tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/violence-against-women-4502/articlesViolence against women – The Conversation2024-03-20T00:50:29Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258952024-03-20T00:50:29Z2024-03-20T00:50:29ZSquatting, kidnapping and collaboration: Australia’s first women’s shelters were acts of radical grassroots feminism<p>50 years ago, there wasn’t a single women’s shelter in Australia. </p>
<p>Then feminists squatted two terraces in Sydney, opening “Elsie”, Australia’s first domestic and family violence refuge. </p>
<p>Commissioned by Elsie co-founder Anne Summers, I’ve recorded oral histories with the women who built and sustained Australia’s refuge movement.</p>
<p>Australia’s refuge movement is a story of courageous grassroots feminist activism.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-whitlam-government-gave-us-no-fault-divorce-womens-refuges-and-childcare-australia-needs-another-feminist-revolution-202238">The Whitlam government gave us no-fault divorce, women's refuges and childcare. Australia needs another feminist revolution</a>
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<h2>Choose to act</h2>
<p>In the 1970s in Australia, there was nowhere for women experiencing male violence at home to go. </p>
<p>One night almost exactly 50 years ago, around 40 women’s liberation activists changed that, claiming squatters’ rights over two derelict Glebe terraces. They broke a window, changed the locks and turned on the gas and water, opening “Elsie”, Australia’s first women’s refuge.</p>
<p>As Elsie worker Ludo McFerran explained, Elsie’s mission was a “space for women, run by women”, which the residents would control. Elsie did not offer “charity”, the founders aimed at “change”, and therefore refuges would one day become obsolete.</p>
<p>Cooma, Kamilaroi woman Mary Ronyane, who today manages Wilcannia Safe House, proposed that Elsie was created because, when together women draw from their strength, they can “make a choice”. They chose to act.</p>
<p>McFerran described the refuge work as “highly vulnerable”. At the beginning, the work was entirely voluntary, and refuge work never proved a lucrative career.</p>
<p>The activists sacrificed all their time, energy, health and often their safety. In the “wild west”, as McFerran described it, perpetrators would “regularly turn up, threaten to burn the house down and kill everyone inside.” </p>
<p>There was no legal protection for residents or workers, so when perpetrators failed to return children after visits, workers would “go and try find them” and where possible “grab the kids back and make a run for it.”</p>
<p>Desperately trying to cover the operating costs, some of the workers started dealing marijuana to pay for necessities. Sydney’s artists and intellectuals started seeking out “Elsie Pot”. </p>
<p>With an intention to secure funding, the activists started encouraging various government ministers to come and see the conditions Elsie’s residents were enduring. Founder Christina Gibbeson told me how she kidnapped Doug Everingham, the minister for health at the time. She forced her way into a car carrying Everingham and instructed his driver to take them to Elsie. She mused:</p>
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<p>“I would’ve gone to jail for it today, I suppose.”</p>
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<h2>Ceding power and privilege</h2>
<p>Australia’s early refuges operated collectively. Everyone was obliged to scrub bathrooms and care for resident children. Decisions took time and often went to a vote. Former resident and worker, Bundjalung woman Christine Robinson, believes “at Elsie, we all had a say and a voice.” </p>
<p>The founders recognised residents’ insights and skills that came with their life experience. In 1980, six years after Marrickville refuge opened, the refuge’s residents informed staff that it was time for them to leave and let them take the reins, and they did.</p>
<p>The activists wanted liberation for all women, not just those who looked like them. Women’s Halfway House worker Di Otto noted that they viewed the refuge “as a site in which they could make contact with women outside of [their] circles […] and work towards a collective and inclusive liberation.”</p>
<p>Vivien Johnson shared:</p>
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<p>[…] [us] middle class white women were consistently confronted by our class prejudices [and] with the racism we held towards the women with whom we claimed to be equal with.</p>
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<p>Christine Robinson believes Australia’s refuge movement “valued diversity.”
