Dowry abuse and family violence 

AWAVA has long advocated for dowry abuse to be considered a form of violence against women. The practice of dowry - the cultural exchange of substantial gifts on marriage - can be associated with abuse, control and demands for more extravagant gifts or financial contributions. As for all forms of gender-based violence, the main driver of dowry abuse is gender inequality, operating on many levels from social and cultural norms to economic and structural injustices.

Dr Manjula Datta O’Connor has recently published Daughters for Durga about dowries, and gender-based and family violence in Australia. She draws from her clinical expertise as a psychiatrist and her close work with the Indian community – as a researcher and advocate – to provide new insights into measures to prevent family violence. 

WESNET spoke to Dr Datta O’Connor about her book and about the intersection of culture, migration and gender in domestic and family violence. She provides unique insights into the impact patriarchy has in migrant communities and how toxic masculinity and colonial misconceptions of cultural practices can become tools of abuse.

Around the Country

• An important gathering of First Nations women the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Women’s Safety Policy Forum – including specialist experts, researchers, frontline workers and women with lived experience of violence – has called on governments across Australia to ensure First Nations women lead all future efforts to prevent violence against First Nations women and children.

• Energy customers affected by family violence will soon be better protected under new rules set out in a final determination published by the Australian Energy Market Commission.

• A Tasmanian mother whose child has been living on a property with a man alleged to have sexually assaulted her two other children has been reunited with her child, after what she says is years of inaction from child protection authorities.

• The ABC has reported Specialist family violence court and legal aid needed in north-east Victoria, advocates say.

• Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog will seek to expose inappropriate police responses to family violence, as well as probe “predatory behaviour incidents” involving officers, as one of its six key areas of focus over the coming year.

• In WA, WACOSS has cautiously welcomed the increase to the state indexation rate to 3.53% for community services, back dated to 1 July 2022, but says it doesn’t go far enough.

• The NSW government is doubling family and domestic violence leave provisions for all of the state's public sector workers. From January next year, employees will be able to access 20 days of paid leave per calendar year. The provision will also be extended to include casual employees for the first time.

• NSW offenders who refuse to provide information or assistance to locate their victim’s remains cannot be granted parole, under new “no body no parole” laws, or “Lyn’s Law”.

• In sport, Hawthorn racism review to allege that former coaches separated First Nations players from families and demanded a pregnancy termination.

• A formal complaint has been lodged against former assistant treasurer Michael Sukkar and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over a failure to properly count LGBTIQ+ people and families in last year’s Census.

• The August Standing Council of Attorneys-General endorsed the Work Plan to Strengthen Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault 2022-2027. Under the Work Plan, all jurisdictions will seek to take collective and individual action to improve the experiences of victim-survivors of sexual assault in the criminal justice system.

• Viv’s Place, a new $30 million build-to-rent social housing project designed to support at-risk women and children, has been delivered by specialist homelessness organisation Launch Housing.

Around the World

• Protests have spread across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, after the young woman was arrested by the morality police for wearing her headscarf 'improperly'.

• Iran has shut off the internet in parts of Tehran and Kurdistan, and blocked access to platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, in an attempt to curb a growing protest movement that has relied on social media to document dissent.

• UN Messenger of Peace, Malala Yousafzai, has called upon world leaders to make schools safe for girls around the world and invest in children’s education.

• In the US, Congress Passes Bill to Free Domestic Violence Survivors From Their Abusers’ Student Debt.

• The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved a bill that would invalidate nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) designed to keep employees from discussing instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

• Watch this high-level discussion bringing together policymakers and practitioners from Member States, civil society and the UN to share best practices and experiences of feminist foreign policymaking and feminist multilateralism.

• In the UK, the BBC has reported Court orders to protect domestic violence victims from their attackers are "not worth the paper they're written on".

• Read the Closing Remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, for Transforming Education Summit (TES) Leaders Day—Spotlight session “Advancing gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment in and through education”.

• An increasing number of female-only spaces have been emerging in Korea, ranging from study cafes, "gosiwon" or dormitory-style flats, guest houses and shared offices to camping sites.

• Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro has cut the budget for fighting violence against women by 90%.

• Indian NCRB data reveals that in 2021 there were 29,272 murders and 428,278 acts of violence against women, which represents a 15.3% increase in violence against women compared to the previous year.

Research and Publications

• Emeritus Professor Jude McCulloch has conducted analysis of Police Militarisation, Racism, and Colonialism.

• The WA Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing (CWSW) has published its new Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence Reader (Spring Edition), focussing on sexual violence and on governmental and institutional responses needed to address sexual violence prevention and response.

• Monash University has released Respectful Relationships Education in Australia: National Stocktake and Gap Analysis of Respectful Relationships Education Material and Resources Final Report.

• The World Wide Web Foundation has released a report Strengthening Accountability for Online Gender-Based Violence – one year later.

• UNICEF Australia report Integrating Child Rights across the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) is a benchmarking exercise of the S&P/ASX 200 and other companies to understand the attention to child rights across Australian listed companies. 

