Driving it on a two-lane country road in Barnawartha in regional Victoria wasn’t any easier. At one point in her first drive, another truck started barrelling towards her.

Kathy’s mind echoed the words of her dad, who used to tell her how powerful trucks are – and the damage they can do should you get on the wrong side.

When she shared her fear with her driving instructor, he had one thing to say to her.

“Kathy, you are a truck.”

A mere three months after passing her truck driving test, 48-year-old Kathy is driving trucks all around the country. She’s one of the very few women in Australia doing so: just three per cent of truck drivers are women, according to government statistics.

It’s also the most freedom, control and empowerment Kathy has ever had in her life, after she escaped from an abusive relationship. Her new job is a way to take her mind off her past trauma, put the foot on the pedal and leave it behind in the rearview mirror.

“You have control (in a truck) – with domestic violence, you don’t have any control. You never know when they’re gonna go off. You never know whether you’re gonna get a black eye. You never know whether you’re gonna end up in hospital.

“Now, with this truck, I have more control over my life.”

How did it start?

Twelve years ago, Kathy’s violent and abusive relationship came to a head when she was shot in the hip by her perpetrator. He was jailed for 18 months, but Kathy has done more time recovering from the incident than he ever spent in prison.

“It really affected my life,” Kathy said.

“It’s probably not until the last 2-3 years I’ve actually started living again – starting to get counselling, work, that type of thing.”

Kathy worked as a baker for Woolworths, but with her ongoing injury, she could never return to full-time work. But an advertisement for a truck driving program, specifically targeted at women, changed everything.

“I have no experience with trucks whatsoever. But I do like driving. It’s a form of freedom and escape. When you’re driving, and you put the music on, you don’t really think,” Kathy said.

In November last year, upon seeing the ad for the Iron Women truck driving program, Kathy signed up for the three-week course. After all, how hard could it be?

It turns out, there’s a lot more to driving a truck than meets the eye. Kathy participated in two weeks of classroom theory, then had one week of on-road heavy vehicle training.

But she passed the course and passed the driving test. Now, Kathy works as a truck driver for a major transportation company in Australia – and she couldn’t be happier.

Women in the industry

According to the Australian government’s Labour Market Insights, just three per cent of truck drivers in the country are women.

The stats stack up for Kathy: when she spoke to Women’s Agenda, she was at work and observed the other truck drivers in the lot.

“There’s probably about 100 trucks here all waiting to be taken out,” Kathy said, “and there’s only two females here.”

According to research from Volvo Trucks, 76 per cent of women have never even considered a career in truck driving.

The research found a third (33 per cent) of women are hesitant to pursue a career in truck driving because of the “blokey culture”. Meanwhile, 34 per cent are worried about being physically strong enough.

While women might feel uncomfortable breaking into the business, nothing changes without women like Kathy taking charge – and it might just change their lives, like it did for her.

“It’s important we get more women in here to change the dynamics,” Kathy said.

“But also give women the opportunity to gain a skill, to gain employment, to gain purpose and meaning.

“You never know what you’re gonna get out of life until you give it a go.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post How a career in truck driving helped Kathy Graham heal from domestic violence trauma appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Operation Amarok V began on Wednesday last week, an intelligence-based policing strategy headed by the Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender Teams (DVHROT) in each region within the state.

Over the four days, police arrested 590 people deemed high-risk domestic violence offenders. Out of those arrested, 229 people were wanted by police for serious domestic violence offences.

By Saturday, the conclusion of Operation Amarok V, 1,183 charges were laid, 5,493 Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs) were imposed and police undertook 131 Firearms Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance searches.

Yasmin Catley, the NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, said the success of the Operation sends a strong message to the state.

“Operation Amarok V is the largest ever crackdown on dangerous domestic and family violence offenders, with the ultimate goal being to safeguard the community and reduce the incidence of serious harm or death,” Minister Catley said.

“This operation is unique in that it involves police strategically targeting and apprehending high-risk domestic violence offenders by using criminal profiling to identify those individuals who have both the intent and the capability to commit serious offences.”

Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, the NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Domestic and Family Violence, said the operation is a positive step forward in the state’s response to the epidemic of violence in the country.

“Operation Amarok V enables us to address domestic and family violence with the seriousness it warrants, akin to organised crime and homicide,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said. 

