Violence Against Women Bulletin - November 2002
Information Bulletin - November 2002: Volume 6, Issue 3
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Big Brother star speaks out against violence
Students from seven Wollongong High Schools took part in a hypothetical and drama event on 27 August at the Dapto Ribbonwood Centre. Peter Corbet, TV personality from Big Brother, addressed 200 students on the effects of violence on relationships and families. The address was followed by an interactive drama-hypothetical discussion facilitated by Peter Slattery. The discussion was guided by short drama performances from Figtree High School drama students, who had written a play on the theme of gender inequity and sexual assault. The hypothetical was put to a panel and the audience. The panel had representatives from Wollongong Sexual Assault Service, Police, DV Line, a school counsellor and a parent. After the drama-hypothetical discussion the students gathered in smaller groups to workshop strategies for involving their schools in the raising awareness of violence prevention, and sharing information. The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with 96% of the participating students stating that the event had been useful and 68% saying they would take part in activities aimed at preventing violence in their local schools.
Students from the seven schools planned and helped organise the event with Carina Hickling, the Regional Violence Prevention Specialist in Wollongong and Carol Pugh, Student Welfare Officer, Department of Education and Training. The students also spoke to the local media about the event. Outcomes include a measurable change in attitudes towards violence against women by the student representative planning group and amongst participants at the event. Panel members are committed to doing further work in schools and participating teachers and school counsellors also agreed to be involved in further activities.
NSW to hold a conference on sexual assault
The NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women is convening the 'Practice and Prevention: Contemporary Issues in Adult Sexual Assault in New South Wales' conference at the University of Technology Sydney from February 11-14, 2003. The conference will provide an exciting and unique opportunity for anyone interested in the issue of adult sexual assault. The conference will explore programs and research, and develop and critique approaches to adult sexual assault both internationally and within Australia. The conference will be held over three days with each day examining new themes:
Day One: Contemporary Legal Issues
Day Two: Collaborative Practice Issues
Day Three: Prevention of Sexual Assault
Conference highlights include an opening lecture by Professor Catharine A. MacKinnon. Professor MacKinnon is involved in litigation, legislation and policy development on women's human rights, domestically and internationally. Other international speakers include Madame Justice Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, a recently retired Canadian Supreme Court Judge, Professor Mary Harvey from Harvard University, Detective Sergeant David Perry from the Sex Crimes Unit of Toronto Police, Bronwyn Pithey and Anton Plessis from the South African Public Prosecutions Office and Kate Gilmore from Amnesty International. The conference will discuss issues such as criminal justice models for sexual assault, innovative practice around post-traumatic stress disorder, innovative service provision models for policing and investigating sexual assault and analyse approaches to the prevention of sexual assault.
Top motor sports drivers support campaign in Bathurst support
Each year, Bathurst is inundated with thousands of motor racing fans during the V8 championship race in October. In the past there have been problems with this influx of people and challenges dealing with crowd behaviour. Local workers have identified that links between use of alcohol and abusive behaviour are particularly evident during the annual supercar race weekend.
This year a coalition of local agencies came together as Bathurst Action Against Sexual Assault (BAASA) and developed a multi-faceted campaign with the aim of putting the issue of prevention of sexual violence on the town's agenda.
The aim of the campaign is to challenge ideas that condone sexual violence in relationships to: improve the safety of physical environments; improve safety practices at licensed premises; raise awareness about women's rights in public space and challenge myths around sexual assault that blame the victim, and hinder reporting and recovery.
One of the strategies used by BASSA, was to link with the Violence Against Women: It’s Against All the Rules campaign. V8 supercar companies were invited to be involved in campaign and high profile drivers Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards were keen to be involved and support the campaign. Craig and Steven are featured on two new posters developed in time for the Bathurst race in October. The messages on the posters encourage men to take more responsibility for challenging the behaviour of their mates and ensuring their own sexual behaviour is appropriate. The posters were launched during the V8 race weekend this year.
The BAASA project was launched with a public event to mark the Day of Action Against Sexual Violence. Those who had gathered to hear speakers were invited write messages of healing on paper tulips. The tulips were then planted in a garden of recognition for victims/survivors.
Pubsafe, another BAASA project was adapted from the STRAWS initiative in Albury Wodonga. The project included audits of 16 of Bathurst’s 23 pubs and clubs. A team of 18 auditors reviewed environments and asked about practices that encourage safety for women in licensed premises.
BAASA partners include Bathurst City Council, Charles Sturt University and Student Association, NSW Police, Mid West Area Health Service, Central West Women's Health Centre and Regional Violence Prevention Specialist in the Mid-West.
