Weekly Round-Up Archives Archives - Page 4 of 26

Launching womenvote.org.au and more! Weekly Round-up* 17 May 2016

This week, the National Women’s Alliances launched womenvote.org.au, an online platform where women can access information on how to cast an effective, informed and independent vote. As we head to the polls on 2 July, we want to ensure that women’s voices are being heard, and that our issues are taken seriously.

If you have not enrolled yet, make sure to do so by next Monday by following this link. Did you know that you can apply to be a silent elector if you are worried about your safety? Being a silent elector will ensure that you are enrolled to vote but your address will not appear on the publicly available electoral roll. You can find out more about voting when you need to stay safe here.

Visit www.womenvote.org.au. Women! Use your vote.

Around the country

The Turnbull government has announced that $30 million of the $100 million over three years promised in the recent budget for domestic and family violence will go to frontline legal services.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has announced that the Labor Party will provide $65 million over 6 years to 1800 RESPECT, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) and Our Watch if the Labor Party wins this election.
A recent study has found that almost a third of young women don’t feel safe in public spaces at night.
Women’s Legal Services Australia and Rosie Batty have launched Safety First in Family Law, a campaign to put pressure on leaders of all major political parties to take real action on addressing the failings of the family law system in the lead up to the election. Support the campaign by signing the petition or writing to the leaders of the major parties here
Last week, Four Corners recounted the brutal murder of Lynette Daley, highlighting the failure of our justice system to address violence against Aboriginal women. Read a response from Antoinette Braybrook, convenor of the National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum here.
[This article contains content that some viewers may find distressing]
Cosima Marriner has written about students’ experiences of sexual assault and harassment in Australian university residential colleges.
Julie McKay has written about the role that protecting pets could play in supporting women who are experiencing family and domestic violence.
Read this article on why all parties should make gender issues a priority this election.

Around the world

CARE Australia is running “I See You”, a campaign to show women who have experienced violence that the world sees their suffering. You can support the campaign by signing the pledge here.
Women around the world have been using the twitter hashtag #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou to raise awareness and share their stories of emotional abuse.
In New Zealand, statistics revealed as part of a new campaign have highlighted the alarming rates of family and domestic violence in the country.
In Indonesia, the government will issue a regulation to deter people from committing sex crimes. While the regulation is not the same as legislation, the government believes it will serve as a new legal basis to prevent sexual violence. However, a number of rights groups have expressed concerns about the design of the legislation, and the punishments it stipulates for offenders.
In Nigeria, the police force has created gender units across the country to address sexual and gender-based violence.

Get Involved!

Registrations are open for Prevalent & Preventable, the AWAVA/Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016)! Find out more about the four conference streams and our fantastic keynote speakers Ms Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo, and sign on for email updates at our website.
Interested in finding out more about the 60^th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which took place in March this year? Register to attend the National Women’s Alliances CSW60 International Engagement Webinar on 25 May from 1:00 – 2:30 pm AEST. RSVP to[email protected] or find more information here! In preparation for the forum, read AWAVA’s report on CSW60 here and watch our CSW60 report back video here.
The Commonwealth Department of Social Services is currently conducting consultations to inform the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. To seek an invitation to one of the consultation roundtables, or to provide written input, you can email[email protected].
The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
A group of young women from the electorate of Braddon in Tasmania are holding a 24 Hour Colourathon on 20 May to raise money for women’s shelters in their local area.
The Child Aware Approaches Conference will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Brisbane. Find our more here.
1800 Respect is holding a webinar on trauma informed understanding and responses to children affected by family violence. The webinar will be held on 23 June at 1pm AEDT. Register here!
The 2016 Global Indigenous Women’s Conference will be held from September 12-14 2016 in Adelaide. Register here.
The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in PARKROYAL Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.
Master of Psychology student at Bond University, Sharelle Kostogolou, is seeking responses to a survey on the unauthorised sharing of intimate images (or ‘revenge porn’). If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.

Weekly Round-up* 12 May 2016

It’s official! Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called a double dissolution election and Australia is heading for the polls on 2 July 2016! Throughout the election campaign, we will be discussing what this election means for women. Women’s Agenda has already started the conversation, with a recent article on what we know about Labor and Liberal’s priorities in three main policy areas affecting women. To join the conversation yourself, complete Women’s Agenda’s survey on election priorities here! You can also read a quick overview of what a double dissolution election is here. Follow us on Facebook and twitter for more on the election over the next couple of months. And don’t forget that you need to enrol to vote (or update your details) by 23 May!