“It’s about precision in targeting the most dangerous offenders; the ones who pose a significant threat to victims, to family members, to other members of the community.

“Operation Amarok V incorporates methods that enable us to find the individuals we need to target and to act swiftly and effectively in apprehending them before they have the chance to commit further serious harm.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey (2021-2022) found one in four women in Australia experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15 years old.

Domestic violence has already killed eight women this year, according to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women. Last year, gender-based violence killed 63 women in Australia.

Last week, the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a speech to officially launch Australia’s 2024 International Women’s Day celebrations. He said the epidemic of violence against women should be addressed by government policy and response, and is “not a problem that women should have to solve”.

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“When women are seeking help, they should be heard and seen, believed, supported and empowered,” Prime Minister Albanese said.

“While women are shaping these policies and driving these responses, ending this epidemic of violence has to involve men stepping up. Because violence against women is not a problem that women should have to solve.

“Men have to be prepared to take responsibility for our actions and our attitudes. To educate our sons, to talk to our mates, to drive real change in the culture of our sporting clubs, our faith and community groups and our workplaces, including this workplace right here.”

The post NSW Police arrest nearly 600 domestic violence offenders over four-day operation appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Queensland police data, as reported by multiple news outlets, revealed that 24 people have been allegedly murdered by intimate partners or family members in the last financial year, compared to 16 the previous year. 

About a third of the alleged killers had either a domestic violence order against them or had contact with police in the 12 months before the deaths.  

The data comes more than a year after an Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence, which made 78 recommendations. 

“We know in our communities, there are still more instances of domestic and family violence that aren’t being reported and that worries me,” Lawyer Thelma Schwartz from the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service told the ABC. “This is the tip of the iceberg.”

“We’ve taken piecemeal approaches to what really requires a holistic response and a matched up service system to support it.”

Thelma also notes that it needs to be recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are overrepresented when it comes to family and domestic violence. 

Police response to the data

Despite the alarming increase in Queensland’s DV homicides, over a hundred police roles specific to domestic and family violence are yet to be filled across the state. 

Police plan to spend the next two years recruiting 114 specialist officers to fill these roles and help staff vulnerable persons units, according to Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner for Domestic and Family Violence Christopher Jory. 

Among the recommendations in the Inquiry’s report into Queensland police was the need for a vulnerable person’s unit in every police district by May 2024. Jory says that in order to achieve this, another four units would be rolled out in the next six months. 

Queensland police data also showed that in 2023, domestic violence rates saw a major increase from previous years, with officers receiving more than 171,000 family and domestic violence reports. 

This endemic of violence is seeped throughout the country, as 63 women died from violence last year, according to Destroy the Joint statistics. And already, this year, two more women have been allegedly killed. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post Domestic and family violence homicides have risen 50 per cent in Queensland appeared first on Women's Agenda.

What’s troubling me about how we address domestic and family violence as a nation is that women, typically, take the lead in discussing, debating, educating and reforming the topic in line with being disproportionately affected by the issue. Domestic violence cannot be sidelined as a “women’s issue”, it is a community issue. That’s why men also need to be included in this conversation.

Addressing domestic violence with only women involved in the conversation is like having a rowing team where only one side is paddling. Without the synchronised effort of both sides, the boat circles endlessly, unable to make forward progress. It is imperative that men, too, lead these conversations, deal with misinformation, and undertake education that explains the underlying factors contributing to violent behaviour.

In culturally diverse communities, where first and second generation Australians are intertwining their old worlds and new, leaving a proportion of the community out of the education is particularly dangerous. Educating families from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds on accepted and unacceptable behaviours within relationships, along with an emphasis on legal rights under Australian family law, is an area that needs immediate attention. Put plainly, what may be acceptable behaviour in other countries and cultures is not acceptable in Australia, and we need to deliver urgent, targeted educational initiatives to bridge this knowledge gap. 

In the case of one of my clients at Cultural Diversity Network Inc (CDNI), Kamila (false name), who endured years of physical, emotional, and financial abuse, refrained from reporting the abuse as she believed it would result in her losing her home and custody of their children. Shackled by financial dependence, Kamila was too afraid to break free because the cost would be too great. As a first generation immigrant to Australia, Kamila, nor her husband, had any understanding of the family law in Australia which grants rights to women in abusive relationships. 

