Weekly Round-Up Archives Archives - Page 9 of 26

Weekly Round-Up * 10 March

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week has seen a huge number of events and developments for women in Australia and around the world. In particular, this week marks the start of the59^th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) in New York City! AWAVA will be hosting three parallel events during the next 2 weeks and we can’t wait to engage with our international colleagues around violence against women.
Our Program Manager Sophie has recorded the following video to give a brief introduction to CSW and explain why this year in particular is important (hint: it’s the 20^th anniversary of a certain conference in Beijing!):

With International Women’s Day just behind us, it has also been a week of speeches. From the Federal Government, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash have both spoken about gender equality in Australia, as have Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek. We have also seen recognition of powerful women speakers more broadly, with Emma Watson giving a Q&A on Facebook about gender equality, Amy McQuirespeaking about her life and work as an Aboriginal Feminist, and this round up of ‘5 speeches by women that you need to hear.’ We hope that these powerful words translate into positive action throughout the community in the weeks, months and years to come.

Around the Country

The Federal Government has announced $120,000 of funding over 2 years to assist women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to navigate the court system
Leaders from all three major political parties signed on to the UN HeforShe campaign at an International Women’s Day breakfast in Canberra
The Federal Government has announced a $30 million joint commonwealth-states campaign to address the issue of rising domestic violence
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, in conjunction with Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, hascalled for a national crisis summit on violence against women
Women’s Agenda has partnered with Twitter Australia with the goal of empowering women to speak out on the platform
In Queensland, domestic violence services have praised the Domestic Violence Taskforce’s report as‘holistic and thorough’ with two new domestic violence shelters announced by the State Government in line with the report’s recommendations
In the ACT, donations and public support continue to flow in memory of murdered woman Tara Costigan, with the accused also charged with breaching a domestic violence order
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, death] and the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service reporting a spike in demand for support and information in the aftermath [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
Senior vascular surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin has received intense criticism after stating that she advises young female medical trainees to comply with sexual harassment if they hope to keep their career [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual harassment]
In New South Wales, the State Government has announced the development of a domestic violence disclosure scheme to allow people to ask authorities for information if they are concerned their partner may represent a risk. The ACT Government has said they will monitor the pilot
In Victoria, country areas have the highest rates of family violence offenses reported to police with domestic violence support service the Centre for Non-Violence appealing for police in those areas torefer more victims to them for help
In Tasmania, the Law Society has called for legal change to allow judges and magistrates to order domestic violence perpetrators to undergo counselling and therapy
Author and activist Tara Moss has called for the full funding of the 1800 RESPECT free phone line
In New South Wales, the Salvation Army has issued an apology following comments from the manager of a Broken Hill refuge suggesting that women “use and abuse” the service
In Tasmania, a class action is being launched on behalf of underage female victims of sexual abuse after a convicted child sex offender allegedly ‘bragged’ about his actions on social media

Around the World

In Morocco, a new report has found that over 62% of the country’s women have experienced gender-based violence
In Europe and Central Asia, NGOs from nine countries have participated in a workshop aimed at eliminating violence against women
A United Nations funded educational soccer video game, Breakaway, has recently been shown to be effective in teaching young boys about gender-based violence
In Hong Kong, calls have been made for criminal law reform to better address domestic and family violence
In Somalia, representatives of the African Union and the United Nations have called for greater efforts to address gender-based violence
In Brazil, a law has been passed to make “feminicide,” or the killing of a woman because of her gender, a specific crime [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In Turkey, a lack of official statistics on violence against women has led to speculation that the issue is worsening under the current government [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In the United States, Native American tribes have gained the legal rights to prosecute non-Native menwho commit crimes of domestic violence, dating violence or who violate a protection order against a victim who lives on tribal land
International evidence has shown that despite an increase in international aid focusing on gender equality, less than 1% of that money is reaching grass-roots women’s groups

Research, Resources and Reports

1800 RESPECT has developed a new app, Daisy, designed to connect women experiencing gendered violence to services in their state and local area. The app was launched in Melbourne last week by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, and Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has launched their free new ‘Good practice, good business’ resources to provide advice on a range of issues including recruitment and retention of older workers, gender equality, sexual harassment, race discrimination, employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, employment of people with disabilities, domestic and family violence, mental illness and supporting carers in the workplace
Paul Harpur and Heather Douglas have published a paper entitled ‘Disability and domestic violence: protecting survivors’ rights’ in the Griffith Law Review
The Australian Institute of Criminology has published a paper entitled ‘Exploring the feasibility of an enhanced monitoring program on human trafficking and slavery’
Human Rights Watch has published a new resource on gender-based violence designed for people with disabilities [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]

Get Involved!