Around the Country

Last week, the Australian Government released its budget for 2016-17. We believe that the budget evades the hard challenges, and its response to violence against women is not proportionate to the scale and urgency of the problem. For more analysis, read our media release here and our budget analysis here. You can also read more about what other women’s organisation have said about the budget at Equality Rights Alliance’s budget hub. As Moo Baulch from Domestic Violence NSW has noted in this article, the Government has failed to “put our money where our collective mouth is”.
Australia’s offshore detention system continues to be dangerous and inhumane, as shown by The Guardian’s report on the ordeal of a woman raped while in detention on Nauru, and her efforts to obtain a safe and legal termination of the resulting pregnancy. AWAVA continues to call for an end to the mandatory offshore detention of asylum seekers, in response to the sexual assault and physical abuse occurring in offshore detention centres.
[These articles contain content that some reader may find distressing]
Women’s Legal Services Australia has launched a new campaign called Safety First in Family Law, aimed at removing legal hurdles that make the Family Court system difficult to navigate for womentrying to build lives free of violence. Learn more about the campaign here.
Disability activist Sue Salthouse has written about the need to ensure that the experiences and concerns of women with disabilities are recognised in the campaign against family and domestic violence.
In Tasmania, police records have revealed a 20 per cent increase in reports of family and domestic violence.
In NSW, the government will introduce a number of reforms to the state’s Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVO) scheme, significantly expanding the reasons for which an ADVO can be taken out.

Around the World

Feminist activist Gloria Steinem is producing a documentary which will tell the stories of individuals and communities fighting gender-based violence around the world. The documentary will premiere on May 10.
Creators of the app My Plan, which provides support to women experiencing violence, hope to introduce the app in Somalia.
Vice-President of the European parliament has called on EU member states to adopt gender-based asylum policies.

Research, Reports and Resources

Subscribe to Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’s e-newsletter for analysis of initiatives on women, peace and security. Read the latest e-newsletter here!

Get involved!

Interested in finding out more about the 60^th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which took place in March this year? Register to attend the National Women’s Alliances CSW60 International Engagement Webinar on 25 May from 1:00 – 2:30 pm AEST. RSVP to [email protected] or find more information here!
The Commonwealth Department of Social Services is currently conducting consultations to inform the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. To seek an invitation to one of the consultation roundtables, or to provide written input, you can email[email protected].
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
Women’s Legal Service NSW is holding a seminar series on the basics of Women and Family Law on 18 May in Sydney. Register by 11 May here!
A group of young women from the electorate of Braddon in Tasmania are holding a 24 Hour Colourathon on 20 May to raise money for women’s shelters in their local area.
The Child Aware Approaches Conference will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Brisbane. Find out more here.
The 2016 Global Indigenous Women’s Conference will be held from September 12-14 2016 in Adelaide. Register here.
The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in Parkroyal Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.
Master of Psychology student at Bond University, Sharelle Kostogolou, is seeking responses to a survey on the unauthorised sharing of intimate images (or ‘revenge porn’). If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.

2016 Budget and More* Weekly Round-Up 4 May 2016

The Australian Government released its budget for 2016-17 yesterday! We attended budget lock up with other women’s organisations and watched it all unfold. So is the government committed to improving the lives of women? We believe this budget evades the hard challenges, and its response to violence against women is not proportionate to the scale and urgency of the problem. Read our media release for our analysis.

Around the Country

The Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner has launched eSafetyWomen – a new website aimed at preventing technology facilitated abuse. AWAVA’s lead agency, Women’s Services Network has worked with the commissioner to create the associated training and training materials.
In the lead-up to the budget, the Women’s Electoral Lobby made an urgent call for long term funding for women’s refuges and other frontline domestic violence services, criticising the Minister for Social Services Christian Porter for his comment that more had been done in the last nine months on the issue than ever before.
The government announced that it would not overturn cuts to community legal centres. Jenna Price has written about the implications of these funding measures.
Jess Hill has written a piece on how the Family Court continues to fail women.
In Queensland, a ‘one-stop shop’ of domestic violence agencies has been established in Mt Isa.

Around the World

Research, Reports and Resources

We recently conducted research into the role of specialist women’s services in preventing and responding to violence against women and their children. Read AWAVA’s policy brief here.
Open Colleges has created a timeline of gender equality in Australia.