There’s Parvin (false name), who came from India on a spouse visa 10 years ago. She has endured physical violence on and off since her arrival to Australia, and accepted it because she was holding onto the belief that her husband needed a way to relieve his stress. One day, when the abuse became life-threatening, she called the police to report it. Her husband couldn’t understand why she had reported it. “Why did she have to call the police?” he said incredulously. “It’s a small thing… a family matter.” 

Through my organisation, I have witnessed too many instances where abusers confidently deploy misinformation as a tool of control in abusive relationships. A recent ABC article touches on this issue, highlighting the reality that many ‘red flags’ shown by abusers are missed by their partners. A lot of the patterns of family violence and coercive control, in particular, are not necessarily understood by the other partner.

The call for education and information sessions for men on this difficult topic is not just a moral obligation but a pragmatic step towards building a culture where women are treated equally and with respect. By involving men and boys of all cultural persuasions in these crucial discussions, dispelling misinformation, and promoting understanding of consent and of toxic behaviour patterns, we pave the way for a society that upholds the values of equality and respect in relationships. 

Australia is making steps down the right track, with Labor MP and Education Minister Jason Clare investing $83.5 million in consent education “to deliver evidence-based and expert-developed respectful relationships education in school.”

“Wherever gender-based violence occurs, we must confront it. In our homes, in our parliaments, in our universities, in our workplaces,” Mr Clare said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, too, has also spoken out against domestic and family violence on multiple occasions, the most recent of which was on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, where he declared “there is no time to waste” in ending violence against women and children. 

“It isn’t just the job of governments. Changing the attitudes that entrench inequality and discrimination, and objectify women and disregard consent, is everyone’s responsibility,” Mr Albanese wrote in a statement. 

“Men in particular have to step up. And male leaders have an opportunity to champion change and create the conditions that prevent violence, abuse, discrimination and harassment.”

I was also humbled by the story of Nigel Button who spoke out about his self-development after being a perpetrator of domestic abuse for many years; a problem he, by his own admission, “didn’t even know he had”.

It is also particularly positive to see this message reaching platforms like TikTok, where everyday men like Dylan Barnett are speaking openly and honestly about the effects of domestic violence on women, something that he has witnessed after re-entering the dating scene. 

These men, along with all the others who are standing up in support of all victims of domestic and family violence, are part of an important trend that we hope to see more of in 2024. 

While the issue of domestic and family violence remains a significant challenge, the growing number of men engaging in these conversations offers hope and optimism for a future where such violence is eradicated, and all individuals can live free from fear and abuse.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

The post Who is being left out of the domestic violence conversation? Men. appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Police have charged the 42-year-old man with murder, damaging property with fire and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Doble did not apply for bail and was formally refused bail by Young Local Court on Monday.

The charges come after Shannon Doble allegedly set fire to a property in the small town of Bribbaree in rural NSW. The property belonged to Shannon Doble’s mother, Nerol Doble.

Emergency services were called to the property at midday on Sunday January 7, finding Nerol Doble inside with serious injuries.

The 65-year-old mother was flown to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition. At 3am on Monday morning, authorities were informed Nerol had died from her injuries in hospital.

About 12 hours later, Shannon Doble appeared before the court, facing domestic violence charges in relation to the incident. He will remain in custody until his next appearance before Young Local Court on March 4.

In the last few years, Nerol Doble has asked family and friends for donations to charities instead of a present for her birthday. In 2022, she asked for donations to Full Stop Australia, an organisation working to end sexual, domestic and family violence.

Women killed in 2024

The alleged murder of Nerol Doble is one of two similar deaths from gender-based violence in 2024, according to figures from Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women. Both alleged murders occurred within the first week of the new year.

Nerol Doble was killed just two days after a woman in Tasmania was found dead inside her home on the morning of January 5.

Emergency services were called to a home in Glenorchy, Tasmania, at 7am on Friday morning. A deceased woman, identified days later as 39-year-old Alison Robinson, was found inside the property.

Two days after the fire, police charged 40-year-old David George Evans with murder, arson, motor vehicle stealing and unlawfully setting fire to property.

