15 March 2023

ParentsNext

The House of Representatives Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services has released Your Future Planning: Interim Report on ParentsNext.

AWAVA has strongly supported the positions advocated by the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children (NCSMC), and 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. 

Pleasingly the report recommends: 

• A clear principle that parents have a right to choose to actively parent their babies and very young children and that caring for young children is work which should be valued in its own right.
• Participation in employment programs should be entirely voluntary when a parent's youngest child is under three.
• A new concept of a 'Skills Passport' that has cash incentives.

These are good things but one major issue remains. NCSMC are deeply concerned about the continuation of ParentsNext until July 2024 with the opportunity for a 'short' extension, with this long lead-in potentially enabling the committee's recommendations and intent to be modified and weakened. They are calling for women with children under three years to be granted immediate exiting options, and for the Targeted Compliance Framework to be suspended.

As Terese Edwards, CEO of NCSMC noted, “For women who are single mothering, responding to trauma and managing co-parenting which can be difficult and unsafe, it will remain problematic irrespective of the enhanced safety mechanisms”. AWAVA believes strongly that the safety of women and children must be prioritised, particularly in light of the Australian government’s endorsement of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has also warned that Australia’s mutual obligation system for welfare risks “subjecting disadvantaged participants to unreasonably onerous and punitive conditions”, noting for example that First Nations parents incurred a higher rate (33%) of payment suspensions than their proportion of the ParentsNext caseload (18%).

Around the Country

• The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has proposed a model for a Human Rights Act. It is detailed on the HRC website, along with a simple two-page explainer, a summary report, and an in-depth position paper.

• Malarndirri McCarthy has made history with a statement to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

• The royal commission into robodebt ended last week, having heard shocking testimony from officials and politicians, and heart-rending accounts of the impact of the botched scheme.

• The former Queensland supreme court chief justice overseeing the robodebt royal commission has singled out citizen Twitter journalists for their “committed” coverage of the evidence, calling it a “remarkably useful and important public service”, while criticising many other media outlets for their “patchy” coverage.

• ‘Amateurish, rushed and disastrous’: the royal commission exposes robodebt as an ethically indefensible policy targeting vulnerable people. It has also shown that government welfare isn't about welfare at all.

• The federal government is facing calls to restore Harmony Day to its original and internationally recognised name, with the Greens saying it "whitewashes historic and ongoing racism in Australia".

• Demand for free period products is at an all time high but more donations and more volunteers are needed.

• Thousands with lived experience, including First Nations people and migrants, have shared shocking accounts of verbal and physical assault, harassment and intimidation in public places as part of the Disability Royal Commission.

• Professor Marcia Langton, one of the most experienced members of the Indigenous voice to parliament working group, has launched an attack on the “relentless scare campaign” waged by opponents and called on the government to “reassure” voters by endorsing the voice co-design report.

Around the World

• At the CSW67, Houry Geudelekian reflects on her final year chairing the NGO Committee on the Status of Women.

• Leading women’s rights campaigners at the United Nations and the African Union and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate have criticised male-dominated governments for excluding women from peace negotiations.

• The European Council has imposed restrictive measures on nine individuals and three entities for committing serious human rights violations and abuses, particularly sexual and gender-based violence.

• US Merchant Marine Academy students who say they were victims of sexual assault remain reluctant to report their alleged assailants in ways that would prompt investigations, a new report from the academy shows.

• US officials have unveiled the latest round of sanctions on Iran over its government’s violence toward women and girls amid protests happening around the country.

• In Sri Lanka, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has proposed the development of a more effective and efficient complaint and investigative mechanism to regulate gender-based violence on digital platforms.

• An estimated 400,000 women gathered to mark International Women’s Day in Chilean cities this week, with access to safe, free and legal abortion being one of the Chilean feminist movement’s key demands.

• Thousands of women in Cameroon took to the streets on International Women’s Day this year to protest the high cost of living.

• International Women's Day demonstrations have taken place in Turkey, Peru, Brazil and many other parts of the world, calling for advances in women's rights.

• The International Olympic Committee and UN Women launched a Gender Equality Through Sport Bridging Project, which will aim to eliminate gender-based violence.

• Honduras’ first woman president Xiomara Castro has overturned a 13-year ban on the emergency contraceptive pill.

• The Israeli government has decided to delay by six months all discussions on a bill advanced by the previous coalition that would introduce electronic tracking of domestic violence offenders.

Research and Reports

• A study of women in New Zealand found that intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure was prevalent and associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing adverse health. Health care systems need to be mobilised to address IPV as a priority health issue.

• The Office for Women released the Status of Women Report Card - 2023.

• Engender Equality has published Misidentification of the Predominant Aggressor in Tasmania: Research Discussion Paper and Practitioner perspectives.

• The Australian National Audit Office has released its report on Procurement of 1800RESPECT.