• A plan to end homelessness in Victoria - drafted by the Council to Homeless Persons - maps out the housing and support needed to end homelessness in Victoria, tailored to the differing needs of particular groups.

• UN Women have reported Global gendered impacts of the Ukraine crisis on energy access and food security and nutrition.

• Rowlands S, Holdsworth R, Sowemimo A. How to recognise and respond to reproductive coercion BMJ 2022.

Resources and Guidelines

• Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion has a new specialist program providing legal help to Queenslanders with disability in natural disasters.

• Women's Legal Service WA recently co-designed and produced community education posters aimed at debunking myths commonly used by perpetrators to prevent women leaving an abusive relationship. The posters also feature a QR code linking to the Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing's Support and Services Directory.

• Say It Out Loud has published the LGBTQ+ Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Toolkit, written specifically by and for people from sexuality and gender diverse communities (LGBTQ+ people)

• Our Watch’s Men in focus practice guide offers practical strategies on engaging with men and boys on masculinities, such focusing on building empathy and motivation and fostering self-awareness.

• The Handbook on Gender, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters provides practical guidance to policymakers, response staff of the Disaster Management Centre and community groups to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor, and evaluate essential actions for a gender equitable disaster response. The handbook was created by the Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka with the financial support of the Australian Government.

• Harmony Alliance has developed a 2016 Census and Settlement Database brief to provide an understanding on migrant and refugee women's diversity in Australia and identify some of the challenges they face with a focus on the impact of English proficiency.

• Safe and Equal and the Expert Advisory Panel have developed a series of resources and templates to support other services and organisations in their engagement with survivor advocates. Safe and Equal has also released an issues paper, seeking to define and explore different sources of lived experience which inform the work of the family violence sector.

• As part of the Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) LEAD project, WWDA has developed a fact sheet to support women, girls, feminine identifying, and non-binary people with disability in understanding, applying for and navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

• The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has uploaded a website article Family, domestic and sexual violence containing facts and data, drawing from a range of statistics and research.

• Harmony Alliance has developed a grant writing guide which includes the steps to prepare grant proposals, what a proposal should consist of, and a practical example. 

• The Victorian Women’s Trust has launched Rural Women Online for women living and working in rural and remote Victoria. The program is designed to provide online help with computers, phones, and the internet, and is also a place to learn new digital skills, find a nearby workshop, access technical support, and sign up to be mentored.

• Our Watch and Senior Rights Victoria have produced a new resource for practitioners seeking to build their knowledge and practice on preventing violence against older women.

Media

• Rachel Perkin’s new documentary The Australian Wars tells our nation’s history of colonial violence and genocide. It is available to stream on SBS on-demand.
• ABC’s Nightline discusses Women: the growing face of homelessness.
• The Conversation writes Bollywood film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ paints an ambivalent picture of sex workers’ rights.
• The Conversation also looks at How artists Judy Watson and Helen Johnson are stripping back Australia’s ‘white blanket of forgetfulness’.
• In another article, The Conversation writes Action on faulty vaginal mesh took too long, now women struggle to access mesh surgery that works.
• Women’s Agenda writes ‘Most reprehensible behaviour’ in rugby league? There’s a woman to blame for that.
• The Guardian presents a video story ‘We need more females on the frontline’: the women reducing gun violence in California.
• The Guardian conducts an interview with Alok Vaid-Menon: ‘I was too much, too feminine, too hairy, too brown. I have been cruel to myself’.
• Refinery29 writes What People Get Wrong About Bisexuality, According To 27 Bi Australians.
• A new podcast series For Tech’s Sake takes on some of tech’s hottest topics, from digital transformation and sentient AI, to health-tech and tech-facilitated abuse.
• Euronews writes An EU-wide approach to gender-based violence is taking shape but gaps remain.
• The Sydney Morning Herald writes ‘I didn’t realise it wasn’t normal’: The ‘chilling’ impact of family violence on children.
• The Conversation asks ‘Toxic masculinity’: what does it mean, where did it come from – and is the term useful or harmful?
• Smart Plays is a new podcast that shines a light on uncomfortable topics in Australian sport and aims to rebuild respect as the base platform for interaction between fans, parents, coaches, players and officials.
• The Pakistan Friday Times writes Flood Crisis: Women At Risk Of Sexual Abuse, Violence And Harassment.
• The US Public Health Insider blogs Missing and murdered indigenous women and people: an invisible crisis coming to the surface. 
• The Guardian asks What kind of country are we that treats children in prison with such cruelty and brutality?
• The New York Times explains How Russian Trolls Helped Keep the Women’s March Out of Lock Step.
• Movie Web writes MCU: A History of Review Bombing and Its Roots in Misogyny.
• SBS News writes 'Honour killings' threaten women in Pakistan following devastating floods.
• Listen to Radio National Calls for children to be treated as equals in DV policy.