Evans appeared before the Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday, where he did not apply for bail, nor enter a plea to the charges. He will be remanded in custody until his next court appearance on February 1.

In 2023, male violence took the lives of 63 women in Australia, according to Destroy the Joint.

At least one woman is killed by an intimate partner every week in this country, although last year’s statistics exceeded this estimate. Indigenous women are eight times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered by domestic and family violence.

One in six women have experience physical or sexual violence by a partner, and over half of women in their twenties have experience sexual violence. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post Man charged with murder of his 65-year-old mother, Nerol Doble appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The woman’s story is one of several cases where police misidentify the victim as the perpetrator, a trend that is highly prevalent for women from diverse backgrounds.

According to the ABC’s report, the Sydney woman had filed a report to the police in December 2020, after her husband allegedly hit her in the head and dragged her by her hair. She was seven months pregnant at the time.

The woman told the national broadcaster that the attack came after months of emotional abuse and coercive control, including her husband tapping into CCTV cameras at her workplace so he could follow her.

However, NSW Police officers arrived at her and her husband’s home to charge the woman with assaulting her husband.

It was later revealed that, in responding to the woman’s report, police spoke with her husband, who claimed she was abusing him. The man showed officers minor injuries to make his claim.

His father, who was a witness to the attack that caused the woman to make a report to police, corroborated the man’s story. 

The case went to court and, in an effort to set the record straight, the woman secretly recorded several conversations with her husband.

The secret recordings, which were translated from Arabic to English in court, showed the woman pleading with her husband to “tell the truth”, which he said he wouldn’t do.

Two and a half years’ later, Magistrate Glenn Walsh dismissed the charges against the woman, saying her evidence undermined her husband’s claim.

The ABC said the woman has filed a complaint and is now seeking an apology from NSW Police.

A statement from NSW Police to the ABC said they are “committed” to improving how officers respond to calls and manage cases of family and domestic violence.

Misidentification

The Sydney woman is not the first to be misidentified as the perpetrator of domestic violence.

According to statistics from The Orange Door, a Victorian government support service for victim-survivors of domestic violence, around 30-50 per cent of women seeking support at The Orange Door sites have been misidentified as the predominant aggressor of violence.

Misidentification can occur as a result of varying factors. The Victorian government’s Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (FVRIM) found the three biggest contributing factors resulting in misidentification are perpetrators manipulating the system, misinterpretation of victim-survivor’s presentation and characteristics, and the victim-survivor’s use of self-defence of violent resistance.

The FVRIM found women from diverse backgrounds are more at risk of misidentification. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, migrant and refugee women, women with disabilities, criminalised women and LGBTQIA+ women.

It is easier for perpetrators to manipulate the justice system and the process of reporting cases of domestic violence when the victim-survivor is a woman from a diverse background, where destructive prejudices and stereotypes are often held by law enforcement.

These prejudices can also impact how police perceive the victim-survivor and potentially how they interpret their use of self-defence.

For example, Djirra, a First Nations focused organisation to prevent family and domestic violence, estimated 90 per cent of women using the organisation’s services had experienced some form of misidentification or unfairness with law enforcement.

The FVRIM, which concluded its work in May 2023, recommended the government further investigate and prevent misidentification in domestic violence cases.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post Sydney woman demands apology from police after she was misidentified as the perpetrator of violence appeared first on Women's Agenda.

I’m sitting on the Victorian coast listening to bird song at the start of the day- it’s January 2, I read this news headline and my head hurts: “Horrifying new details of Olympian Melissa Hoskins’ death emerge”.

The photos accompanying the article on Melissa’s horrendous death are mainly of Melissa and her husband who is arrested due to his alleged role in her death.

Newspapers have mentioned no less than 15 times across coverage they lived in a “luxurious” suburb. The local paper even went as far as to outline their retirement plans of potentially opening a winery. I’m sure her parents must love to see that.

The subtext of all of this of course is to say “this is a complete aberration, this is a nice guy, an OLYMPIAN no less, we need the whole story. This should never have happened”. I really had hoped we’d moved past this lazy narrative in the media- we certainly need to.

I agree- it should never have happened. There is a shattered family, community and most importantly two children now without a mother. Where they lived and what careers they had has zero bearing on the “chance of being a victim”.