Get Involved!

The Commonwealth Department of Social Services is currently conducting consultations to inform the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. To seek an invitation to one of the consultation roundtables, or to provide written input, you can email[email protected].
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
The Child Aware Approaches Conference will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Brisbane. Find our more here.
The 2016 Global Indigenous Women’s Conference will be held from September 12-14 2016 in Adelaide. Register here.
The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in Parkroyal Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.
Master of Psychology student at Bond University, Sharelle Kostogolou, is seeking responses to a survey on the please follow this link.
University of Sydney and Munster University researchers, Ruth Phillips and Stephanie Brauer, are researching current changes and ideas about feminism in the non-profit sector and are seeking survey participants. If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.

Weekly Round-up* 20 April 2016

After a short break due to staff leave, our round-up is back! Last week, the NSW government introduced its domestic violence disclosure scheme, allowing people at risk of violence to find out whether their partner has a history of violent crime offences. In addition, third parties such as friends, family members and social workers can also seek information on behalf of the person at risk. For a more thorough outline of how the scheme will work in practice, read this article.

Around the country

A recent audit of work done by Legal Aid found that domestic violence accounted for 79 per cent of legal aid family law matters.
Alison and Jillian Barrett from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have written about the legal options that victims of domestic violence have.
Annika Blau has written a thoughtful piece for Women’s Agenda on the problems of victim blamingfollowing last Monday night’s Q&A, where an audience member insinuated that victims of abuse must be held accountable. For commentary of the Q&A discussion on family and domestic violence, read Anne Summers’ article on Daily Life here.
Celeste Liddle has written about Indigenous women’s reproductive rights and why the government needs to make this a priority.
ABC Fact Check has analysed statistics and data on family and domestic violence in Australia, reaffirming that family and domestic violence is gendered and that women are disproportionately the victims of such violence.
Chair of Our Watch, Natasha Scott Despoja, has written about the need for responsible domestic violence reporting.
In Victoria, the government has allocated $572 million to implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
In NSW, a survey conducted by Yfoundations, the peak body for youth homelessness in NSW, has found that almost half of young people seeking assistance for homelessness have experienced domestic and family violence.
In South Australia, a parliamentary committee has made 35 recommendations to address family and domestic violence, including allowing video evidence taken by police and victims to be used in court.
Some of Australia’s top universities are struggling to respond to rape culture on campus, a Daily Life article has reported.

Around the world

Research, reports and resources

The Department of Social Services has recently developed two fact sheets regarding the role and responsibilities of interpreters in domestic violence situations. The fact sheets can be found at the bottom of the webpage linked here.
The first of two independent reviews of the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (Australian NAP) was released last week. The Australian NAP is the Australian’s Government’s mechanism for implementing the United Nations Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

Get involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
The Gendered Violence Research Centre at UNSW is organising a panel discussion called ‘UNSW Says Who?’ on 21 April 2016. Register here.
1800RESPECT is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here.
invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016.
The Australian Centre for Leadership For Women is seeking nominations for its 2016 Diversity Awards. Application close on 1 May 2016. Find out more here.
The Child Aware Approaches Conference will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Brisbane. Find out more here.
The 2016 Global Indigenous Women’s Conference will be held from September 12-14 2016 in Adelaide. Register here.
The National Multicultural Women’s Conference will be held on 3 and 4 November 2016 in Parkroyal Parramatta, Sydney. Find out more here.
Master of Psychology student at Bond University, Sharelle Kostogolou, is seeking responses to a survey on the unauthorised sharing of intimate images (or ‘revenge porn’). If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.
University of Sydney and Munster University researchers, Ruth Phillips and Stephanie Brauer, are researching current changes and ideas about feminism in the non-profit sector and are seeking survey participants. If you wish to participate in the survey, please follow this link.

Royal Commission into Family Violence and more* Weekly Round-Up 5 April 2016

We have great news from Victoria this week! The Victorian government has agreed to implement every single recommendation made in the report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which was released last Wednesday. The report, consisting of eight volumes, details 227 recommendations aimed at making systemic changes to family violence response and prevention mechanisms. Amongst many promising measures, the report recommends compulsory domestic violence training for staff such as police, doctors and educators, more coordinated responses to housing shortages for women escaping violence, and specialist domestic violence courts and magistrates. The report emphasises a “whole of community” and “whole of government” response, calling for collaboration between services and government, specifically through the establishment of 17 family violence Support and Safety hubs. Follow this link for a brief summary of the report. The full report can be found here.

