ParentsNext

The Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services is calling for submissions relating to ParentsNext, closing 30 November 2022.

AWAVA has strongly supported the positions advocated by the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children (NCSMC), and has endorsed their submission. While AWAVA has a range of concerns with ParentsNext and its implementation, and the impact it has on the wellbeing of women and children generally, we are specifically concerned regarding the program’s treatment of victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. 

While employment participation can be a pathway away from violence, employment services do not specialise in treating trauma and do not have the specialist knowledge required to support women and children escaping violence. Forced interactions of this nature can, on the other hand, re-traumatise and compromise the safety of victim-survivors. 

AWAVA specifically submits that ParentsNext requires redesign and re-branding, moving it away from its current punitive approach, towards a model that enhances choice, control and opportunities for parents. There should be no compulsion for participation, particularly for women experiencing and/or escaping violence. The safety of women and children must be prioritised, particularly in light of the Australian government’s recent endorsement of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.

AWAVA encourages other organisations and individuals advocating on behalf of victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence to made a submission to the inquiry.

Around the Country

• The independent report into Queensland police responses to domestic and family violence has been released. From highlighting problems with misogyny and racism to pointing out failures of leadership, the Commission of Inquiry's 400-page report, which made 78 recommendations, has been called "disturbing" reading by Queensland's Premier.

• New South Wales has become the first Australian state to create a stand-alone offence of coercive control after parliament passed legislation on Wednesday amid calls for further consultation on the bill.

• Queensland now imprisons the highest number of children Australia-wide, with the youth prison population increasing 27.3% over the past seven years.

• The humanitarian crisis in Western Australia’s youth justice system is on the national stage with more and more voices calling for urgent reforms.

• The Australian Human Rights Commission has called on all Australian governments to urgently address the national crisis in youth justice to prevent further harm to children in detention, and to reduce youth offending through effective systems of support.

• The Australian Government has announced the appointment of Ms Susan Woodward AM as the full-time Commissioner to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) for a five-year period commencing on 12 December 2022.

• The South Australian Government has announced it will introduce a Bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis that someone is, or has been, subject to domestic abuse and protecting victim-survivors and their families in public life, including in employment, education or when trying to access services or accommodation.

• The Australian Government passed the Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) Bill 2022, ensuring that Commissioner appointments are publicly advertised and subject to an open, transparent and merit-based process, in line with international commitments. It removes the possibility of direct appointments.

• Legal Aid ACT refused to pay 'not insignificant' ransom to hackers who stole data of Canberra domestic violence survivors.

Around the World

• In Singapore victims of family violence will be able to receive help from social service professionals around the clock by calling the National Anti-Violence Helpline from April 2023.

• European human rights experts are urging authorities in Switzerland to do more to protect women from violence both at home and in society.

• In the Republic of Ireland a survey of 1,300 social workers found that all forms of domestic abuse increased during the pandemic with social workers claiming some abusers used Covid-19 as a reason to deny them access to homes.

• In the United States, over 130 signatories have signed onto an open letter of support for Amber Heard denouncing online harassment, intimidation of women who report abuse, and overall “a monetized social media environment where a woman’s allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment.”

• A congressional report has found that sexual misconduct by instructors in a military leadership program operating in high schools across the United States was a bigger issue than previously known.

• The US House has passed the Speak Out Act which will allow employees to talk about their experiences with harassment or assault at work by invalidating nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that force workers to remain silent in these cases.

• At COP27, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a suite of programs to advance gender-responsive climate action including $21.8 million dedicated to gender-responsive climate action.

• There has been a reported Surge in use of rape against women and rivals by Haiti gangs.

• Watch or read Anne Hathaway’s speech for the B20/G20 Indonesia Summit: Unlocking the full potential of women in the economy.

• Cuban women’s activists are pushing Parliament and campaigning on social media for a comprehensive law that would encourage and protect women who file complaints.

• In South Africa, hundreds of people took to the streets in Durban to condemn violence against women amid a growing wave of incidents that rattled the nation.

• The debate over abortion rights has flared in Morocco after a teenager's death following an unsafe termination, but social taboos continue to stall reforms.