Become an AWAVA Volunteer Intern! We’re looking for 2 Canberra-based interns – a Policy Intern and a Research Intern – to work 1 day per week and get some behind-the-scenes experience at a small NGO in the preventing violence against women sector
During the next 2 weeks, you can get involved with the action at the Commission on the Status of Women by tweeting along under the hashtag #CSW59

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

Weekly Round-Up * 3 March

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we have highlighted a number of links dealing with research into violence against women. With the 59^th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) and International Women’s Day both fast approaching, the enormous expertise of our sector is on show. Sharing our knowledge and wisdom is the first step to taking effective action and eliminating men’s violence against women around the world.

Around the Country

The Queensland Domestic Violence Taskforce has released its report, Not Now, Not Ever
Researchers have called for more consistent performance or success indicators to measure the effectiveness of our responses to domestic violence
The Australian Human Rights Commission has welcomed the Government’s recent changes to workplace gender reporting
Researchers and service providers have agreed that sexist attitudes contributing to violence against women first begin in early childhood
Despite a drop in violent crime overall, domestic violence and sexual assault rates continue to risearound Australia with the vast majority of perpetrators still men
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, a panel of experts has spoken on ABC Radio about how to bring about the cultural change required to address violence against women
Around the country, women’s experiences of mental ill-health affect the impacts that street harassment has on them
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of street harassment]
In Victoria, Marcia Neave, the Commissioner of the first Royal Commission into Family Violence, has spoken out to emphasise that violence against women is everyone’s responsibility
In New South Wales, the Nowra Domestic Violence Intervention Service has reported that that a family were forced to sleep on the floor in the local police station after being refused crisis accommodation
In Queensland, the domestic violence support service DVConnect have expressed concerns thatpolice are not adequately responding to domestic violence incidents
In Darwin, a teenaged girl in immigration detention has harmed herself after alleging that she was sexual assaulted during her time in detention on Nauru [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of attempted suicide, sexual violence against children]
In the ACT, federal budget cuts could affect the ability of the Domestic Violence Crisis Service to provide translators of victims

Around the World

In Turkey, Nobel Prize winners have come together to condemn men’s violence against women in the country
Canadian MP Sharon Hodgson has reflected on her attendance at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Women Parliamentarians’ Conference and the importance of addressing violence against women globally
In the United States, actor Halle Berry has spoken about her experience of domestic violence as a child [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In Pakistan, a bill designed to address violence against women will soon be sent to the government for approval
In Belgium, the cycling race E3 Harelbeke has come under fire for their sexist advertisement in the lead up to this year’s race
In the United States, the story of the ‘Monty Hall problem’ and the ‘world’s smartest woman’ is a reminder that hate mail and harassment of women in public pre-dates the internet
In Ghana, Amnesty International has raised concerns about the country’s efforts to address violence against women
In Iraq, both pro- and anti-government forces have been documented using sexual violence against women as a weapon of war [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual violence]

Research, Resources and Reports

The Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (fare)’s report, The Hidden Harm: Alcohol’s impact on children and families is now available online
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has released its review of the Martin Place Siege, however the role of violence against women is not covered in any depth within the publication[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, gun violence, death]

Get Involved!

A petition in Queensland calling for domestic violence death reviews, in line with Recommendation 8 of the Queensland Domestic Violence Taskforce Report, has already gained over 8,000 signatures

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

Weekly Round-Up * 23 February

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! This week, we learned that the rate of women being killed by domestic violence in Australia has increased in 2015 with close to two deaths per week since the start of the year. This is the same rate as in the UK, which has almost three times our population. Statistics like these are incredibly concerning, but we are heartened by the many people who continue to speak up and take action to end men’s violence against women. Everyone has the right to feel and be safe. It is our responsibility as a society to ensure this right is upheld.

Around the Country

Hip hop group Thundamentals have spoken out to express their disgust that a man sexually assaulted a woman at one of their shows and are calling for any witnesses to come forward
Jane Bullen, Research Associate at UNSW’s Social Policy Research Centre, has written in favour of specialist refuges for domestic violence
Services and activists are calling for far greater support to be dedicated to addressing domestic violence in migrant communities
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse, technology facilitated abuse]
ABC’s ‘Q&A’ panel discussion program has drawn criticism for having more men than womenspeaking on the subject of family violence
In Victoria, the Royal Commission into Family Violence has launched their website and will shortly be in a position to accept submissions. The State Government has allocated an additional $4 million to cope with an expected increase in domestic violence reporting from the Commission
Rosie Batty has written about the recent finding that domestic violence offenders tend to receive more lenient court sentences than others [TRIGGER WARNING: threats, death]
In New South Wales, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) data shows that domestic violence rates have continued to rise since 2012
Clementine Ford suggests that our attitude towards sexual assault may be getting worse rather than better
In South Australia, Daily Life have published a profile of the Domestic Violence Crisis Service and their struggles to find safe accommodation for women fleeing violence
In New South Wales, researchers have identified a correlation between the number of liquor outlets in an area and rates of domestic violence

