Building Respectful Relationships as a Way to End Violence?

Next year is the 20^th anniversary of the UN’s 4^th World Conference of Women, held in Beijing, China in 1995. The Platform for Action included a section on the need to focus on the needs of young women – the Girl Child. A number of strategic objectives were identified including to eradicate violence against the girl-child and to promote the girl-child's awareness of and participation in social, economic and political life.

 In the light of the review and NCWV’s 2014 focus on ‘Young Women’  it was very gratifying that  NCW Victoria’s 2013 resolution for the 2014 Mid-term Conference in Alice Springs , was carried unanimously, calling on Australian governments to take further action to  better document the incidence of forced and early marriage in Australia and monitor the effect of the legislation;  to encourage increased community awareness of the law through educational, faith-based and civil society organizations;    and to facilitate culturally sensitive training to state and territory departments of justice, existing service providers and support agencies.

Now the latest funding round has recognised several NGOs for their work in this field including ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans). NCWV’s August Council meeting at Ross House, Flinders Lane, included a two member panel on the Girl Child theme: Erin Wicking, Girl Guides Victoria, Community Development Officer, speaking about some new initiatives including the ‘Because I Am a Girl’ partnership, and Christine Carolan, Project Officer, Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans, who provided a brief account of one what ACRATH was already doing and how ACRATH  will use its new funding.

While the community continues to struggle with what seems to be an epidemic of violence, there seems to have been little attention given to what might be done at school level. So we welcome the recent announcement from Education Minister the Hon Martin Dixon MP that a program aimed at Year 8 and 9 students is to be rolled out in State, Catholic and other private schools. The program, which has been successfully tried at four secondary schools, follows a 2009 VicHealth report that identified schools as high-risk areas for gender-based violence. Wes Hosking report in the Herald-Sun June 12, quoted Deakin University’s Dr Debbie Ollis, who helped write the program, as saying“… we’ve got to find a new way to try and prevent violence against women. “And it’s not just violence against women or children — it’s violence against men as well.”

There will be an opportunity to hear Dr Ollis speak on Building Respectful Relationships  at the NCW Victoria AGM on September 4. Click here to download the flyer for the AGM

Violence against women and their children

The Commonwealth, state and territory governments worked with the community from 2009 to develop a National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (the National Plan). Over 12 years the National Plan aims to achieve a significant and sustained reduction in violence against women and their children.

We welcome the announcement on Friday June 27 by the Australian Government of the Second Action Plan to stop domestic violence and violence against women and their children. This is the second phase in a 12-year strategy to curb violence against women and children in Australia and will span the next four years, bringing to $200 m the total committed between 2009 and 2017.

Assistant Minister for Women m Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash said migrant women are often not aware of their rights in Australia, particularly in relation to forced or under age marriage and female genital mutilation. “This is where the Second Action Plan steps in, ”Senator Cash said. “Forced and under age marriages are not tolerated in Australia, the same applies to the abhorrent practice of Female Genital Mutilation”. he plan also means that will mean foreign-born spouses who come to Australia on marriage visas will receive additional support. Their husbands or fiancés will have to provide authorities with additional information, and new material will be developed to inform these women about essential services and emergency contacts in Australia.

“We must be aware that sadly, some women coming to our country are not afforded the same rights at home and we must as a Government ensure they are equipped with the knowledge they need to prevent being subjected to violence and abuse,” Senator Cash said.

Northern Territory Minister Bess Price, who also attended the launch, said she was pleased the Second Action Plan has specific initiatives to deal with violence against Indigenous women. “ I have been a victim as well, and I know how it is, and I want to make sure the future is better for women and their families and that help is provided so women can feel safe.”