28 February 2023

Parliamentary inquiry into sexual consent laws

On 29 November 2022, the Senate referred an inquiry into current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2023. The deadline for submissions to this inquiry is 16 March 2023.

The inquiry’s terms of reference are broad-ranging and include examining the inconsistencies in, and operation of, consent laws across different jurisdictions, and the benefits of national harmonisation. The inquiry is also seeking submissions that address how consent laws impact survivor experience of the justice system, and the impact of consent laws on consent education.

In response to the announced inquiry, the Conversation published It’s time we aligned sexual consent laws across Australia – but this faces formidable challenges. WESNET has also recently published a policy position paper on affirmative consent which contains useful links to a range of resources.

Around the Country

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the first sitting prime minister to join Sydney’s mardi gras parade, which celebrates and continues to push for equality for the LGBTQIA+ community.
A suite of domestic violence reforms passed in the Queensland parliament will strengthen protection for victims. The changes include expanding the definition of domestic and family abuse to include a "pattern of behaviour" and will strengthen the offence of stalking.
A senior Victorian police officer who justified his anti-LGBTQI comments by citing his religious beliefs has been sacked.
The Victorian Aboriginal legal service says it was never consulted over new Victorian laws designed to make authorities consider past trauma inflicted on First Nations people in child protection cases.
The federal government's first place-based trial of the Escaping Violence Payment will begin in Cairns on Monday 27 February. It will align with the current national trial of the Escaping Violence Payment and will provide financial support to First Nations victims/survivors of intimate partner violence to establish a life free from violence.
The Queensland human rights commissioner says he is “deeply concerned” at the state’s plan to charge children with criminal offences for breaching their bail conditions.
Amid the Queensland debate around youth crime, there is growing concern that Facebook anti-crime groups – including some that have morphed into influential lobby groups – have skewed community sentiment, normalised racism and excused calls for violence and retribution.
Australia’s first dedicated fund to promote international LGBTQI rights will be created in a federal government move hailed by equality advocates as a groundbreaking step to reduce discrimination in the Asia-Pacific.
The Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) estimates that the true number of women aged 55 and over at risk of homelessness is close to 240,000 around the country.
Advocates say the federal government's housing plan is a good first step but is "insufficient" to help women aged 55 and older who are facing the highest rate of homelessness in a decade.
Shortages of midwives and obstetricians in rural and regional Australia have forced maternity units to close or reduce services, leaving women facing the prospect of having to drive long distances, juggle hotels, and other children and partners just to find a safe place to give birth.
Australia’s gender pay gap has narrowed to a record low but women continue to earn just 87 cents for every dollar of their male counterparts, with the divide barely improving in recent years.

Around the World

Women in Ukraine are increasingly vulnerable to sexual violence 12 months after Russia invaded the country, with reports of abuse on the rise, according to a leading humanitarian organisation in the country.
The Council of the EU has requested the consent of the European Parliament to adopt the decisions on the conclusion by the EU of the convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul convention).
Bulgaria dissents from EU move on Istanbul Convention against violence against women and domestic violence
In the Central African Republic, the second least developed country in the world according to the UN and in the grip of a civil war since 2013, sexual violence against women, children, and even men "is constantly increasing".
In South Korea, a High Court health insurance ruling offers hope for marriage equality.
As Nigeria heads to the polls, its top three presidential hopefuls have made various promises on tackling the country’s gender-based violence crisis during their campaigns.
Two UK tea manufacturers have faced accusations of sexual abuse on tea plantations in Kenya, according to an undercover investigation by the BBC.
A Kenyan politician has become the subject of a vicious online hate campaign after she protested against period poverty by sitting through a senate meeting in clothing stained with fake menstrual blood.
The US Senate has confirmed the nomination of Judge Gina Méndez Miró to the federal court of the District of Puerto Rico, making her the first LGBTQI person to serve in the position on the island.
A dispute at the New York Times over its coverage of transgender issues deepened with news of a letter signed by high-profile reporters, criticising the Times’ union president for her own letter on the issue, in which she said staff who protested the paper’s trans coverage were concerned about “a hostile working environment”.
A rape case in Islamabad and the killing of the alleged assailants by the police have provoked renewed scrutiny of the rights of Pakistani women and flaws in the nation's justice system.
In the United Kingdom, law reform will see domestic abuse categorised as a national threat; serious perpetrators will be added to the violent and sex offender register; and police will be required to treat violence against women with the same seriousness as they would terrorism or child sexual abuse.
Julia Gillard, Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College, London and Former Prime Minister of Australia, urged the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to do all they could to further women’s inclusion in decision-making across the world.
In Israel, a number of organisations have appealed to government to enact an electronic handcuff law following an increase in violence against women in Israel with the fourth murder of a woman in the span of just two weeks.
Umoja in Kenya is providing a refuge for women, from the Samburu community and beyond, who are fleeing female genital mutilation (FGM), domestic abuse or child marriage.

Research and Reports

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has released the report Child and family hubs: an important 'front door' for equitable support for families across Australia.
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability has published the research report Economic cost of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability.
The Australian Institute of Criminology has released Intergenerational incarceration in New South Wales: Characteristics of people in prison experiencing parental imprisonment.
The OECD has written a paper Teleworking through the gender looking glass: Facts and gaps.
Uniting Care has issued Elder Abuse Statistics in Queensland: Year in Review 2021–22.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has published An overview of Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention in Australia.
Agenda Alliance has released a briefing paper Underexamined and Underreported which establishes the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicidality (suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts) and selfharm, setting out the ways in which women are disproportionately impacted and at greater risk of IPV related suicidality.
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Bath and the University of Cape Town has revealed that domestic abuse in women during pregnancy can notably disturb the baby’s brain development.