The Mt Panorama race week kicked off with Slippery When Wet a discussion forum on safe raceweek partying. Prime TV announcer John Kerrison interviewed drivers Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards about their reasons for taking part. Posters and race calendars with anti- violence messages were distributed to pubs and clubs to reach the extra patronage over the weekend and a video featuring Craig and Steven was played on the large screen at Mt Panorama where the race was being held.
“What makes BAASA exciting” said Liz MacRaild “is not that we have developed a new whiz bang project - but that we have built on initiatives partners may have started together with projects modelled elsewhere and pulled them together in as comprehensive a way as we can - so that each thing we do is reinforced and builds the total momentum.
The attitudes and behaviour that allow sexual violence to flourish are entrenched in our communities and social structures, so creating change is a long term project, tackling as many edges of the issue as we can.”
Coonabarabran - Coming Together Under the Stars
Reclaim the Night coincides with the annual event, Coming Together Under the Stars in Coonabarabran. This year the Coonabarabran Domestic Violence Collective in partnership with the Coonabarabran Times used the occasion to launch their own local poster as part of the Statewide Campaign, Violence Against Women: It's Against All the Rules. The local campaign was endorsed by the local rugby players, the Coonabarabran Kookas.
After the march through the town, the poster was launched by the Regional Violence Prevention Specialist , Gargi Ganguly. There were speeches by survivors of child sexual assault and poems written for the occasion were composed and put to music by the local choir, The Stardust Singers. Proctor Morris from the local Crime Prevention Group spoke on the importance of men joining in the Reclaim The Night march and supporting initiatives that work towards preventing/reducing violence against women.
Businesses support RTN event
Over 90 women and children marched in Port Stevens for the first time to reclaim the night this year. Agencies and businesses donated give always: banners for kids to make hand prints on that they carried in the march, four butchers donated sausages and the Lions brought their van and cooked the sausages. MacDonald's donated the drinks.Onlookers stopped and watched the 90 chanting women and children. Patrons sitting in and outside of one restaurant clapped as the marchers passed.
The event included a welcome to the land, Aboriginal and NESB speakers, a Local Government Councillor who also read a speech on behalf of the Mayor and a woman who identified herself as an survivor of rape. Regional Violence Prevention Specialist Jillian Myers-Brittain also spoke and acted as MC.
News from the VAW Strategy partners
Women's Grants Program funds violence against women projects
Funding has been approved for the following projects:
- Streetwize Comics to develop a resource for young women to provide information and raise awareness about sexual harassment and safety.
- Bathurst Action Against Sexual Assault Working Party will receive a contribution towards their campaign with the Motor Racing Authority to promote women's right to safe public environments.
- The Women's Shelter Armidale Project to provide a training program and develop a "Feeling Safe" resource for young women with a developmental disability, at risk of relationship abuse.
The next round of the Women's Grants Program will be advertised in 2003.
State of the art domestic violence intervention presented in Sydney
200 police officers, representatives from other government and non-government agencies attended a presentation by retired Detective Sergeant Anne O'Dell on 24 October this year. Sgt O'Dell presented on the domestic violence intervention model that she helped establish in San Diego, USA. Key elements of the model include: a specialised domestic violence unit, a police focus on evidence collection, better links between police and service providers, and in depth training of police officers regarding patterns of behaviour used by perpetrators, and the less obvious effects on women as well as children. Major successes in the San Diego model include a significant reduction in domestic homicides, an increase in successful prosecutions, more effective use of police time and less repeat calls. NSW Police is planning to use the video of the Sgt O’Dell’s presentation when training police, and are considering piloting this model in Wellington, NSW. For more information contact Kerry King on 9339 5137.
“A fun way to look at a serious issue” say Tenterfield youth
Young women from Tenterfield worked together to produce a quilt which expresses their concern about violence against women. The quilt was stitched together following a group run by Rachel Townsend and Dana Cooper (Sexual Assault Counsellor, NEAHS) which focused on issues of gender, relationships and violence. The quilt was on display at the Tenterfield library during October. The young women commented that they had really enjoyed the group and thought it was a fun way to look at a serious issue. For more information contact Cathy Hastings, contact details page 4.
Violence against women is a workplace issue - Education campaign implemented in AG's Department
The NSW Attorney General’s Department has initiated a campaign to educate managers and other staff on the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. The campaign includes the development and implementation of a policy regarding domestic violence for the Department. Training sessions are being delivered for all business centre managers, HR staff and support staff. A poster featuring staff from different sections of the department will be displayed throughout the department. The message on the poster links with the Violence Against Women: It's Against All the Rules campaigns and states that "Violence is never OK, not at work or at home". Two information leaflets are being given to all staff. One, included in the pay slips of all staff members, is for people who may be friends of someone who is a victim of domestic violence and a second pamphlet provides information for people who may be victims of domestic violence. The campaign is a collaborative effort between AGD's Human Resources section and the Violence Against Women Specialist Unit. A worksheet on how to implement a similar campaign in your agency is being developed. For more information contact the VAW Unit.