Around the Country

The final report of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children is now available. COAG has given in-principle support to the six areas identified for further joint action, including national leadership to challenge gender inequality and transform community attitudes, and providing trauma-informed responses to violence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (WGAR) has compiled a list of sources on the implications of the Royal Commission recommendations for Aboriginal women and communities.
Jess Hill, recipient of the 2015 Our Watch Gold Award for reporting on violence against women has written about the role of the media in responsible domestic violence reporting.
Non-profit organisation Share the Dignity and tampon company Cottons have launched a new initiative which involves printing the contact details of domestic violence support line 1800RESPECT on the inside of tampon boxes.
The Australian Bankers’ Association has committed to undertake measures which ensure that customers living with family violence have improved access to finances in emergency situations.
In Victoria, hundreds of men are on waiting lists for men’s behaviour change programs since demand for services far exceeds availability.
In Queensland, the University of Queensland Union held a Pay Gap Bake Sale as part of ‘Feminist Week’ on Tuesday, April 5. The Bake Sale, which will charge customers the proportion of $1 that they are likely to earn comparative to men, has faced significant backlash for allegedly being discriminatory towards men. For commentary, read Angela Priestley’s piece in Women’s Agenda, highlighting why criticisms of the bake sale are unfounded.

Around the World

Apple software Siri now provides a link to the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US when responding to questions about sexual assault.
In Mexico, the government is urging broadcasters, websites and social media users to ban a music video by Gerardo Ortíz that promotes violence against women.
[This article contains content that may be distressing to some readers]
Read online media platform Open Democracy’s series on debates from this year’s Commission on the Status of Women

Get Involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The University of Melbourne has created a website called “Not The Only One” where women can anonymously read and share stories about experiencing family and domestic violence.
Next week (April 10 -16) is International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Click here to find out how you can get involved!
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
1800RESPECT is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The 2^nd Annual Men’s Behaviour Change Network NSW Conference will be held at the Rydges Sydney Central Hotel on 4 and 5 May 2016. Register here by 8 April!
The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April. Find out more here!

The 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women comes to a close and more* Weekly Round-Up 29 March 2016

The 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women came to an end last Friday, with the adoption of the agreed conclusions. The conclusions were reached after long and extensive negotiations, resulting in some significant steps forward, as well as some less promising developments. Some achievements include the stand-alone paragraph on strengthening the position of Indigenous women, recognition of the impact of climate change on women and girls, and commitment to increasing the participation of National Human Rights Institutions at CSW. However, there is much to be done in relation to reproductive rights, violence against women and sexual and gender diversity. Failure to acknowledge the diversity of families was also a disappointment. For more thorough analysis, watch this wrap-up video by Hannah Gissane from Equality Rights Alliance and AWAVA Advisory Group member Bonney Corbin. Liz Ford from the Guardian has also written a piece on the negotiation process, echoing many of the concerns raised in the ERA/AWAVA video wrap-up. Follow us on facebook and twitter (@AWAVA_women) for more analysis and commentary on CSW!

Around the Country

Three-time AFL Premiership player Jimmy Bartel has spoken up about his family’s experience with domestic violence. He hopes to use his platform to generate awareness about family and domestic violence and raise money for the Luke Batty Foundation and Geelong-based group, Bethany.
[Content note: This article contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence]
Research from Victoria’s Crimes Statistics Agency has shown that rates of reported family violence in same sex couples have increased over the last five years. Unfortunately, there is a significant shortage of services addressing violence in same sex relationships.
Christine Craik from RMIT University has written about the crucial role that specialist women’s services play in preventing and responding to violence against women. [This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
The Australian mission to the UN Commission on the Status of Women co-hosted a side event to display the work of the Silent Tears project aimed at raising awareness about violence against women with disabilities. [This article contains graphic images that may be distressing to some readers]
In Victoria, the Royal Commission into Family Violence delivered its report to Government House on Tuesday morning.
Also in Victoria, the premier has announced a $10 million boost to domestic and family violence services, together with a new victims’ and survivors’ advisory council.
In the ACT, Minister for Women and Housing Yvette Berry has voiced concerns over potential defunding of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness and has called for better cooperation from the Turnbull Government on addressing housing and domestic violence services.