Around the World

Last month, the results of the largest ever international survey on the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV were published – but will they be acted upon?
In New Zealand, no change has been seen in rates of domestic violence over the last 12 months
In the lead-up to the 2015 Academy Awards, check out this list of 7 Oscars speech tributes to single mums [TRIGGER WARNING: Gun violence]
In the United States, continuing conversations about sexual assault in universities may be overlooking the increased risks faced by students with disabilities [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, stalking, harassment]
In Ireland, calls are being made for increased funding for services dealing with men who are violent
In Papua New Guinea, Australian Federal Police assigned to advise local police forces have described levels of violence against women as a pandemic [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In the UK, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has reported to parliament that the government is failing to provide adequate refuge to women experiencing domestic violence
In Turkey, President Erdogan has publicly committed to taking action on violence against women in response to continuing protests about the murder of Ozgecan Aslan [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of extreme violence, sexual violence]
In Canada, police have recently returned from a journey to Australia to retrieve a man wanted for sexual assault in 2012

Research, Resources and Reports

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)’s think piece ‘Preventing Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities: Integrating A Human Rights Perspective’ is now available online
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have released findings from their 2013-2014 National Crime Victimisation Survey online
Snapshot Report 1 of the Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia longitudinal study is now available online
US researchers Rebecca J Macy, Ijeoma Nwabuzor Ogbonnaya and Sandra L Martin have published a practice note entitled ‘Providers’ Perspectives About Helpful Information for Evaluating Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services’
The Journal of Research and Advancement in Dentistry have published an article entitled ‘The Role of the Dental Profession in Responding to Domestic Violence’
The journal Women and Birth has published ‘An exploration of Australian midwives’ knowledge of intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy’

Get Involved!

Tickets are now available for Anne Summers in Conversation with Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General David Morrison on 26 February
Applications are open for YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program
Registrations remain open for the 3^rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be held in The Hague on 3-6 November 2015
The Canberra Museum and Gallery will be hosting ‘Women’s Power to Stop War’, an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, from Saturday 21 February – Sunday 31 March

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

Weekly Round-up * 16 February

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! This week, many of the links we feature concern the stories and experiences of women from Australia and around the world. Taking the time to truly hear women, especially survivors, is pivotal to our success in addressing men’s violence against women. These conversations, about our feminism and our activism, are what drive us to make effective change.

Around the Country

Terms of Reference are now available for the Senate Standing Committees of Community Affairs Inquiry into violence, abuse and neglect against people with disability in institutional and residential settings, including the gender and age related dimensions, and the particular situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability
The Australian Women’s Weekly have published the stories of five Australian women who have survived domestic violence
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, violence against children]
Australian employers who have introduced domestic violence leave have been identified as ‘world leaders’ in addressing violence against women
Judith Lucy’s new television show, Judith Lucy is All Woman, is set to address feminism and violence against women in modern Australia
UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Rashida Manjoo, was interviewed on RN Breakfast about violence against women in Australia
Rosie Batty published a letter to her son Luke on the anniversary of his death [TRIGGER WARNING: Violence against children, death]
In Victoria, there has been a sharp increase in numbers of sexual assaults reported on school and university campuses in the last financial year
In Queensland, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the current civil domestic violence order system
In Victoria, the taskforce established by Former Chief Commissioner Ken Lay to investigate complaints of sexual harassment, serious predatory behaviour and sex discrimination by Victorian police has resulted in the arrest of a Protective Services officer for child sexual abuse

Around the World

Frances Ryan has written about her experiences as a disabled feminist, suggesting that “when we see feminism and disability rights as separate campaigns and separate lives – we split a person down the middle”
In Nigeria, a video has been released of 500 school girls being rescued from a violent attack by Boko Haram [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence, violence against children]
In the United States, The University of Oregon has been accused of illegally accessing the medical records of a woman who they expected to file a sexual assault-related lawsuit against the school
In the UK, there is community outrage after a court ordered a survivor of extreme domestic violence towrite to her ex-partner in prison [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, graphic injuries, child abuse]
In Namibia, the UK is continuing to fund a successful training course for Namibian police on “Community Policing and Gender-Based Violence”
In the Solomon Islands, the government is seeking to raise awareness of the fact that domestic violence is now a criminal offense after the passage of the Family Protection Act 2014
In the UK, Angelina Jolie has opened the UK Centre to Fight Warzone Violence Against Women at the London School of Economics [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual violence, violence against children]
In the United States, law students are pushing for more in-depth coverage of the law around gender-based violence
In Turkey, street protests have broken out demanding the government do more to address violence against women following the violent killing of a 20-year-old psychology student [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual assault, death]
In Nigeria, United Nations Women in collaboration with Nigeria Women Platform for Peaceful Election (NWPPE) are working to build capacity to address violence against women in election environments

