana Bashir to speak out about her own experiences
In the United States, the NFL has responded to criticisms of its handling of violence against women perpetrated by its athletes with a new discipline policy
Anita Sarkeesian, creator of Tropes vs Women in Video Games, has been forced to leave her house following specific violent threats made against her online [TRIGGER WARNING: Violence language, online abuse, threats]
In South Africa, Judge Edwin Cameron has warned that lesbians are at particular risk of anti-women violence
In the United States, the Monument Quilt, a huge red quilt covered with stories from survivors of sexual violence, is touring 12 cities across the country to raise awareness

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

This site is being archived soon. Visit wesnet.org.au for more information.

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Research, Resources and Reports

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Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

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Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Around the Country

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Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

A Quick Note from the AWAVA Team:

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!

Around the Country

Around the World