Around the World

The International Criminal Court has issued its first ever conviction for rape as a war crime, finding former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty on five charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In Pakistan, Women’s Action Forum and other women’s activists have urged the government to reject pressure from religious groups to amend the recent Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act 2015.
In Rwanda, Plan International has committed to addressing violence against women in refugee camps.
In Mexico, women’s activists are using performance and street theatre to protest violence against women.
Karen Stahl, Technical Assistant Coordinator of US-based National Sexual Violence Resource Centre has written about how well-designed self-defence programs can play a role in preventing sexual violence without shifting the blame and responsibility to prevent violence onto the victim.

Get Involved!

The ACT Office for Women has opened nominations for the ACT Violence Prevention Awards. For more information, follow this link. Nominations close at 5pm on 26 April 2016.
Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
Our member organisation, Ruby Gaea, is running a campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is held every April. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violation, and to educate communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. This Awareness Month, Ruby Gaea is encouraging the community to take action and organise an event at your school or workplace on the International Day of Action on April 5. For more information or ideas on events, please contact Ruby Gaea’s education team on [email protected] or 08 8945 0155.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The 2^nd Annual Men’s Behaviour Change Network NSW Conference will be held at the Rydges Sydney Central Hotel on 4 and 5 May 2016. Register here by 8 April!
The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April here!

Weekly Round-up* 22 March 2016

The sixtieth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) continues this week! Julie Oberin, Margaret Augerinos, Bonney Corbin and Maria Delaney, AWAVA’s delegates at CSW60, have been updating us all week. Follow us (@AWAVA_women) on twitter to keep up to date with the meeting. For more on CSW60, follow this link to The Gender Agency’s comprehensive blog!

Around the Country

AWAVA joined over 80 other family violence experts and community groups in delivering a letter to the Prime Minister, calling for major increases in the upcoming budget to address critical shortages in domestic and family violence funding. Read the letter here. There is still time for organisations to sign on.
A submission by the Australian Cross Disability Alliance to a Senate committee inquiry has pointed out that 90 per cent of women with an intellectual disability have been subjected to sexual abuse.
[This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
Jenna Price has written about the disturbing societal expectations of how women must behave in order to be believed in cases of sexual assault. [This article contains content that may be distressing for some readers]
Professor Miranda Stewart from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University has written a piece in The Conversation, advocating for a Women’s Budget Statement and gender analysis of tax and expenditure policy in the upcoming budget.
Also in NSW, schools across the state will this week begin teaching students about how to identify domestic violence and what to do if they witness it.
The Australian Government has provided $2.5 million to WESNET to distribute smartphones contributed by Telstra and to provide training under the Safe Technology for Women measure, which is part of the $100 million Women’s Safety Package announced last September.

Around the World

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
Our member organisation, Ruby Gaea, is running a campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is held every April. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violation, and to educate communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. This Awareness Month, Ruby Gaea is encouraging the community to take action and organise an event at your school or workplace on the International Day of Action on April 5. For more information or ideas on events, please contact Ruby Gaea’s education team on [email protected] or 08 8945 0155.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. The deadline for abstracts has now been postponed to 15 April here!

Weekly Round-up* 16 March 2016

Welcome to this week’s round up. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is being held in New York from 14 to 24 March. AWAVA Chair Julie Oberin and Advisory Group members Bonney Corbin, Margaret Augerinos and Maria Delaney Group are joining civil society and government representatives from around the world to discuss how to promote gender equality. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@AWAVA_women) for regular updates from CSW.

Around the country

More than 80 family violence experts and community groups (including AWAVA) have written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calling for substantial increases in funding in the upcoming budget to address critical shortages in domestic violence services.
The NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton has introduced a bill to Parliament to allow Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) to be automatically recognised and enforced across state and territory lines, as well as in New Zealand.
Domestic violence leave has been removed from workplace agreements across several Commonwealth public service agencies.
Game designer, Susannah Emery, is designing a game to equip users with the tools to support victims of domestic violence.
Matilda Dixon-Smith from Junkee has interviewed Arrernte feminist activist, Celeste Liddle, about Aboriginal feminism and political activism. The interview comes after Liddle’s Facebook account was banned for featuring an image of two Aboriginal women with painted chests and bare breasts performing cultural ceremony.
In NSW, the first of 12 Australian government funded specialist domestic violence units recently opened in Bankstown.
In WA, Tenancy WA has called for reforms to tenancy laws in order to better protect victims of domestic violence.
In NT, the Maningrida community participated in a rally against domestic violence earlier this week.