Research, Resources and Reports

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has released their 2015 Closing the Gap Report
The Together for Equality & Respect Action Plan 2013-2017 is now available to download. This Action Plan represents the implementation phase of Together for Equality & Respect: A Strategy to Prevent Violence Against Women in Melbourne’s East 2013 – 2017
Rosie Batty has launched a new app, iMatter, to help women recognise the warning signs of abusive and controlling behaviour

Get Involved!

The Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (fare) have released the program for the launch of their report: ‘The hidden harm: Alcohol’s impact on children and families’ in Sydney, 24 February
Registrations remain open for the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be held in The Hague on 3-6 November 2015
Registration remains open for the Australian Peacewomen Awards and Women’s Power to Stop War Conference in Canberra on 28-29 May 2015 presented by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

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

Weekly Round-Up * 10 February

After a short break, we’re back with the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, we have highlighted a variety of ways that supporters can actively participate in the prevention and elimination of men’s violence against women. From conferences and talks to surveys and social media, to simple discussions with friends and family, everyday people from around Australia are creating change and turning our society into one that rejects gender-based violence.

Around the Country

Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Michaelia Cash has announced funding of more than $265,000 for the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health to deliver the National Education Toolkit FGM Awareness (NETFA) project
Five national, cross disability organisations have received funding from the Australian Government to form the Australian Cross Disability Alliance and provide a voice for the 4.2 million Australians with disability
Kimberley Abbott and Maria Osman have been announced as the non-government members of the Australian delegation to the 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59)
In the Northern Territory, Chief Justice Trevor Riley has described cutting funding from legal aid services as a ‘false economy’
Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been denied entry to Australia based on his history as a perpetrator of domestic violence
White Ribbon Ambassador Tanveer Ahmed has attracted extensive criticism after publishing a column blaming violence against women on the ‘disempowerment’ of men

Around the World

In the UK, a well-known QC’s deeply offensive comments about victims and survivors of sexual assault have attracted international condemnation
[TRIGGER WARNING: victim blaming, violent language]
The Pakistan government has emphasised the need to address violence against women in conflictduring debate at the UN Security Council
In Poland, lawmakers have voted to sign into law the Istanbul Convention on Violence against Women after ‘fiery debate’
In Canada, new research has found that Muslim women have equivalent levels of workforce participation as women from other minority faiths
In the United States, a bill has been proposed to ensure that high school students are educated about sexual assault and safety in relationships
In Canada, supervisory bodies have found that law students are not being adequately trained to advise victims and survivors of domestic violence [TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence, death]
In Zimbabwe, the media is being asked to take an active role in addressing gender-based violence
The film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey continues to attract controversy, including calls for a boycott

Research, Resources and Reports

Health in Difference 2015, the 9^th National LGBTI Health Conference, have put out their call for abstracts
The Domestic Violence Resource Centre of Victoria (DVRCV) have released a new poster for free download about the facts on family violence

Get Involved!

UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Rashida Manjoo will be presenting RightsTalk: Continuing and New Challenges in the Quest to Eliminate Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences in Sydney tomorrow, 11 February
Professor Liz Kelly will be presenting a public lecture with ANROWS on Friday 13 February on the topic: ‘Re-visiting the continuum of sexual violence in the 21st century’
Over 300 people have already responded to the SmartSafe survey on workers’ perspectives of technology-facilitated abuse!
Registrations have now opened for the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be held in The Hague on 3-6 November 2015
Early Bird registration remains open for the Australian Peacewomen Awards and Women’s Power to Stop War Conference in Canberra on 28-29 May 2015 presented by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Our Advisory Group member Women’s Legal Services Australia (WLSA) is now on Facebook andTwitter!
The Partners in Prevention Forum 2015 will take place tomorrow 11 February in Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is seeking women aged between 16 and 50 who have experienced relationship issues over the last 6 months to participate in their trial of a website designed to help women to self-reflect on the health of their relationships, become more informed about what might help them, and plan for their safety and wellbeing

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

Weekly Round-Up * 19 January

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the links we have highlighted focus on the sharing of experiences. From Royal Commissions to social media, the ability of survivors to communicate their perspectives and experiences is crucial to properly understanding gender based violence. Further, listening to survivors, and working with them to take substantive action, is key to addressing and ultimately eliminating men’s violence against women.

The Weekly Round-Up will be on hiatus for the next 2 weeks. Keep an eye out for our next edition on 9 February!