Western Sydney recognises International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 25, recognised around the world as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was marked by a community event in Parramatta Western Sydney this year. The event included entertainment, speakers, information stalls by service providers, and information around the theme of empowering community members to promote harmony and reduce violence. The event aimed to raise community awareness of the issues of violence against women from a global perspective and provide information about how to help prevent such violence. Participants were encouraged to wear a white ribbon to mark the theme of the day: "Eliminate Violence Against Women, Wear A White Ribbon". Speakers at the event included Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Chair of NSW Council on Violence Against Women, Dr Lesley Laing, Director of Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, staff from Amnesty International, and other peak agencies which work internationally. The global/local aspect of the day was reinforced with the launch of the Western Sydney Somali Family Harmony Project. The project aims to spread the message of family harmony, within the Somali community. Focus groups were conducted and community members designed messages which were then collated and printed on a calendar, to be distributed to Somali community members in the Sydney metropolitan region. For more information contact Rugmini Venkatraman on 9633 0717.
New Resources
Walking through the courts pamphlets and poster
New pamphlets are available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic which chart the steps for obtaining an Apprehended Violence Order, through a colourful flow chart. The pamphlets, produced as a result of a needs analysis by Redfern Legal Centre, outlines the key concerns identified by the women, and has a space for local contact numbers. The project is the result of a partnership between 10 agencies, and funding was provided by Corrective Services, and the NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women. Consultation was extensive, and focus groups were conducted with Chinese and Vietnamese women. It is hoped to translate the pamphlets into other community languages in the New Year. Available at Redfern Legal Centre 9698 7277, or contact the VAW Unit, details below.
Multilingual card & poster
The words ‘respect’ and ‘no’ in a dozen languages are displayed in the artwork on a poster and wallet sized cards recently developed in the Central Coast. The poster and cards have numbers of key services available for women living with violence. Copies are available from Regional Violence Prevention Specialist Chris Smith, 4320 2575.
Safe Families Kit
A kit which uses visual materials to cut across language barriers to talk about about domestic violence and sexual assault, has been developed for services working with people from non-English speaking backgrounds, available from the VAW Unit, details below.
Campaign Evaluation Document
The evaluation of the first phase of the NSW Statewide campaign to reduce violence against women: “Violence Against Women: It's Against All the Rules” is now available from the VAW Unit website.
‘Working Together’, highlights of the VAW Strategy 2000-2001
The illustrated document incudes examples and case studies of projects for each regional programme and the state wide programmes of the NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women. Copies are available from the VAW Unit, contact details below.
Safer Times Manual
An easy to use manual has been developed based on the Safer Times Round Albury Wodonga (STRAWS) project. The manual provides easy to use guide to groups interested in implementing a similar project which aims to encourage licenced premises to make venues safer for women. Copies available from the VAW Unit and website.
Older Women Speak Up Reports
Two new reports are available from Older Women Speak Up. More Than Survival: Project Report One for Older Women, and, Survival Is Not Enough: Project Report Two for Professionals. The reports describe the work Older Women Speak Up does with older women who experience violence in the home, through the voices and personal experience of older women. It is part of an interactive project and opinions and input are welcomed. Enquiries to Older Women Speak Up, 02-9523-9558. Email: msarge@zip.com.au The reports may also be downloaded from: www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au
Research Participants Wanted - Women in Paid Employment and Domestic Violence
Women who are New South Wales residents, have left an abusive relationship with a male partner within the last five years, are between 18 and 65 years of age and who were employed at some time during the abuse, are called to participate in this study. If you wish to participate, please contact Lydia Campillo on 0402 817 113 or e-mail: lydiacampillo@hotmail.com All information provided will be confidential.
The Violence Against Women Specialist Unit and regional violence prevention specialists are central elements in the NSW Strategy To Reduce Violence Against Women which is an NSW intergovernmental strategy funded by: The NSW Attorney General’s Department, NSW Department of Community Services, NSW Health, NSW Police and in partnership with the Department for Women.
This bulletin is for anyone interested in the prevention of violence against women and is intended to inform people about the NSW Strategy To Reduce Violence Against Women and its implementation. For more information about the Bulletin contact the Violence Against Women Specialist Unit.
ISSN 1328-437
Click here to download the PDF version of the November 2002 Bulletin>>
 | To view a PDF document, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat on your computer. If you do not have a copy of Adobe Acrobat, you can download a copy for free from the Adobe site. |
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