She explained that Elsie’s staff all learned how to sit with, and learn from, fellow feminists calling out their racism.</p>
<p>Robinson explained at Elsie, she and fellow Aboriginal leaders had a platform to culturally educate their non-First Nations colleagues, whom she described as a “captive audience”, “trying” to get it right. </p>
<h2>Space for activism</h2>
<p>Elsie’s founders sought to cultivate an environment in which residents could build confidence and reclaim control over their lives. In 1975, Bobbie Townsend, a working-class woman, arrived at Elsie with two children.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A small, brown terrace house with two pillars and a screen door" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582446/original/file-20240318-22-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The original Elsie Refuge, before it relocated, as taken in 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(1)Elsie-2.jpg">Sardaka/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>Townsend believes the late night discussions at Elsie’s dinner table “saved her”, and shared:</p>
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<p>[…] for 26 years nobody had asked me what I thought about anything […] The first time someone asked me in a collective meeting what I thought, I didn’t know what to say […] Elsie was about taking control.</p>
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<p>Robinson, like Townsend, also a resident turned staff member, reflected that “Elsie gave women power to make decisions for themselves.”</p>
<h2>Today, there is nothing quite like Elsie</h2>
<p>The founders all described an atmosphere of hope. Under Whitlam, things were possible. </p>
<p>McFerran explained that today, tendering practices have forced out community-run refuges. Run by Christian, centralised institutions, few refuges observe the grassroots collectivist principles that animated the movement’s early years. </p>
<p>While Elsie still opens its doors to victim-survivors today, it is run by St Vincent de Paul.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225895/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma McNicol does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>50 years ago, the first shelter for women experiencing domestic violence was established in Sydney. It’s opening was far from a ribbon-cutting affair, but it’s legacy is long and powerful.Emma McNicol, Research Fellow at Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2236492024-03-08T03:30:49Z2024-03-08T03:30:49Z‘Are we dating the same guy?’ These women-run groups are accused of being toxic, but they carry a feminist legacy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580618/original/file-20240308-22-ccb0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C26%2C8648%2C5748&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 2022, a social network was <a href="https://mashable.com/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook">formed</a> in New York for women to share warnings about their interactions with men on dating apps. These were men who had allegedly lied, manipulated, cheated on, ghosted, used or abused them.</p>
<p>Since then, “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/340985311306448">Are we dating the same guy</a>?” (AWDTSG) groups have exploded online across Facebook and other social platforms, attracting anywhere from hundreds to more than 150,000 members depending on the city they serve. </p>
<p>These groups are trying to improve women’s online safety where dating app developers are failing. In doing so, they’re tapping into a long history of feminist initiatives aimed at protecting women from allegedly hostile or predatory men.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580619/original/file-20240308-30-rfd0w6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Globally millions of women are gathering in private, online spaces to safeguard their gender against alleged predators.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>How it works</h2>
<p>Globally, millions of women gather in AWDTSG groups. The majority of these private digital spaces are explicit about their intent. The first group to emerge had the unofficial motto: “it’s about protecting women, not judging men”. This has been widely adopted by offshoots. </p>
<p>Posts follow two main themes: unprompted “red flag” warnings about men women have dated, and prompts for “tea or red flags” about potential dates. The men in these posts are identified by name and location, and at least one dating profile screenshot. </p>
<p>Posts can be made anonymously so women don’t risk retaliation, but are vetted by moderators to ensure they comply with group rules. </p>
<h2>Safety is never guaranteed</h2>
<p>Online dating apps are often framed as a necessary evil in the 2020s. They conform to the same conventions as early chatrooms such as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/in-25-years-since-its-launch-aol-instant-messenger-has-never-been-away-180980086/">AOL</a>, MSN Messenger and <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Started-with-IRC-(Internet-Relay-Chat)">IRC</a> (internet relay chat), and digital classifieds such as Craigslist and Gumtree. </p>
<p>These sites enabled <a href="https://academic.oup.com/princeton-scholarship-online/book/31347/chapter-abstract/264477895?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true">random connections</a> with strangers without any vetting; the onus of safety <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/technology-blog/story/2011-02-24/craigslist-challenges-study-from-rival-that-says-330-crimes-12-deaths-were-linked-to-its-site">was on the user</a>. They have become the source of both heartwarming <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/roommate-wanted-wedding-married_n_5f32d6fbc5b6960c066d35d6">success stories</a>, as well as tales of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-21872757">murder</a> and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-11-la-na-rape-craigslist11-2010jan11-story.html">revenge rape</a> offences.</p>