Around the Country

In Victoria, the State Government has announced the terms of reference for its Royal Commission into Family Violence
It is now almost 30 years since the horrific assault and murder of Anita Cobby in Blacktown and the trial of her killers
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, sexual assault, death]
Researchers have found that unequal division of household duties is a key factor in preventing women’s economic engagement and financial independence
A review from James Cook University has found a severe lack of substantive research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences of sexual assault and sexual assault services
Journalist Kathleen Calderwood has profiled a men’s behaviour change program being provided in Townsville [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse]
Telstra have announced that they will be providing employees with 10 days of paid domestic violence leave
Domestic violence service providers have emphasised the importance of taking any instance of violence or feeling unsafe in a relationship seriously enough to seek help [TRIGGER WARNNG: Description of violence]

Around the World

In Papua New Guinea, a free counselling hotline for victims of domestic violence will be operational by the end of this year
In the United States, a bill that would allow domestic violence perpetrators in Michigan to carry concealed firearms has been vetoed [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, violence against children]
UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Rashida Manjoo has been denied a visa by Israelto enter Palestine and speak with women who have experienced violence
Iceland’s UN ‘Barbershop’ Conference on violence against women was held in New York on 14-15 January
In the United Kingdom, universities are trialling programs to train students in effective intervention if they witness sexual harassment or assault [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence, death]
In the United States, the state of Maine has introduced a new risk-assessment tool to all state law enforcement agencies to help predict which offenders pose the highest risk
In South Africa, NGOs are delivering training to fathers in taking a more equitable role in the household, in the hopes of stemming rates of violence against women
US Associate Professor Katie Rose Guest Pryal has written a guide for academics dealing with survivors in their classes
In Egypt, women are using social media to share stories of sexual harassment and photographs of perpetrators

Research, Resources and Reports

The Journal of Crime and Justice has published an article entitled ‘Gendered violence and victim blame: subject perceptions of blame and the appropriateness of services for survivors of domestic sex trafficking, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence’ by Tasha A. Menakera and Cortney A. Franklina

Get Involved!

In Adelaide, ANROWS is hosting a public lecture on Friday 13 February with Professor Liz Kelly CBE on the topic: ‘Re-visiting the continuum of sexual violence in the 21st century’
Did you get involved with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence this year? If so, take your chance to complete a short 10 question survey by Friday, 23 January and help develop future campaign strategies based directly on lessons learned and knowledge gathered!
Early Bird registration is now open for the Australian Peacewomen Awards and Women’s Power to Stop War Conference in Canberra on 28-29 May 2015 presented by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Tickets are now on sale for UN Women’s International Women’s Day Breakfast events around the country

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

Weekly Round-Up * 5 January

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up and welcome to 2015! This week, we are looking back at the year that was, and looking forward at the challenges and opportunities of the year to come. 2014 saw women’s voices swelling around the word, be they quiet and eloquent or powerful and demanding, women of all ages joined the common chorus for recognition, respect and safety.

[TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of violence, sexual assault] At the same time many people will reflect on 2014 as a year of continued violence and of insufficient responses to this violence.

We know that gender based violence is staggering in its scope and that it will continue to impact millions of women in 2015. We know that gender inequality is both a consequence and cause of violence against women. At AWAVA, we also know that in 2015 passionate people like you will continue to struggle for the right of all women and girls to feel and be safe wherever they are around the globe.

Around the Country

Police and women’s services braced for an increase in domestic violence cases before the holiday period, with police in Mackay attending 13 incidents on Christmas Day alone
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has spoken about the need to reflect on the many stories of violence against women from 2014 and to address the gender inequality that allows this violence to continue
Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to intimate partner violence and calls have been renewed for increased training for midwives working with women who may have experienced violence
Ken Lay has resigned as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in order to provide care and support to his wife who is experiencing a long term illness
Queensland’s Domestic Violence Taskforce is considering proposals that call for mandatory behaviour change programs for domestic violence offenders [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence]
In Victoria, a police officer has been suspended with pay while allegations that he sexually assaulted a fellow officer are investigated
In New South Wales, the number of domestic violence victims being referred to a trial advocacy group for court services far exceeds expectations [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, violence image, death]
In Western Australia, a District Court has found that a woman defamed her estranged husband byposting on Facebook that he had abused her