Around the world

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo will be the keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream, closing on 28 April 2016
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!
Our member organisation, Ruby Gaea, is running a campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is held every April. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violation, and to educate communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. This Awareness Month, Ruby Gaea is encouraging the community to take action and organise an event at your school or workplace on the International Day of Action on April 5. For more information or ideas on events, please contact Ruby Gaea’s education team on [email protected] or 08 8945 0155.
1800 Respect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. Submit abstracts by 1 April here!

Correction: In our last round up we incorrectly referred to Telstra’s recent personal mobile safety initiative as an app. It is actually a web-based resource accessible here.

Happy International Women’s Day Weekly Round-Up 8 March 2016

Happy International Women’s Day to all our friends and supporters! To mark International Women’s Day, we would like to share Celeste Liddle’s insightful piece on the need to ensure that all women’s stories are heard, and that the unique struggles of Aboriginal women are brought to centre stage. As Liddle puts it – ‘A “herstory” in this country will never be complete without the voices of Aboriginal women.’

Around the Country

Human Rights Commission president, Professor Gillian Triggs, has said that Australia needs a national monitoring program to ensure that coronial recommendations related to domestic violence are implemented.
Professor Kerry Carrington has conducted research showing that mobile women-only police stations may be the best way forward in responding to violence against women.
The All About Women Festival took place in Sydney on Sunday, 6 March 2016. Gabrielle Jackson and Monica Tan have written about six key take-home messages from the festival.
Telstra has recently launched a new mobile app with practical information for users on how to improve their personal mobile safety.
In the ACT, over 50 Canberra cafés joined a campaign to raise awareness of violence against women this International Women’s Day. Participating cafes served takeaway coffee in special cups featuring messages about respectful relationships.
In Tasmania, Hobart-based designer and artist Sonia Heap is using an art fashion performance to raise money and increase awareness of the impact of family and domestic violence.

Around the World

Government representatives and civil society groups around the world are preparing for the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting in New York. Australia’s engagement with CSW is profiled here.
In Pakistan, a new documentary ‘Posheeda Qadam’ (Hidden Footsteps) addresses domestic and cyber violence against women in South Asia.
In India, a new internet platform aims to demystify feminism and amplify the voices of marginalised groups in order to generate a discussion about intersecting forms of oppression.
In PNG, victims of gender based violence are being sent back to abusive households due to a lack of support services, including legal and housing services.

Get Involved!

Marai Larasi and Prof Rashida Manjoo have been announced as keynote speakers for the AWAVA/ Our Watch international conference on violence against women (19 to 22 September 2016). Find out more and sign on for email updates at our new website!
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is conducting research on domestic and family violence and its impact on parenting. Participation involves an interview with a senior researcher, usually over the phone. Please call 1800 720 142 (free using a landline, rates apply with a mobile) or email [email protected] for more information.
ANROWS invites applications for funding under the Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream which closes 28 April 2016.
Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) presents ‘Cabaret Double Bill’ to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event will be held in Prahran, Melbourne on Thursday 10 March.
Women’s Legal Services NSW is holding one day face-to-face seminars on Women and the Law. The first seminar in the series will be held on 16 March and will explore the law surrounding domestic violence. Register here!
Domestic Violence Crisis Centre ACT is holding its annual ball on 19 March 2016 in Canberra. Register here!
Our member organisation, Ruby Gaea, is running a campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is held every April. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about sexual violation, and to educate communities and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault. This Awareness Month, Ruby Gaea is encouraging the community to take action and organise an event at your school or workplace on the International Day of Action on April 5. For more information or ideas on events, please contact Ruby Gaea’s education team on [email protected] or 08 8945 0155.
1800 Resect is running a webinar titled, ‘Understanding the complexities in LGBTIQ domestic and family violence’ on April 21 at 1pm AEST. Register here!
The Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) invites individuals interested in presenting at the 21st NNVAWI conference to submit presentation abstracts. The theme of the conference is ‘Strengthening healthcare systems to promote safety and health of women and families’ and will be held on 26, 27 and 28 October. Submit abstracts by 1 April here!

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AWAVA Weekly Round-Up Archives

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Reports and Resources

Get involved!

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Reports and Resources

Get Involved!