This story is awful, and it’s a story that rings true for the 64 families and communities that have been impacted by the alleged murders of women in 2023.

I had journalists contact me over the break looking for comment on the alleged murder on Christmas day on cable beach- they wanted a solution of “how this can and must be stopped.” I understand their shock and anguish. I wish I could provide simple advice to stop women being murdered. Two women (that we know of) brutally lost their lives between Christmas and new year. Two men known to them are arrested for their alleged murder.

And whilst I can’t speculate of the exact events that took place in the lead up to the alleged murders, I can unequivocally say that both women deserved more.

This is not a new conversation. Last year, white ribbon documented 48,000 articles specifically published about violence against women.

I, and many others before me, have been clear- there isn’t going to be a linear solution. Violence is a process, not an event. We have to treat the symptoms to prevent the outcomes.

In the week between Christmas and new years, every year the data shows us frontline service demand surges. There can be expectations and heightened emotions around the holidays; we are in a cost of living crisis and alcohol and other drug usage can exacerbate violence- it’s the perfect pressure cooker.

Thousands of women and children everyday in Australia flee violence. They then are funnelled into an imperfect system that often has them make an impossible choice between poverty and safety.

2024 will be different, because it has to be. Change is not impossible, but it will take a concerted effort across all of society.

I don’t want to spend the next year reading and writing anguished words about the murders of women.

I want to see leadership and innovation in how we look at community attitudes and gender equality. I want better media standards that insist publications do more than telling us all about the “good guy who snapped”.

Moreover, I encourage anyone who wants change to be involved- there is no contribution that can be considered too big or too small and we need all of them.

I look forward to working with you.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post Gender biased media coverage follows Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins’ alleged murder appeared first on Women's Agenda.

This makes Hoskins the 63rd woman in Australia to be killed by an alleged violent assault in 2023, according to Destroy the Joint statistics. 

The 32-year-old mother of two died after paramedics rushed her to hospital with serious injuries on Saturday night. 

Her husband, 33-year-old former professional cyclist Dennis, was charged with causing her death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life. He was released on bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court again in March.

Known for her many achievements in track cycling, Hoskins leaves behind a remarkable legacy.

She was a member of the Australian track cycling team pursuit that finished in fourth place at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Hoskins also won gold in the women’s team pursuit at the 2015 world championships and retired from professional cycling in 2017. 

Tributes have been flowing in for the beloved Hoskins, as loved ones and those in the cycling community grieve her life. 

In a statement released on New Year’s Day, AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner described the “shock and sorrow” felt by Hoskins’ “tragic death”, as the cycling force had been an inspiration to many. 

“Melissa, a mother, daughter, and wife, was also a champion cyclist who thrilled and inspired us with her exquisite skills on the track and road,” Fechner said.

“Melissa began her competitive cycling career at just 16, and by the time she retired at the age of 25 she had shown the world that she was an athlete of rare prowess.”

“Melissa described her team Pursuit Gold Medal at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships as the highlight of her career, but for the rest of us, the highlight was just having her around.”

Media coverage of women killed in Australia

As more information is released on Hoskins’ alleged murder by her husband, many advocates have begun calling out the media’s reporting of her death. 

“Even though she was a world champion, her accomplishments are repeatedly being ignored while those of the man who allegedly killed her are featured in the headlines,” writes Director of the American Medical Women’s Association, Dr. Arghavan Salles on the platform X (formerly Twitter). 

Many of the media headlines have referred to Hoskins’ as “Rohan Dennis’ wife” rather than stating her full name. Dennis’ cycling career has also been placed front and centre despite Hoskins’ own towering list of accomplishments. 

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Pointing out the disparity and need for better media coverage surrounding the death of women in Australia, Non Executive Director of Full Stop Australia, Fay Calderone has written on LinkedIn that “we must do better”. 

“Heartbroken for her children, family and those who loved her,” Calderone writes about Hoskins’ death.

“I truly hope 2024 is a better year.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins becomes 63rd woman killed in Australia in 2023 appeared first on Women's Agenda.

This comes ahead of the holiday season as the latest data shows a spike in domestic violence over this period. And given the rise in cost of living pressures, many advocates are warning the violence rates could be even worse this year. 