Around the World

Recent incidents of violence around the world have demonstrated that men who perpetrate ‘mass killings’ are often already known perpetrators of violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: gun violence, descriptions of violence, death]
Nidal Karim, senior adviser for gender and empowerment impact measurement at CARE USA, has listed four tips for integrating gender-based violence into development programs
In the United States, journalists are examining the ongoing impact that violence has, not only on direct victims, but also on their families and caregivers [TRIGGER WARNING: Gun violence]
In the UK, new legislation criminalising coercive and controlling behaviour in an effort to more fully address domestic violence has been met with guarded praise [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of abuse]
In the Philippines, investigations continue into trafficking and abuse of women by overseas recruitment agencies [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, abuse, sexual violence, suicide]
In the United States, some researchers have raised concerns about the focus on sexual assaults of women in universities, which they say hides the fact that women in low socio-economic situations, who may not be able to afford tertiary education, are at much greater risk of violence and abuse[TRIGGER WARNING: Potentially disturbing stylised image of assault]
In Canada, calls are being made for victims of sexual assaults and other crimes to have broader standing in criminal proceedings
In Somaliland, ‘Girls’ Clubs’ are being funded to enable girls to learn and speak out about female genital cutting/mutilation
In Turkey, women’s rights organisations feel they have been shut out of the evaluation process for the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the İstanbul Convention
In Malawi, a senior magistrate has suggested that a lack of education about gender related laws amongst junior court staff is compromising the delivery of justice in gender-based violence cases across the country

Research, Resources and Reports

The Journal of Adolescent Health has published an article entitled ‘Addressing Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Among Adolescents: Emerging Evidence of Effectiveness’ by Rebecka Lundgren and Avni Amin
The American Journal of Public Health has published an article entitled ‘Adolescents’ and Adults’ Experiences of Being Surveyed About Violence and Abuse: A Systematic Review of Harms, Benefits, and Regrets’
The journal, Australasian Psychiatry, has published an article entitled ‘What can psychiatrists do to better support victims of family violence?’
Santi Owen and Kerry Carrington have authored an article entitled ‘Domestic violence (DV) service provision and the architecture of rural life: An Australian case study’, published by the Journal of Rural Studies
The journal, Violence Against Women, has published an article entitled ‘What Counts? A Mixed-Methods Study to Inform Evaluation of Shelters for Abused Women’
Amnesty International have published a report entitled Escape from Hell: Torture And Sexual Slavery In Islamic State Captivity In Iraq

Get Involved!

Our sister alliance, Equality Rights Alliance, will be hosting a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) consultation to share information and insights on the UPR process, discuss key human rights issues and develop collective strategies ahead of Australia’s upcoming UPR; a workshop session on engaging with international human rights in Australian advocacy; as well as a report back from the National Women’s Alliances in Perth on 22 January 2015

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

Weekly Round-Up * 22 December

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! This will be our last edition for 2014 and we would like to thank you for your support throughout the year. Thank you to everyone who has provided us with thoughtful input, suggestions and feedback through surveys, emails, and by commenting on social media. Thank you to those who have spread the message further by sharing our posts and emails with your friends, family and co-workers. We are thankful for this opportunity to continue learning about violence against women, its impact on women and children throughout Australia and the many innovative and effective initiatives that are being developed to prevent and better respond to this violence. We are also proud to be a part of a feminist movement that continues to speak out against sexism and misogyny and to highlight the links between gender inequality and violence against women. We look forward to continuing this work in 2015!

The AWAVA office will close on 24 December and will re-open on 5 January next year. We look forward to working together with all of you, and with our entire community, to reduce and eliminate violence against women.

Around the Country

Questions continue to be raised about the violent history and bail conditions of Sydney gunman Man Haron Monis. Many writers have considered the lack importance placed on his history of violence against women
Also following the siege in Sydney, the hashtag #illridewithyou has become news around the world withvarying levels of support
Amy Wise has analysed the disconnect between the reality of sexual assault for women and the way it is reported by the media
In Melbourne, two recent deaths have raised fears about violence against women in the Australian Indian community
[TRIGGER WARNING: murder-suicide, car crash]
Police and women’s services warn that violence can often increase around the holidays and urge those who are in danger to have a safety plan in place
Sarah Macdonald writes about the men she’d like to thank in 2014

Around the World

In Timor-Leste, the expulsion of a large number of foreign judges and legal workers may cause many domestic and sexual violence cases to be reheard and force victims to give their testimony over again
In the United States, domestic violence rates in police families are up to 4 times higher than in the general public
In Tunisia, for the first time a woman has carried a case of sexual violence against police officers all the way through the country’s court system
In Spain, researchers have compared different methods of assessing levels of violence experienced by pregnant women
In Fiji, four anti-violence against women projects have been named among UN Women’s Pacific Regional Ending Violence against Women Facility Fund (Pacific Fund) grant recipients
Young scientists around the world face high rates of sexual violence when participating in fieldwork and often have nowhere to turn after having experienced a traumatic event [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault, victim blaming]
In Canada, performer Shania Twain has created a video with the Canadian Mounted Police about violence within the home [TRIGGER WARNING: Images of distressed people]
In Papua New Guinea, Bishop Arnold Orowae has condemned violence against women that occurs under the guise of ‘witch hunts’
On December 17, many people around the world engaged in activism for the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers
In the United States, a small number of Michigan State University graduates have held a separate ‘survivors’ graduation ceremony’ after the university chose columnist George Will as their commencement speaker