Media

Crikey writes We need to talk about political violence against women.
The Davis Vanguard writes The Price of Being a Woman in Mexico.
ABC’s EveryDay looks at What Pamela Anderson's story can teach us about reclaiming power after abuse.
ABC News writes Solving Australia's homelessness crisis needs more than housing. Compassion is essential too.
The Sydney Morning Herald writes ‘Family violence is not part of Aboriginal culture’, but Katrina knows it too well.
The Conversation looks at Misogyny in policing: how some male officers abuse their power over female victims and colleagues.
Impakter explains How A Treaty to Improve Women’s Rights is Dividing the EU.
The Guardian has an opinion piece Feminism taught me all I need to know about men like Trump and Putin.
Watch a France 24 interview with Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, on how the war is redefining gender roles in Ukraine and what that means for the country's post-conflict future.
Stimson writes Forward Together: Women, Peace, & Security & Human Security at NATO.
Huck writes Trans people aren’t a threat to women’s rights, the state is.
Ms. Magazine writes US Rape Culture Is Sidelining and Silencing Future Female Leaders.
DevPolicyBlog examines Rethinking perceptions of spousal violence in PNG.

Jobs

WESNET is seeking a talented person with extensive events expertise to drive our success in hosting the Fifth World Conference of Women's Shelters to be held for the first time in the global south. This is a major opportunity for the right person to showcase their skills for an ethical and internationally significant cause. Applications close on 20 March 2023.
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) has job vacancies for two policy officers. Applications close on 10 March 2023.
Respect Victoria is looking for a policy officer to lead and drive long term systemic change in the primary prevention of all forms of violence against women and family violence. Applications close on 8 March 2023.
Regenerate - a newly founded and growing NFP in the family violence sector - is looking for a General Manager to lead the organisation and deliver on the strategic direction agreed by the Board. If interested, please apply as soon as possible.

Surveys and Consultations

Consultation - by way of a survey - for Australia’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan to End Violence against Women and Children is now open until 31 March 2023. This survey seeks input on topics being considered for the Action Plan and views on the foundations the Framework provides. The survey should be completed after reading the consultation guide.
Deakin University and WESNET are inviting domestic and family violence workers to participate in a survey that is exploring the impacts of using home CCTV with victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. Participants will not be remunerated for completing the survey but will be provided an honorarium donation to their organisation.
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]

Calls and Submissions

Parity Magazine is seeking contributions for their an edition focussing on how Safe at Home responses support life outcomes for victim-survivors of family violence, including how principles are put into practice and how this is measured. Deadline for submissions is 10 March 2023.
The inaugural Australian Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Recovery and Healing Conference is being held in May, and 150-word abstract submissions are being sought from people with a lived experience, practitioners and organisations that facilitate recovery, and researchers who have developed evidence-based programs that focus on recovery from domestic, family and/or sexual violence. Submissions close on 10 March 2023.
Last year the Australian Government announced $100 million over 5 years to continue the Safe Places for women and children leaving family and domestic violence program, with a second round of funding known as the Safe Places Inclusion Round (Inclusion Round). A discussion paper seeks feedback and asks questions about the design of the Inclusion Round, with submissions due by 10 March 2023.
The Senate Inquiry Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia is seeking submissions by 16 March 2023.
The Australian Government has released a discussion paper with further detail about the Early Years Strategy which will guide early years policies and programs across the Commonwealth for the next decade to ensure children aged 5 and below have the best start in life. Submissions to the strategy close on 30 April 2023.
A parliamentary joint standing committee is conducting a NDIS General Issues Inquiry to identify broad systemic issues relating to the implementation, performance, governance, administration and expenditure of the NDIS. Submissions are due by 30 June 2023.

Events

WESNET is hosting an NGO CSW67 Forum Smartphones and Survivors - Using tech to help disrupt domestic violence on Tuesday, 7 March 2023 at 11am AEDT. Registration is free.
Following an extensive consultation process, the Human Rights Commission is now releasing the second Free + Equal Position Paper outlining a proposal for an Australian Human Rights Act. It is being launched at an in person and virtual event on Tuesday, 7 March 2023, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm AEDT.
Registrations have opened for the South Australian government’s public ‘See the Signs Coercive Control forum’ to be held on 15 March 2023, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, with advocates Sue and Lloyd Clarke, and hosted by Jane Caro.
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.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has issued a ‘save the date’ for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) First Nations Women and Girls National Summit. It will be held on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (Canberra) from 9-11 May 2023, with a Youth Forum on 8 May 2023.

Resources and Guidelines

WESNET has been working with Tinder Australia to create a Dating Safety Guide that will help survivors and the general population with learning about the safety features available in the Tinder Dating App.
Our Watch has developed guidance material Growing with change: Developing an expert workforce to prevent violence against women.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has developed a number of resources aimed at helping workplaces access and support this leave including: comprehensive website information on the leave entitlements, including hypothetical examples to show the leave in practice; updated resources including the Employer Guide to family and domestic violence and a new Family and domestic violence leave fact sheet.
Our Watch’s latest resource - the Prevention toolkit for local government - shows the key role that local government across Australia can play in preventing violence against women.
The Respect@Work Council has published new guidelines on the use of confidentiality clauses in settling workplace sexual harassment cases, and good practice indicators to assist organisations to address workplace sexual harassment. Both sets of guidelines have been published on the Respect@Work website.
The Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Treaties and Law (DTL) at the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has released an eLearning module about human rights in the context of emergencies which is available in both Lao and English.

Training and Education

WESNET is offering technology safety 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.

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

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