Research and Publications

• A Queensland audit report, Keeping people safe from domestic and family violence, examines how effectively public sector entities keep people safe from domestic and family violence.  

• The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability has released a report Complaint mechanisms: Reporting pathways for violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

• Good Shepherd has released Safety net for sale: The role of Buy Now Pay Later in exploiting financial vulnerability, and makes a number of recommendations including strengthening debt-free financial support for family violence victim-survivors, by increasing the amount and accessibility of the Federal Escaping Violence Payment.

• University of Queensland research suggests that graphic media coverage of domestic violence cases could contribute to ‘copycat’ behaviour. The report, Dousing Threats and DFV – Media Reporting, is the second paper in a three-part series looking at the criminal justice response to threats, in particular fire-related domestic violence.

• AHURI has released a research paper Why does Australia have a rental crisis, and what can be done about it?

• The University of Melbourne has released Labour in Limbo: Bridging Visa E holders and modern slavery risk in Australia. 

• Victims of physical domestic violence are 12 times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury than athletes or members of the military, a new study by the University of Montreal reports. However, many victims’ injuries go undiagnosed or untreated.

• Almost two thirds of academics have experienced at least one form of violence because of their gender or gender expression, according to an Europe-wide survey of 42,000 researchers. They were most likely to report psychological violence followed by sexual harassment.

• The United Nations Population Fund has published an assessment Women and young people with disabilities: A needs assessment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, and access to essential services - Vanuatu.

• Amnesty International has released analysis Unprotected in Ecuador: Venezuelan refugee women survivors of gender-based violence.

• Sexual and gender-based violence in the domestic and social spheres is but a reflection of extremism in the public sphere according to a paper Extremism and Gender-based Violence in South Asia.

• Das, M., Tóth, C.G., Shri, N. et al. Does sexual Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) increase risk of multiple high-risk fertility behaviours in India: evidence from National Family Health Survey 2015–16. BMC Public Health 22, 2081 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14289-0

Resources and Guidelines

• Engender Equality have published Breaking the Trap, Working with Clients Experiencing Coercive Control, a downloadable workbook designed for workers who are supporting people who have been impacted by coercive control.

• The [email protected] Council and Australian Human Rights Commission have launched a new website that will help employers and workers address sexual harassment, and support them to create gender inclusive, safe, and respectful workplaces.

• Our Watch has developed new tools to support schools in promoting gender equality and creating an Australia free from violence.

• eSafety has just updated their Toolkit for Schools, a suite of resources to support schools in creating safer online environments. The updated Toolkit features new content, including advice and research, updates on reporting processes.

• The international Sexual Violence Research Initiative has published Shared Global Research Priorities for the Intersections between Violence against Children and Violence against Women to help to advance the field in a more structured way and to monitor progress against initial evidence gaps.

• 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

• Listen to the podcast Miss It Appears We’ve Hit Some Turbulence about the lives and stories of women in custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and post-release.

• The Monthly writes Criminalising coercive control isn’t the answer to DV.

• The National Indigenous Times explains How to spot a gaslighter, and what to do if you’re the victim.

• ABC News says Most small businesses feel effects of domestic violence on staff, but are ill-equipped to manage impacts.

• In Refinery 29 Jackie Turner writes The World Isn’t Built To Celebrate Trans Joy But After 9 Years, I’ve Finally Found It.

• City Limits writes Opinion: Teaching Kids About Domestic Violence Earlier Will Make NY Safer.

• The Seattle Medium analyses Victim/Defendant: The Criminalization Of Domestic Violence Survivors.

• AllAfrica writes about reproductive violence in Africa: Ending Gender-Based Violence in a World of 8 Billion. 

• Watch a group of women from Eerste Rivier come forward and share their stories about facing gender-based violence in South Africa.

• The Toronto Star reports Elaha Dilawarzai, a former Taliban hostage, is the symbol of violence against Afghan women.

• Just Security writes Iranian Women’s Demands for Freedom Must Be Heard.

• Aljazeera writes Why women’s rights matter in COP27.

• The Progressive Magazine talks about The Push to Remove Police from Domestic Violence Situations.

• Sydney Criminal Lawyers discuss Witch-Hunting Is Gender-Based Violence: Talking Women’s Rights With India’s North East Network.