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<p>Dating app developers <a href="https://datingsafetyguide.com/pdf/dating-safety-guide.pdf">admit</a> there are safety risks inherent to their business model – and they’ve yet to adequately address them. Many apps have an optional verification feature, but this merely weeds out catfishes: people using a fake online identity. It doesn’t guarantee safety.</p>
<p>Bumble advertises itself as a <a href="https://www.ibtimes.com/bumble-feminist-tinder-women-reach-out-first-within-24-hours-1858772">feminist</a> app that’s focused on <a href="https://bumble.com/en-au/the-buzz/safety">safety</a>, as women must initiate the conversations with their matches. However, as posts on AWDTSG groups demonstrate, this puts the onus on women <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/06/the-virtues-and-downsides-of-online-dating/">to be particularly discerning</a>. </p>
<p>Dating app users have to open themselves to random interactions with strangers (and therefore to unqualified risk) just to be able to use the service. One 2022 survey found <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-experience-abuse-on-dating-apps-how-do-we-balance-prevention-with-policing-198587">three in four people</a> experienced abuse while using these apps. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/49-women-have-been-killed-in-australia-so-far-in-2023-as-a-result-of-violence-are-we-actually-making-any-progress-217552">49 women have been killed in Australia so far in 2023 as a result of violence. Are we actually making any progress?</a>
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<h2>A history of women supporting women</h2>
<p>Historically, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-long-history-of-gender-violence-in-australia-and-why-it-matters-today-119927">governments and communities</a> have been reticent to take responsibility for family and domestic violence. In the 1970s, those in the women’s liberation movement understood they had very limited protections from sexual and physical abuse that came at the hands of <a href="https://www.brazenhussies.com.au/aboutthefilm">boyfriends or husbands</a>. </p>
<p>This prompted the liberationists to form <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/consciousness-raising-groups-and-the-womens-movement/">consciousness raising groups</a>. These groups aimed to spread knowledge about the many facets of women’s oppression, and implement solutions such as providing <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0312407X.2023.2228289">refuge</a> for women and children escaping family violence. </p>
<p>Into the 1990s, women and girls started to embrace new kinds of feminism that aggressively prioritised the sisterhood over men, including “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/the-problem-with-girl-power-feminism-isn-t-meant-to-be-fun-20220824-p5bcek.html">girl power</a>” and “<a href="https://www.feministpress.org/books-n-z/riot-grrrl-collection">grrrl power</a>” feminism. </p>
<p>These branches built on the gains of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism/The-second-wave-of-feminism">second wave feminism</a> which taught women they could, and should, embrace power and step up to solve their problems. That same decade, <a href="https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=jmurj">do-it-yourself feminism</a> spawned from the merger of these ideas, teaching women the way to solve societal sexism was to solve it themselves. </p>
<p>AWDTSG groups follow in these footsteps. By providing a space where women can support and empower each other, they fulfil the consciousness raising and DIY aspirations of previous generations of feminists.</p>
<p>They also demonstrate how, even now, there are limited societal protections for women who <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-22/background-and-criminal-checks-flagged-for-dating-apps/101803688">have faced</a>, or may face, violence or harassment by men. </p>
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<h2>The counterargument</h2>
<p>Both the admins and members of AWDTSG groups face risks in the process of facilitating these spaces. While group posts mainly remain private, there can be retaliation or even <a href="https://www.minclaw.com/are-we-dating-same-guy-facebook-group/">legal</a> repercussions when someone “snitches” and leaks a post.</p>
<p>In cases where men have discovered posts about them and wish to have them removed, the admins tend to only do this if the man is willing to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AWDTSGisToxic/comments/18mwcu3/keep_at_it_fellas/">“rat out” the snitch</a> (which they usually are). This ensures women undermining the group’s aims of sisterhood and safety are named, shamed and removed.</p>
<p>Several counter group such as <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AWDTSGisToxic/">r/AWDTSGisToxic</a>, <a href="https://endawdtsg.com/">End AWDTSG</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/625302573086924">victims of AWDTSG</a> have emerged to rail against the movement. They claim AWDTSG groups enable the bullying and shaming of men just for being bad dates. </p>
<p>The goals of both the pro- and counter-AWDTSG groups give rise to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy375q/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook-groups">spurious claims</a>. Each side can end up facilitating forms of “bullying”, “toxicity” and even <a href="https://www.wtkr.com/news/wife-charged-with-husbands-vb-homicide-accused-of-affair-prior-to-shooting-court-docs">serious violence</a> against individuals.</p>
<h2>Grey areas</h2>
<p>Anti-AWDTSG groups claim they support protecting women from <em>truly</em> violent men, but a lack of verification means there are more <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/02/dating-same-guy-facebook-groups/">false accusations</a> than true ones. </p>