Already, 61 women have been killed by violence in 2023.

“It might seem like just a small gesture, but by sharing domestic violence support services on your socials, you might just save a life this Christmas,” Ley says in her plea to Australians. 

“You might not need help but statistically someone you know will and many women who suffer in silence just need that extra prompt to seek support.”

As part of her awareness campaign, Ley has written to major Australian companies to ask them to consider ways to share support services on their platforms over the holiday period.

These companies include Woolworths, Coles, Bunnings; the social media giants including TikTok, Meta, LinkedIn and Google; and major fast food outlets including McDonalds and KFC. She has also written to major peak bodies including the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Council of Small Business Organisations asking them to share her request with their members.

Ley has requested these organisations consider making a Christmas donation as well to “one of the many charities doing fantastic, lifesaving work in Australia”. 

“As often occurs when the country is suffering through a cost-of-living crisis, charities and support services face significant increases in demand with a corresponding decline in donations,” she writes in the letter. 

“Vulnerable women in Australia cannot afford to see domestic violence support services drop at the time of the year they are most likely to need them and in a year where so many women have already been killed at the hands of someone they know.”

In response to Ley’s campaign, LinkedIn has published this post in which they hope domestic violence support services will reach their 14 million Australian members.

“When it comes to domestic violence every single person can make a difference, but so too can big businesses with huge social media followings – that’s why I have written to many of them asking that they share these services too,” says Ley.

“We have already seen a tragic number of women killed this year, so my simple message to all Australians is: Save a life. Share these services.”

Domestic violence rates over the holidays

Last year, domestic violence related incidents in New South Wales spiked by 25 per cent according to data  from the Parliamentary Library compiled from Victoria Police, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, and Australian Bureau of Statistics.

In Victoria, it spiked by 16 per cent, and this is despite the fact that not all incidents of domestic violence are reported. 

According to advocacy organisation No to Violence, using data from 2019-2020, states see an a significant increase in domestic violence incidents on New Years’ Day specifically. The Northern Territory saw a 58 per cent spike. In South Australia, 50 per cent more assaults occurred. In Queensland the spike was 112 per cent more, and in Tasmania, it was 75 per cent more. 

The organisation says these significant spikes are due to alcohol, stress and a higher frequency of family gatherings. Police forces across Australia receive more family and domestic violence incidents on New Years’ Day than any other day of the year. 

The key services to point to are:

If you are an immediate danger, call 000.

If you have experienced, or are at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault: 

·         Dial: 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732

·         Text – 1800 RESPECT – 0458 737 732 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

The post Sussan Ley asks Australians to share DV support services on social media over the holidays appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The South Australian police have named the victim as Julie “Julez” Seed, 38, in what they suspect was “a random attack”. A second woman, aged 50, sustained injuries and was taken to hospital where she’s reportedly in stable condition.  A 30-year-old man has been arrested, and police said he is expected to be charged with murder. 

With this latest life lost, the total number of women killed by violence in 2023 ticks over to a chilling 61. 

In 2022, that number sat at 57 at the end of the year, according to statistics from Destroy the Joint. Just last week, Women’s Agenda reported that Australia had surpassed this number in a tragic conclusion to the annual 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Since then, another woman was killed in a stabbing at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra. On Tuesday, a man was charged with her murder. 

While it can be hard to make sense of all this violence, one thing is for certain— when it comes to ensuring women’s safety in Australia, we’ve found ourselves in a very grim place this year. 

One woman is killed by an intimate partner every week, while Indigenous women are eight times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered. 

One in six women have experience physical or sexual violence by a partner, and over half of women in their twenties have experience sexual violence. 

And for those women fleeing family violence, only 3 per cent receive the long-term housing they need. 

The director of the National Women’s Safety Alliance, Katherine Berney, has shared her thoughts on Women’s Agenda this week on these unacceptably high domestic violence rates.

“This year, there have been close to 50,000 articles published specifically focused on violence against women. There have been so many words written, roundtables, conferences, and discussion. People are anguished, they are angry and rightly so,” she says

“These statistics paint a horrendous and uncomfortable picture about how we value survivors’ experiences across the nation.”