Surveys, submissions and grants

• Have you experienced tech-facilitated coercive control? Has a partner abused you using text messages or Facebook? Have they tracked you using GPS tracking apps? If you have experienced this type of abuse and sought safety and justice support, researchers from Monash, RMIT and WESNET would like to speak to you. Contact: [email protected]
• The WA Government recently opened a grant program for community-based initiatives that work towards the prevention of violence against women and their children. A total of $3 million is available for eligible organisations to deliver community primary prevention programs that address the gendered drivers of violence and aim to shift attitudes and culture that allow violence to occur. Applications close on 30 September 2022.
• The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Workforce Pulse Survey is seeking Victorian specialists working in family violence, sexual assault or The Orange Door Network, to contribute to workforce planning and highlight issues faced in the course of this work. The survey closes on 5 October 2022.
• The ACT Government is encouraging organisations to apply for the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence (FDSV) Grants Program which provide one-off funding for initiatives that aim to improve, innovate, and expand responses to FDSV in inclusive and accessible ways. A total of $2.075 million is available and applications are now open until 7 October.
• Forcibly Displaced People Network has launched the first Australia-wide survey to capture the experiences of displacement and settlement for LGBTIQA+ forcibly displaced people. The findings will be used to advocate for more welcoming and inclusive support. The survey can be completed online before 9 October 2022.
• The Queensland Government is offering grants of up to $25,000 for community organisations delivering targeted projects in culturally and linguistically diverse communities to respond to domestic, family and sexual violence. Applications will remain open 14 October 2022.
• The Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre has launched a new survey examining the prevention of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. The survey is open to all people aged 15 and over who have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, and participants can go in a draw to win shopping vouchers.
• The ACT Government is calling for community feedback to change the way agencies communicate and support victims of domestic and family violence. Community consultation on the reforms is open until 31 October 2022 – via the YourSay page.
• The Australian Senate has referred an inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 31 July 2023. The submission closing date is 11 November 2022.
• The Australian Senate has referred an inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 31 July 2023. The submission closing date is 11 November 2022.
• Now is the time to share your experience of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation with the Disability Royal Commission. Submissions close on 31 December 2022. Find more information on the DRC website.

Jobs

• Alfred Health in Melbourne is looking for a Consumer Consultant with lived experience of mental health challenges, service use, periods of healing/personal recovery to use their lived expertise to contribute to change within the delivery of mental health services and be involved in the design and delivery of a new and innovative service model for women. Applications close on 9 October 2022.

Events

• As part of the 2022 Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre Seminar Series, Dr Rebecca Stewart is presenting a seminar and webinar Exploring the help-seeking behaviours in education settings of young people experiencing family violence in Australia on 5 October 2022, 9am to 10am (AEDT).
• Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre is holding the inaugural Safe and Equal @ Work program event on 14 October 2022, in person in Melbourne or online, from 9am-4.30pm. The event will examine ‘Workplace supports for family violence victim-survivors with keynote speakers and panellists including leading advocates, practitioners, and academics.

• The Conference on Women's Safety and Financial Security is being held at the ANU Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics in Canberra on 20 to 21 October 2022.

• A roundtable Understanding domestic violence and religion: Exploring how faith-based organisations can be part of the solution is to be held in-person in Melbourne or online on 28 October 2022.
• The Queer Displacements is the first and only conference in the Asia Pacific (22 February 2023) designed to comprehensibly foreground protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people. Proposals to present are now accepted before 1 October and there will be a number of scholarships available for LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people with applications open until 1 November.
• The inaugural Safer Girls Safer Women symposium is being held on 10 November 2022 in Canberra to discuss the development of a national framework and best practice guidelines for sexual health, respectful relationships and consent education for women and girls with a disability.

Training and Further Education

• WESNET is offering Technology Safety Online Training for SADFV professionals, for dates and training descriptions please visit https://techsafety.org.au/training
• Harmony Alliance is collaborating with La Trobe University to support migrant and refugee women to start and further develop their careers through the Future Proof Career Development program. This free program will include educational, mentorship and networking resources.

• ACON has recently launched three online training modules: The Trans Vitality: Trans Affirming Practice eLearning; Trans and Gender Diverse Sexual Health ELearning, in collaboration with ASHM; and Recognise and Respond, in collaboration with the Black Dog Institute.

• The RACGP Family Violence GP Education Program assists GPs in developing skills and knowledge to respond to domestic and family violence. The program is open to all Victorian GPs and practice staff and offers two training pathway options – beginner and intermediate/advanced.
  

• RMIT’s Graduate Certificate in Domestic and Family Violence provides an exciting opportunity for current and future family violence practitioners, with subjects in gendered violence, responding to family violence, primary prevention of violence against women and specialist case coordination and management. The program is offered online and part-time to support work/life/study balance. Applications can be made online here, or for more information, visit the Program Overview.

• Harmony Alliance has developed a free online course on 'Financial Literacy for Women' available in English, Arabic, Dari, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Punjabi, Hazaragi, Thai, Karen, and Korean.

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