<p>Last month, a man from Chicago launched a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.449909/gov.uscourts.ilnd.449909.1.0.pdf">lawsuit</a> against the city’s AWDTSG group and several social media sites, including Meta, for defamation. The case seeks to force the host platforms, primarily Facebook, to regulate these private groups to protect men.</p>
<p>Off the back of that, a new group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/804749828144287">AWDTSG Lawsuits</a> was formed. It aims to bring men together to potentially sue Facebook and the groups it hosts for defamation. </p>
<p>It’ll be interesting to see how the case plays out, and whether platforms profiting from women’s engagement in AWDTSG groups are willing to take sides in this supposed battle of the sexes. </p>
<p>Either way, one thing is certain: the patriarchy’s influence is diminished in a generation of tech-savvy women who wholeheartedly believe the “<a href="http://www.carolhanisch.org/CHwritings/PIP.html">personal is political</a>”. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tinder-fails-to-protect-women-from-abuse-but-when-we-brush-off-dick-pics-as-a-laugh-so-do-we-147909">Tinder fails to protect women from abuse. But when we brush off 'dick pics' as a laugh, so do we</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natasha Szuhan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>These private online communities represent a long-held feminist maxim: to solve sexism requires women to solve it themselves.Natasha Szuhan, Lecturer, History and Sociology, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244192024-02-28T16:52:40Z2024-02-28T16:52:40ZBy not repatriating Shamima Begum, the UK is washing its hands of continuing Islamic State terror<p>Shamima Begum is <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Begum-v-SSHD-CA-2023-000900-2024-EWCA-Civ-152.pdf">not coming home</a>. The Islamic State (IS) poster girl <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-68372112">lost her latest appeal</a> against the British government’s 2019 decision to strip her of her citizenship on grounds of national security. </p>
<p>The ruling meant a brief return to the British headlines for both Begum and the jihadist terrorist group. When the then 15-year-old and two friends ran away from London for IS in 2015, the group held land <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/09/12/heres-how-the-islamic-state-compares-to-real-states/">almost the size of Britain</a> in Iraq and Syria. </p>
<p>Now, IS has no territory in the region. Begum is the only one of the young women left alive. And there is neither the public nor political will to bring Begum or others like her home. IS is yesterday’s news – at least in Europe.</p>
<p>Islamic State’s newsletter al-Naba tells a different story. Each week it reports on successes in <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violent-extremism-sahel">Africa</a>, the centre of its global activities. The <a href="https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GTI-2023-web-170423.pdf">Global Terrorism Index report</a>, published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a thinktank, noted that IS was the world’s most deadly terror group in 2022, and 43% of deaths from terrorism were in the Sahel. Both IS and rival jihadist factions are thought to be responsible. </p>
<p>War between IS and rivals al-Qaeda blazes across sub-Saharan Africa. In Mozambique, thousands of civilians <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/africa-jihadist-violence/">are on the move</a>, forced from their homes by an IS affiliate. As in Iraq and Syria, women are often targets. In one brutal incident in Mozambique, fighters reportedly <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/africa-jihadist-violence/">trapped Christian women in a house</a> and set it ablaze. </p>
<h2>Trafficking, violence and IS women</h2>
<p>Jihadist targeting of women, such as the rape and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/24/yazidi-women-islamic-state-slaves-appeal-to-un-to-intervene-in-their-fight-for-compensation">enslavement</a> of Yazidi women in Iraq and Syria, or the <a href="https://ctc.westpoint.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Boko-Haram-Beyond-the-Headlines_Chapter-2.pdf">abductions of women in Nigeria</a>, are central to their violence. Recognising this, the UN security council in 2019 passed a resolution emphasising the need to see gender-based violence <a href="https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/press-release/landmark-un-security-council-resolution-2467-2019-strengthens-justice-and-accountability-and-calls-for-a-survivor-centered-approach-in-the-prevention-and-response-to-conflict-related-sexual-violence/">“as a tactic of war and terrorism”</a>. In Nigeria, IS west Africa fighters have <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-45876440">explicitly targeted women</a> working with humanitarian organisations, even executing them on video. </p>
<p>Trafficking has been an important IS tactic. At its height, IS <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30671634.pdf">propaganda techniques</a> resembled those of organised child sexual exploitation. Recruiters, <a href="https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mca/vol1/iss1/4/">like predators</a>, sought out the vulnerable to gain their trust, encouraging them to keep this secret. </p>
<p>The group needed women. Without them, there was no one to birth the next generation, no one for the “heroic” jihadists of IS propaganda videos to fight to protect. Women were at the heart of the IS governance project, its recruitment and trafficking, and of its violence.</p>
<p>Lawyers for Shamima Begum have argued she was a minor who was trafficked to Syria, and was therefore a victim of IS, lacking agency. A UN special representative stated in a 2018 report (the year before Begum’s citizenship was stripped) that armed groups’ “recruitment and use of children nearly always constitutes trafficking”. </p>