Steps taken in 2023 to improve women’s safety

It’s obvious that more must be done to prevent the epidemic of violence against women that Australia is facing. Nevertheless, there have been some proactive steps taken this year for women’s safety that are worth highlighting.

For the first time, the federal government set targets for ending violence against women and children, including a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan. The five-year plan aims to reduce the number of women killed by intimate partner violence by 25 per cent each year.

As part of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, the Albanese government announced a $15 million investment into First Nations-led research on family, domestic and sexual violence.

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) launched a five-year plan to address the next steps towards ending violence against women. This framework is helping guide researchers, funders, policymakers, survivor advocates and social impact organisations who work in the domestic and family violence space.

In November this year, the New South Wales government introduced new legislation against choking. The proposed amendments place serious strangulation offences into definitions of “serious violence offence” and “serious sex offence”, which are in the same category as other crimes including murder and manslaughter.

The telephone helpline 1800RESPECT also expanded its services to provide support for victims of family, domestic and sexual violence via SMS text message.

And, this month, the South Australian government has announced it will hold a royal commission into family and domestic violence following the horrific alleged murders of several women in recent weeks.

With all of this momentum towards ensuring women’s safety, many are asking themselves why we aren’t seeing a change. The number of women being killed by violence has increased this year and the statistics are painting a horrendous picture. 

“If you want to make change, sit with these statistics, feel uncomfortable with them,” Katherine Berney says. 

“Resist the temptation to look for cause and effect and to think ‘this won’t happen to me, I’m way more careful’. Start from a position of empathy rather than framing what interventions from the victim could have prevented the violence that has occurred.”

“The simplest thing that anyone can do to make change in domestic family and sexual violence is to start by believing.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post 61 women killed this year: The chilling toll of men’s violence appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Last year between Christmas and the new year, 6 women were allegedly murdered. It makes me sick to write we know there will be more homicides before the year is out.

It’s unacceptable.

People keep asking why aren’t we seeing a change? The Albanese Government has made record investment towards ending violence against women and children – there has been a commitment to long term cultural change through policy reform in the Family Law act and a commission to strengthen criminal responses to sexual violence within the Attorney General’s portfolio.

This year, there have been close to 50,000 articles published specifically focused on violence against women. There have been so many words written, roundtables, conferences, and discussion.

People are anguished, they are angry and rightly so. Our frontline is burnt out and feeling the strain of another incredibly difficult year. The consistent question is when? And how?

From a system perspective we do need better coordination between policy arms, we need to actually remove silos instead of just talking about removing them. Ensuring true collaboration from all areas of policy that’s intersect with the national plan. We need to continue to advocate for legislation of Our Watch media standards. Our frontline services must be robustly funded, so everyone who is seeking help can receive it. We could draft the best legislation in the world but unless we address the bias that exists within the administration of that legislation and thrives in societal attitudes, it would be effort for little change.

Societal attitudes are a complex piece of the puzzle when looking at violence against women and arguably needs to start at a much more granular level.  

Yesterday, I was having lunch with my family and a family member told me they had to write up a suspension letter for a student at an all-boys school they work at – he was accessing porn on his school laptop. They needed to supply links to all the sites accessed, I was horrified about the potential for vicarious trauma and immediately asked if they had been offered counselling and a debrief – thankfully they had.

There was then a discussion about if that was necessary or was it being overly cautious. No, it’s not and yes it was, according to the new standards of Respect@Work. 

Similarly, I had a conversation with a friend about consent legislation, he couldn’t understand why we need to focus on it “it’s basic, people get you need consent. That just human decency.’’ Howevever, rates of sexual violence and a lack of sexual literacy in what constitutes assault would indicate that people don’t get it. This is the same for when we think about people we know and love. Statistically we all know perpetrators and survivors.

I realized that despite my family and friends having shared beliefs and a deep support of the work I do, there is a disconnect in how we look at drivers of violence, how attitudes and behaviours that thrive within our society that contribute to the normalization of gender based violence. 

This is obviously happening in families, communities and within individual lives. There is still a pervasive narrative in popular culture that ‘’women and children lie, and they lie all the time to ruin the lives of men”.

The Australian child maltreatment study showed that of Australians aged 16-65+:

• 32 per cent had experienced physical abuse.
• 28.5 per cent had experienced sexual abuse.
• 30.9 per cent had experienced emotional abuse.
• 39.6 per cent had been exposed to DFSV.