• Probono interviews Sarah White, the new CEO at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health.

• Open Democracy writes How gendered violence is used to try to silence Zimbabwe’s female politicians.

• ABC News asks Five years after the same-sex marriage plebiscite, does it hold a lesson for the Indigenous Voice referendum?

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]
  
• Have you listened to a true crime podcast? A QUT study is looking for participants for a research project focused on women’s experiences listening to true crime podcasts. If you are an adult (18+) woman who has listened to a true crime podcast, a QUT researcher would like to speak to you about participating in a diary study. For more information click here.
• The National Council of Single Mothers and Their Children are conducting a Separated Women's Financial Safety Survey, which looks at single mothers’ post-separation finances, including how money might be used by their ex-partner to control or abuse.
• The ANROWS-funded #[email protected] online national survey is open and is investigating the sexual harassment of LGBTQ young people (aged 14 to 30) in the workplace and in workplace training sites.
  
• Harmony Alliance, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) are conducting a survey on the experiences of women, girls, women identifying, and non-binary people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The survey asks questions about your experiences with health care and disability support services in Australia and is available in Arabic, English, Mandarin, Nepali, Spanish, Swahili.
  
• Harmony Alliance is consulting with women from migrant and refugee backgrounds on their experiences and views of digital and technology-facilitated abuse and the gendered impacts of digitalisation. Sessions are being held on 24 November 2022.
  
• The Australian Government’s Employment White Paper (the White Paper) will provide a roadmap for Australia to build a bigger, better-trained and more productive workforce – to boost incomes and living standards and create more opportunities for more Australians. Comments are now invited on the terms of reference, closing on 30 November 2022.

• The Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services is calling for submissions relating to ParentsNext, closing 30 November 2022.

• A consultation paper for the independent review into the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Review) has been released, with submissions accepted up until 14 December 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.

   
  

Events

• A free online event convened by Future Women unpacks the significance of the [email protected]: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report and the implications of the new legislation for employers and organisations on 29 November at 12 midday. 

• From 5:30PM to 7:00PM on 29 November 2022 at the RSSS Auditorium ANU, the ANU Gender Institute and ANUCLAS, in collaboration with the Embassy of Argentina, are co-hosting a discussion to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, with experts who will look at how gender violence appears in everyday settings and situations, and how to address it.

• There is an Australian Institute of Family Studies webinar Parenting orders: Research on compliance and enforcement and insights from practice on 30 November 2022 at 1.00PM.

• The Australian Institute of Family Studies, Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) is offering a one-hour webinar on supporting clients who have experienced technology-facilitated coercive control on 7 December 2022 at 2.00PM.

• The Human Rights Commission’s annual Human Rights Awards are being held on Friday 9 December at the UTS Great Hall in Ultimo. Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO will deliver the Human Rights Day Oration.

• On 10 December 2022 the Women’s Electoral Lobby is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Sydney with a social event and keynote speaker, the Honourable Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians, who will outline the compelling reasons why feminists must actively support the campaign for the Voice to Parliament.

• The Queer Displacements is the first and only conference (22-23 February 2023) in the Asia Pacific designed to comprehensibly foreground protection and settlement challenges of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) forcibly displaced people. Registrations are now open, click here to visit the conference website and for more information.

• The National Aboriginal Child Safety and Domestic Violence Summit 2023: Strong Families, Safer Children is being held on 29-31 March 2023 in Adelaide and will bring together guest speakers to stimulate new and innovative pathways to address the national issue of child safety, domestic and Aboriginal family violence across Australia.

  
  

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
• Applications are now open to study the Graduate Certificate in Domestic & Family Violence at RMIT University in 2023. Co-designed with a sector advisory committee, and a recognised qualification in the Victorian family violence sector - this Graduate Certificate is open to people who either have: 5-years relevant work experience, or an undergraduate degree.

• A free online course - Connectivity’s Concussion Short Course - has been designed in conjunction with the University of Tasmania to help further understanding of concussion including recognising the signs and symptoms, how to manage concussion, appreciate the pathways to recovery and how concussions can impact your everyday life.

• 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.

• 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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