<p>By removing Begum’s citizenship, the UK has essentially <a href="https://law.duke.edu/sites/default/files/humanrights/Huckerby-Opinion-Appeal-July2022.pdf">blocked any attempt</a> to understand if and how that trafficking took place. </p>
<h2>Repatriation and justice</h2>
<p>The UK’s stance on repatriating IS women is one of <a href="https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/KCL-Speech-final1.pdf">“strategic distance”</a>. In the words of former Met police counterterrorism chief <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/shamima-begum-threat-neil-basu-antiterrorism-b320306.html">Neil Basu</a>, “if you have chosen to go … you shouldn’t be allowed to come back”. This approach <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/12/britain-to-repatriate-woman-and-five-children-from-syrian-camps">sets the UK apart</a> from other western countries.</p>
<p>In 2023, according to US state department data, <a href="https://www.state.gov/progress-in-repatriations-how-foreign-assistance-is-addressing-the-humanitarian-and-security-crises-in-northeast-syria-part-1-of-2/">14 countries repatriated more than 3,500 of their nationals</a> from north-east Syria. In France and Germany, some IS women have gone through the domestic courts. </p>
<p>While IS women were mainly not permitted to fight, not all violence took place on the battlefield. France has prosecuted female jihadis for <a href="https://www.icct.nl/sites/default/files/2024-01/Female%20Jihadis%20Facing%20Justice.pdf">association with “terrorist wrongdoers”</a>. </p>
<p>Germany has prosecuted some IS women under war crimes and genocide legislation. In one case, a woman was sentenced for her role in the <a href="https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/german-court-delivers-third-genocide-verdict-against-isis-member-enslavement-and-abuse-yazidi">enslavement of a Yazidi woman</a>. In another, for the death of a Yazidi child, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12456659/German-ISIS-bride-jailed-14-years-crimes-against-humanity.html">left in the sun to die</a>. Repatriation and trials go some way not just to punishing wrongdoing, but providing the Yazidi people with justice. </p>
<p>Returned to countries of origin, IS members can be managed. <a href="https://www.icct.nl/sites/default/files/2024-02/Female%20Jihadis%20Facing%20Justice.pdf">A new report</a> published by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism found that in Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands, most imprisoned women do not appear to pose a threat.</p>
<p>The 2023 <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63e26a08d3bf7f172f6ce87f/Independent_Review_of_Prevent__print_.pdf">Shawcross report</a> into the British counter-radicalisation strategy Prevent concluded that Islamism terrorism is the largest terrorist threat facing the UK. British Islamism is not isolated, it is influenced by wider trends of transnational jihad. </p>
<p>In leaving Shamima Begum stateless in Syria, the British government sends a message, not just to a <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/shamima-begum-78-of-britons-support-revoking-is-brides-uk-citizenship-sky-data-poll-11643068">Britain that does not want her</a>, but to the Middle East and Africa: Islamic State is no longer our problem.</p>
<p>The truth is, <a href="https://theglobalcoalition.org/en/">IS violence is not over</a>, even if the theatre of conflict has shifted. Begum has become a symbol of British unwillingness to take this seriously. Her lawyers say <a href="https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2024/02/shamima-begums-lawyers-will-keep-fighting-after-judges-reject-citizenship-appeal/">they will fight on</a>. Perhaps next time Britain will recognise that IS violence remains a global threat.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224419/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Pearson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Islamic State has fallen out of the public attention in the UK and Europe but remains active in Africa.Elizabeth Pearson, Programme Lead MSc Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies, Royal Holloway University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2239242024-02-23T12:57:16Z2024-02-23T12:57:16ZLonger sentences for ‘rough sex’ killers may not deliver justice for victims<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577278/original/file-20240222-24-2sktb0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=180%2C99%2C5682%2C3908&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-on-chair-handcuffs-rear-view-1338116366">CC7/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Valentine’s Day, the government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tougher-sentences-for-rough-sex-killers">announced it would</a> introduce tougher sentences for offenders who kill in the context of sexual violence. This comes three years after the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-bill-2020-factsheets/consent-to-serious-harm-for-sexual-gratification-not-a-defence#:%7E:text=Section%2072%20of%20the%20Act%20re%2Dstates%20the%20current%20law,purposes%20of%20obtaining%20sexual%20gratification.">Domestic Abuse Act</a> reaffirmed that consent to rough or violent sex cannot be a defence to murder. Despite this, the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-bill-2020-factsheets/consent-to-serious-harm-for-sexual-gratification-not-a-defence#:%7E:text=Section%2072%20of%20the%20Act%20re%2Dstates%20the%20current%20law,purposes%20of%20obtaining%20sexual%20gratification.">“rough sex defence”</a> still leads to offenders receiving more <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/02/the-killing-of-sophie-moss-why-did-a-vulnerable-mothers-attacker-get-such-a-short-sentence">lenient convictions</a> and sentencing. </p>