Research, Resources and Reports

White Ribbon Australia has published the latest report in their Policy Research Series entitled ‘Women’s Safety is a Men’s Issue: Men’s attitudes to violence against women and what that means for men’ by Dr Kristin Diemer
In the Journal of Family Violence, Cerulli et al have published an article entitled, ‘In Our Voice: Survivors’ Recommendations for Change’
GSDRC have published a research report by Siân Herbert entitled, ‘Links between women’s empowerment (or lack of) and outbreaks of violence conflict’
Dean Peacock and Gary Barker have published ‘Working with Me and Boys to Prevent Gender-based Violence: Principles, Lessons Learned, and Ways Forward’ in the journal Men and Masculinities

Get Involved!

Victim Support Service (VSS) aims to develop a new tagline and would like your input! Fill out the very short survey here

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

Weekly Round-Up * 15 December

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up! This week many of the links we highlight relate to the media – from the media’s role in supporting the prevention of men’s violence against women to activists and organisations use of media to spread messages and education about gender-based violence. Media coverage has a huge impact on the way we view the world. It is vital that this coverage upholds the rights of women and children, recognises the underlying cases of violence against women and challenges harmful community attitudes and practices that help to perpetuate a culture in which violence is accepted and normalised.

Around the Country

Indigenous women from around the world met in Cairns recently for the Global Indigenous Domestic Violence conference
The All About Women festival has announced video game commentator Anita Sarkeesian on their line up for International Women’s Day next year, along with Tara Moss, Germaine Greer, Clementine Ford and more
Professor Rosalind Croucher has been reappointed to lead the Australian Law Reform Commission until December 2015
Former Governor-General Quentin Bryce has spoken about her experience hearing the stories of victims and survivors in her work as head of the Queensland Domestic Violence Taskforce
Writer Kim Lock has spoken about the need to speak positively about abortion
Rates of imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been called a ‘national emergency’
In the ACT, high rental prices and reduced funding for services has left a growing number of women and children fleeing family violence homeless
The Lebanese Muslim Association have released two videos as part of a campaign to challenge attitudes that lead to domestic violence
[TRIGGER WARNING: depictions of violence in video]
Clementine Ford has written about the need for change in the language used by members of the community and by the media when talking about violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, victim blaming]

Around the World

Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, has described the lack of action on violence experienced by women online as “one of the tragedies of humanity”
In the UK, a challenge has been heard before the High Court to rules restricting access to legal aid for victims and survivors of violence
In Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers have called for the inclusion of a standard setting item on violence against women and men at work places in the agenda of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 2016
In China, activists and commentators have highlighted the need for attitudinal change alongside new domestic violence laws
In Afghanistan, Najiba Ahmadi is working to educate women about their rights and how to navigate the country’s laws if they experience violence [TRIGGER WARNING: threats of violence against children]
The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Women’s Institute at George Washington University have recommended that international financial institutions take a role in addressing violence against women
In Liberia, health workers, family members and members of the community have been told they must not dehumanise or discriminate against HIV/Aids patients and victims and survivors of gender-based violence
In the United States, Megan Carpentier has spoken about her own experience of sexual assault and law enforcement in the state of Virginia [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of sexual assault, violence, victim-blaming, police misconduct]
In South Africa, there are calls for fathers to take a more hands-on role in caring for their children and breaking down the gender roles that can contribute to violence
A number of uses of sexual assault in high profile television shows has drawn commentary on the ethics of using sexual violence as a plot device

Research, Resources and Reports

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released a new report, Specialist homelessness services: 2013-14
A dissertation entitled, ‘Examining Access Barriers to Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter Services for Transgender Identified Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in New York State’ by Carla M Smith is now available online
The latest issue of Parity (Volume 27 Issue 9) is now available online
The journal, Trauma, Violence & Abuse, has published a study entitled ‘Problem Gambling and Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ and an article entitled, ‘Intimate Partner Violence and the Rural–Urban–Suburban Divide: Myth or Reality? A Critical Review of the Literature’
VicHealth has released the findings from its 2013 survey of Victorians’ attitudes to race and cultural diversity
1800RESPECT have released a set of resources for frontline workers to find out how resilient they are by taking the resilience assessment. They can then sign up to the 10 week e-health resilient program and watch a video on stress, trauma and work: how to look after yourself

Get Involved!