• AIHW has published Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Outcomes Framework: First annual report.

• AIHW has also released Specialist Homelessness Services: monthly data.

• Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre has released its first report under the Child and Young Person MARAM Lived Experience Engagement Project.

• SWIRLS has published key messages and recommendations from a report Understanding domestic violence and religion: Exploring how faith-based organisations can be part of the solution.

• The Centre for the Future of Work has released The Times They Aren’t A-Changin (enough): It is past time to value women’s work equally.

• The Senate Select Committee on Work and Care has released its final report.

• The European Institute for Gender Equality has published Improving legal responses to counter femicide in the European Union.

• An Indian retrospective, cross-sectional study on the autopsy of women at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital has revealed that at least 12.3% of the total 1,467 women in the study have suffered from some form of gender-based violence.

• Pfitzner, N., Fitz-Gibbon, K. and True, J. (2022). ‘When staying home isn’t safe: Australian practitioner experiences of responding to intimate partner violence during COVID-19 restrictions’, Journal of Gender-Based Violence, DOI: 10.1332/239868021X16420024310873

• Pfitzner, N., Fitz-Gibbon, K., & Meyer, S. (2022). ‘Responding to women experiencing domestic and family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring experiences and impacts of remote service delivery in Australia’, Child & Family Social Work, 27(1), 30–40, https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12870.

• Reeves, E. A. (2023). ‘Culture of Consent: Legal Practitioners’ Experiences of Representing Women Who Have Been Misidentified as Predominant Aggressors on Family Violence Intervention Orders in Victoria, Australia’, Feminist Legal Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10691-022-09506-5.

• Stambe, R.-M., & Meyer, S. (2022). ‘Police and Duty Lawyer Perceptions of Domestic Violence Protection Order Proceedings Involving Parents: Towards Greater System Accountability and Family-Centred Decision-Making’. Journal of Family Violence.

Media

• ABC News writes Young Aboriginal survivors speak out against domestic violence.

• The Conversation writes Health care offered to women in prison should match community standards – and their rights.

• The Wall Street Journal exposes How Sexual Assault Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster Went Unaddressed for Years.

• The World Politics Review writes Congress Is Demanding Action on the US Military’s Sexual Assault Crisis.

• Human Rights Watch steps out The Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights.

• UN News writes 'Mum does not cry or scream anymore': Breaking the silence of domestic abuse in Tajikistan.

• Melbourne Zero have released Escaping violence shouldn't result in homelessness - by Rosie Batty and Kate Fitz-Gibbon.

• Women’s Agenda published Ged Kearney: What women told me about their experiences with medical misogyny.

• US News writes The Link Between Religicide and Violence Against Women.

• Observer Research Foundation writes The Great Gender Glitch: Women and Online Violence.

• Pro Bono writes Lived experience is key in mental health reform.

• The Guardian writes As the disturbing scenes in Tunisia show, anti-migrant sentiments have gone global.

• Watch ABC News video Appeal to improve health in migrant and refugee community.

• Read a UN News interview Every other young girl you see in The Gambia has undergone female genital mutilation.

• La Via Campesina asks Acknowledge intersectionality of hunger, sexual and gender-based violence, and discrimination.

• AAP writes about Women facing coercive control over their pregnancies.

• The Conversation asks Is the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran a new front in the war against girls’ education?

• Time Magazine writes 'This War Made Him a Monster.' Ukrainian Women Fear the Return of Their Partners.

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.
  

• 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.

Grants

• The Improving Multidisciplinary Responses (IMR) program is designed to centre First Nations cultural knowledge in the design and delivery of the child and family services. The program will address the risk factors for neglect and abuse in the home, in partnership with parents and carers. The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply for a grant to deliver services under the program. Applications close on 5 April 2023.

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.

• The Senate Inquiry Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia is seeking submissions by 16 March 2023.

• Under the Online Safety Act, industry associations must develop codes of practice to protect Australians in relation to materials such as child sexual exploitation material, pro-terror content, and extreme crime and violence. Industry associations have now released a revised draft of the codes for public consultation and want to hear your views by 23 March 2023.

• The Productivity Commission has released a paper — A case for an extended unpaid carer leave entitlement? — looking at the potential economic and social impacts of adding an entitlement to extended unpaid leave to the National Employment Standards. Submissions are due by 28 March 2023.

• The Australian Government has developed a discussion paper to support discussion and reflection on gender equality in Australia and inform the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality. Public comments are invited until 19 April 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

• Melbourne Social Equity Institute seminar Technology-facilitated abuse in relationships: The use of story-completion method to engage those using harmful tech behaviours is being held in Melbourne and online on 27 March 2023.

• 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.

• The UN Population Fund has issued Guidance on the Safe and Ethical Use of Technology to Address Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices: Implementation Summary.
• 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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