Guess what? Data doesn’t lie.

These statistics paint a horrendous and uncomfortable picture about how we value survivors’ experiences across the nation. However for those who don’t work in the field, a common response to these kinds of statistics is often “that can’t be right” and “it has to be an aberration”.

The notion that people lie about they abuse they’ve experienced also supports this narrative, which is ingrained in our legal system, our media coverage and government. This attitude of suspicion and disbelief permeates our everyday discussions.  Harrison James, a survivor and co-founder of You’re Reference Ain’t Relevant, a campaign to remove good character references in sentencing considerations for convicted pedophiles, says that “even if justice is blind, it should not be deaf to the voices of survivors’’. Neither should our whole society.

So, what can we do?

If you want to make change, sit with these statistics, feel uncomfortable with them. Resist the temptation to look for cause and effect and to think “this won’t happen to me, I’m way more careful”. Start from a position of empathy rather than framing what interventions from the victim could have prevented the violence that has occurred.

The simplest thing that anyone can do to make change in domestic family and sexual violence is to start by believing.

When someone discloses they have been a victim of domestic, family, and sexual violence — believe them.

When you read media coverage where domestic, family, and sexual violence cases are discussed — believe the survivor.

What genuinely will go wrong if you believe someone?

Is this enough? Yes. This is how culture change starts. We must be aware of our own biases and potentially harmful cultural norms and challenge them, within ourselves, our families, and our friendship groups.   

By calling out these behaviours we have become desensitized to and challenging these ingrained beliefs we are saying that the standard needs to be higher for us all.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

The post Domestic violence rates are unacceptably high. How can we demand change? appeared first on Women's Agenda.

On Wednesday, Premier Peter Malinauskas and his government met with several domestic violence prevention groups, including 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, to discuss the importance of the inquiry and what it will look like.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Malinauskas said the royal commission will not exceed 12 months in length.

“It will not be a royal commission that drags on for years, as we have seen some other recent royal commissions in Australia,” the Premier said.

“Domestic violence is particularly insidious where it affects innocent women and also has a profound impact on children that really distorts their trajectory in life as a whole and we need to do something and do more about it.”

The announcement comes as South Australia has experienced an uptick in domestic and family violence related deaths. 

The alleged murder of an 85-year-old grandmother in Adelaide was the sixth woman allegedly killed at the hands of male violence in 18 days. Four of those women were killed in just one week.

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“The government has been satisfied that there is a need for a royal commission in South Australia into family and domestic violence,” Premier Malinauskas said.

Rosie Batty was given the title of Australian of the Year in 2015 for her advocacy in the space, after her 11-year-old son Luke was brutally murdered by his father. She was involved in the “round table discussions” on the royal commission and spoke to reporters following the government’s announcement.

“We cannot keep doing the same as what we’ve been doing because we are failing too many people,” she said.

The Commissioner of the inquiry, as well as terms of reference, are expected to be announced no later than February.

The public raised their voice, the government listened

Public pressure was certainly a factor in the government’s announcement this week.

Last month, thousands of people gathered in protests around the state to campaign for a royal commission in response to the six women killed in 18 days.

Organisations and politicians acknowledged and thanked both the public for raising their voice, and the government for choosing to listen.

The Zahra Foundation, an advocacy organisation in honour of Zahra Abrahimzadeh who was publicly murdered by her husband, was involved in campaigning for the royal commission and was pleased with the announcement.

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“We know that when the Royal Commission listens to women and the frontline workers who support them that we will learn what is helping women to find safety from men’s violence in our State and what barriers there are in the system that prevents women and their children to be free from abuse,” the foundation wrote in a social media post.

“Thank you to every person who raised their voice – and who will continue to advocate with us – for a future where any woman experiencing violence and abuse can access the support they need, for as long as they need it, wherever they live across South Australia.”

South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young also congratulated the state government for its announcement.

“This is a welcome move,” she wrote on social media.

“The community, women’s groups and those on the front line of this domestic violence epidemic have been demanding action.

“It’s good to see the government listen!”

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

The post ‘We cannot keep doing the same’: South Australia to hold royal commission into domestic violence appeared first on Women's Agenda.