Workers around Australia who have direct contact with women and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence are invited to complete a survey on technology-facilitated abuse! The survey has been released by Women’s Legal Services NSW, the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria and WESNET to guide their creation of resources
Our sister alliance, economic Security4Women (eS4W) is searching for women from STEM and non-traditional occupations and industries to be highly visible role models on a stand-alone website to be launched in 2015!
InTouch, Multicultural Centre against Family Violence, are advertising a position for an Indian/South Asian family violence case worker for a pilot Family Violence project entitled Harmony that will be implemented next year
Early bird registration to the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Conference on Gendered Violence and Violationscloses December 19
The Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) is calling for papers for the 9th Women and Policing Conference being held at Luna Park Sydney from 31 August to 3 September 2015. The theme of the 2015 Conference is: Making History: Shaping the Future. Submissions close 31 January 2015

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

Weekly Round-Up * 8 December

Welcome to the latest edition of the AWAVA Weekly Round-Up. This week, many of the links we’re sharing relate to actions being taken to help prevent and eliminate violence against women. Across the country and across the globe, activists are working and building on the achievements of those who came before them to address gender based violence. Every action, however small, helps to counter the attitudes and culture that permit men’s violence against women to continue.

Around the Country

Former Governor General and head of Queensland’s Domestic Violence Taskforce Quentin Bryce has said that men’s inaction is responsible for continued unacceptable rates of domestic violence
The Federal Government has announced new measures to address human trafficking, slavery and forced marriage
WESNET has partnered with Telstra to provide safe smart phones to women impacted by domestic violence
Newly-elected Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is in the process of selecting a person to head the state’s royal commission into family violence
Researchers from the University of Melbourne are advocating for responses to violence against women to be integrated into the medical, nursing and public health sectors around the world
In Victoria, justices of the Court of Appeal have called for tougher sentences for vengeful former partners, saying domestic violence in Victoria has become an epidemic
[TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, gun violence]
Target and Kmart have both removed the video game GTA V from their shelves following pressure from people concerned about the game’s depictions of violence against women
NSW Police assistant commissioner Mark Murdoch has named educating young men about respectful relationships as a key focus in preventing violence against women, pointing to violent pornography as a significant obstacle
In the ACT, Attorney-General Simon Corbell has announced that almost $100,000 in proceeds from crime will be used to fund community organisations that campaign for the elimination of violence against women in Canberra
The ‘No Gender December’ campaign has been an opportunity for researchers and activists to underline the connection between strict gender roles and violence against women
Writer, comedian, and well known activist for women with disabilities, Stella Young has passed awayaged 32
In New South Wales, new data has revealed that rates of domestic violence have remained stable, with close to 30,000 assaults during the 12 months up to September

Around the World

In China, a draft has been released of the country’s first anti-domestic violence law [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, financial abuse]
Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has called on young people to educate themselves and take action on violence against women [TRIGGER WARNING: Description of violence]
In Ireland, a seminar organised by the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence (ICGBV) has heard from high profile activists, including Tom Meagher and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, that gender equality is vital to addressing violence against women
As Egypt marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, activists reflected on the many types of gender based violence experienced by women in the country [TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of violence, female genital cutting, violence against children]
The Pan American Health Organisations has pointed to Colombia as the worst country in Latin America or the Caribbean for violence against women
In the United States, former Chief Airforce Prosecutor Col. Don Christensen has resigned citingretaliation for his efforts in prosecuting military sexual assault cases
European Parliament has heard that immediate and significant action needs to be taken to reduce the number of women experiencing violence and being killed around Europe
Performer Lady Gaga has spoken about her experience of being sexually assaulted as a 19 year old

Research, Resources and Reports

The Journal of Technology in Human Services has published a study entitled, ‘Intimate Partner Violence: Modifying an Internet-Based Safety Decision Aid to a New Zealand Context’
The University of New South Wales’ Gendered Violence Research Network has made their Good Practice Review: FSV and the Workplace Strategies Project – Papua New Guinea available for free download online
The World Bank Group, the Global Women’s Institute at George Washington University, and the Inter-American Development Bank have published a new resource guide on violence against women and girls and accompanying website aimed at providing basic information on VAWG, and guidance on how to integrate VAWG prevention and the provision of quality services to violence survivors
1800 RESPECT continue to release resources for workers around the sector, including best practice resources for risk assessment

Get Involved!

Our sister alliance, Equality Rights Alliance, is leading an advisory group of organisations interested in gender equality to prepare a section on gender equality for the Universal Periodic Review into Human Rights (UPR) NGO report. They need YOUR help to identify which issues should be prioritised in the report. You can do this by taking their UPR Gender Consultation survey

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

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AWAVA Weekly Round-Up Archives

Around the Country

Around the World

Research, Resources and Reports

Get Involved!