<p>Official figures on how often the rough sex defence is used are difficult to obtain. But <a href="https://wecantconsenttothis.uk">the charity We Can’t Consent to This</a> tracked a ten-fold increase in rough sex claims between 1996 and 2016. They identified more than 60 cases of women being killed by men who attempted to rely on the defence over that period.</p>
<p>Typically, the defence argues that these killings were accidental during consensual rough sex, and that therefore the defendant cannot be guilty of murder. Instead, offenders are charged with or convicted of <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-03-17/HCWS643">manslaughter</a>, which attracts a much lower prison sentence of between three and five years. </p>
<p>Now, the government is proposing to introduce tougher sentences for rough sex manslaughter. Campaigners have <a href="https://policeprofessional.com/news/tougher-sentences-for-rough-sex-killers-welcomed-by-cwj">broadly welcomed</a> this, but will it be enough on its own?</p>
<p>In <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022018320936777">my research</a> with my colleague Jonathan Herring, I have reviewed how legal reforms on rough sex have so far failed to change the culture and prosecution around this crime. Given this history, I am sceptical that these latest reforms will lead to meaningful change. </p>
<h2>The trouble with sentencing</h2>
<p>The government’s proposed changes will reportedly lead to sentences of “between <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13080469/Rough-sex-killers-spend-longer-jail-new-measures-Justice-Secretary-Alex-Chalk-reveals.html">four and six years longer</a>” for rough sex death offenders. But such a blanket prediction is impossible given the bespoke nature of sentencing. </p>
<p>A recent review of domestic homicide killings commissioned by the government drew attention to difficulties encountered in sentencing rough sex <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6411ce52d3bf7f79df1aa9c4/domestic-homicide-sentencing-review.pdf">manslaughter cases</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/sentencing-and-the-council/how-sentencing-works/">Sentencing offenders</a> in any case is a delicate exercise that involves weighing up the culpability of the offender against harm to the victim, using sentencing guidelines that are specific to the offence. As part of this assessment, judges apply what are known as aggravating or mitigating factors to determine, overall, what sentence is most appropriate in an individual case. </p>
<p>Most sentencing guidelines for violent offences have aggravating factors. For example, if the crime was committed while on bail for a different offence, the offender had previous convictions or if a victim was particularly vulnerable. </p>
<p>Adding more aggravating factors will make the sentencing process more complex, but won’t necessarily result in a longer sentence in every situation – it is still a case-by-case basis. And, a sentence for manslaughter will still in most cases be significantly less than for murder.</p>
<h2>The bigger picture of violence against women</h2>
<p>More legislation is only one part of a much wider problem. This change is unlikely, on its own, to bring about the kind of cultural and social changes needed to address rough sex killings and violence against women. </p>
<p>As I have examined in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022018320936777">recent research</a>, there are other issues (more to do with procedure than the law) that arise in these cases. Also at play here are commonly held misbeliefs about rape, <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/more-do-tackle-rape-misconceptions-and-lack-understanding-consent-cps-survey-finds">misunderstanding of consent</a>, and the wide availability of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/61/5/1243/6208896">violent pornography</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-rape-myths-and-unconscious-biases-prejudice-the-judicial-system-against-women-and-rape-survivors-in-particular-214032">How rape myths and unconscious biases prejudice the judicial system against women -- and rape survivors in particular</a>
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<p>In these cases, defendants rely on gendered myths about women and sex to construct a narrative that the victim “liked” rough sex, often relying on their sexual history to <a href="https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/rough-sex-and-the-criminal-law/?k=9781801179294">support these claims</a>. The focus shifts to the victim (who is dead and <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/the-murder-of-grace-millane-heinous-rough-sex-defence-explored-five-years-on-from-british-backpackers-killing-in-new-zealand-12987580">cannot challenge them</a>) and their sexuality, while family and friends listen on.</p>
<p>This also means that media coverage of these cases often details the sexual behaviour and history of the victim, who is usually named. Publishers are subject to <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Reporting-Restrictions-in-the-Criminal-Courts-September-2022.pdf">more restrictions</a> when reporting on sexual offence cases and those involving children.</p>
<p>This is why my <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022018320936777">research suggests</a> that other measures – such as introducing restrictions on the use of sexual history in murder cases and limiting media reporting may be better placed to address these concerns.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Black and white photo of a woman with her head in her hands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577282/original/file-20240222-24-gc0rt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The currently handling of ‘rough sex’ deaths in court can be traumatising for victims’ families.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dark-portrait-64532521">Spixel/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Media and culture present violence as a routine part of sex, something both <a href="https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5415762/rough-sex-bbc-scotland-partner-men/">men and women</a> enjoy. The availability of violent porn, much of which involves strangulation, and the wider mainstreaming of violent (largely heterosexual) sex through literature, film and popular culture have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/61/5/1243/6208896">contributed to this</a>.</p>
<p>A 2019 survey found <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50546184">nearly 40%</a> of women had experienced nonconsensual violence during sex, with nearly the same proportion of men admitting they use violence during sex without <a href="https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5415762/rough-sex-bbc-scotland-partner-men/">obtaining consent</a>. The current discourse also fails to properly <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50546184">account for the way rough sex</a> can be used as part of abusive relationships.</p>
<p>The sentencing amendments will also do little to address these wider issues. The defence will still be able to claim the death occurred during consensual sexual activity and, in doing so, argue against a charge of murder. And details of the sexual history of the victim, where relevant, may still be used to support the defence case. Consequently, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022018320936777">the media will still</a> be able to report on these, to the detriment of victims’ families and future cases.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223924/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hannah Bows receives funding from the ESRC, British Academy, Research England and Home Office. She is affiliated with the NHS (North East and North Cumbria ICB).</span></em></p>Restrictions on media coverage and the use of sexual history in court would be more effective changes.Hannah Bows, Associate Professor in Criminal Law, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184212023-12-18T22:29:42Z2023-12-18T22:29:42ZHow technology can help victims of intimate partner violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565862/original/file-20231214-19-xsrof1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C38%2C4262%2C2805&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Technology is being used to help survivors by connecting them with resources, services and supports</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-technology-can-help-victims-of-intimate-partner-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern. According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 44 per cent of women <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210426/dq210426b-eng.htm">experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime</a>. Rates of intimate partner violence are not only alarmingly high, but steadily increasing. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231121/dq231121b-eng.htm">In 2022, there were 117,093 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence in Canada</a>. This marked a 19 per cent increase since 2014.</p>
<p>Violence in intimate relationships can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse and coercive control. And intimate partner violence increases during emergencies such as pandemics, natural disasters and even economic downturns. </p>
<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal consultations with provinces and territories found that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/domestic-violence-rates-rising-due-to-covid19-1.5545851">intimate partner violence rose by 20 to 30 per cent in certain regions of Canada</a>. Rising rates of intimate partner violence worldwide at this time were labelled as <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19">“the shadow pandemic”</a> by the United Nations.</p>
<p>These increases in intimate partner violence have highlighted the need for creative and innovative ways of addressing the issue, particularly during emergencies. As part of <a href="https://www.umanitoba.ca/sites/resolve/files/2023-11/COVID-19%20IPV%20Final%20Report%20November%202023.pdf">our research</a> on intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba, we examined how technology is creatively being used to help survivors of intimate partner violence.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C6%2C4459%2C2984&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Silhouette of a woman standing alone in a dark room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C6%2C4459%2C2984&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rates of intimate partner violence are not only alarmingly high, but steadily increasing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Technology and intimate partner violence</h2>
<p>Discussions about intimate partner violence and technology often focus on the ways abusers misuse technology to harm their intimate partners. This type of violence, known as <a href="https://www.umanitoba.ca/sites/resolve/files/2022-04/tech-facilitated-violence-research-brief-14-en.pdf">technology-facilitated violence</a>, includes sending abusive or threatening text messages, monitoring an intimate partner through tracking systems or spyware and controlling an intimate partner’s access to technology. </p>
<p>Technology can pose undeniable harms to survivors of intimate partner violence. However, it is also being used to help survivors by connecting them with resources, services and supports. We specifically saw technology be used in creative ways during the COVID-19 pandemic in place of in-person services.</p>
<p>Participants in our research project noted an increase in online services for survivors of intimate partner violence, including online counselling, safety planning, support groups and text or chat-based crisis lines. The easy access these services provide reduced certain barriers that came with in-person services such as transportation or having to find child care.</p>
<p>Other technology-based initiatives have gained recognition, such as online awareness campaigns. The award-winning <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help/">Signal for Help</a> campaign was launched in April 2020 in a response to increases in both gender-based violence and the use of video calls during the pandemic. The campaign featured a one-handed gesture that survivors of violence could use on video calls to signal that they need help.</p>
<p>Several apps have also been developed to help keep survivors safe. The <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myplan-safety-app/id1563802534">myPlan Safety App</a> features assessments and strategies for safety planning, online privacy and finding resources in a user’s local area. </p>
<p>Researchers have been exploring <a href="https://data.berkeley.edu/news/expert-shares-how-ai-could-help-doctors-treat-domestic-violence-victims">the potential of using artificial intelligence to help doctors care for and support survivors of intimate partner violence</a>.</p>
<p>Large-scale partnerships with technology companies during the pandemic showed increasing potential for reaching survivors of intimate partner violence at home. <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/news-tech-giants-provide-life-saving-information-during-covid-19">UN Women partnered with tech companies</a> in the United States to distribute information about services and resources for intimate partner violence survivors. <a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-announces-new-resources-to-assist-users-dealing-with-domestic-viol/577725/">The National Network to End Domestic Violence and Snapchat</a> also announced a partnership to provide intimate partner violence resources for users through searches of related terms.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with a sad expression sits on the edge of a bed. A man sits on the other end of the bed behind her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Online services and apps can provide victims of intimate partner violence with quick, accessible support and advice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Barriers to online services</h2>
<p>The use of technology does not come without challenges. For instance, some of our research participants told us it was difficult to navigate online services. This was particularly apparent for those who had limited experience with technology. Others also noted that it could be hard to find privacy to access online services at home.</p>
<p>Additionally, some participants did not have access to the internet or technology needed to access online services, like a laptop or smartphone. This was common among <a href="https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-35/index.html">those living in rural, remote or northern areas of Canada</a>. Those who did have access to internet and technology in these areas noted that their internet connection or cellular service was often unreliable.</p>
<p>As technology in the area advances, it is important to identify and address social, economic and geographical barriers that can prevent survivors of intimate partner violence from utilizing online services. This is particularly important for survivors with limited online access, such as low-income, older adults or those living in rural areas.</p>
<p>Despite these challenges, the use of technology shows great potential for helping survivors of intimate partner violence, both during and after emergencies. Online service provision was noted as particularly beneficial for younger generations, who experience <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231121/dq231121b-eng.htm">especially high rates of violence</a>. Continuing to invest in creative and innovative ways of meeting the complex needs of survivors provides promising practices for addressing intimate partner violence now, and into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218421/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kendra Nixon receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and research support from community partner, the Family Violence Prevention Program (Government of Manitoba). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Haller receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and research support from community partner, the Family Violence Prevention Program (Government of Manitoba). </span></em></p>Increases in intimate partner violence have highlighted the need for creative and innovative ways of addressing the issue, particularly during emergencies.Kendra Nixon, Professor, Faculty of Social Work & Director, RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse), University of ManitobaAshley Haller, Research Technician at RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse), University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145122023-11-29T12:50:52Z2023-11-29T12:50:52ZReports of ‘honour-based’ abuse increased following lockdowns and change to police recording rules<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561845/original/file-20231127-17-ax6vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C5168%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/silhouette-young-woman-problems-horizontal-isolated-1442655077">Alexey_M/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cases of so-called <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-32379-9_7">honour-based abuse</a> (HBA) are on the rise in England and Wales. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/so-called-honour-based-abuse-offences-2022-to-2023/statistics-on-so-called-honour-based-abuse-offences-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023">Home Office figures</a> show 2,905 HBA offences in 2022-23 – an increase of 1% in the year ending March 2023 from the year before. This is a rise of 10% since 2020-21. </p>
<p>It has been mandatory for police in England and Wales <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/so-called-honour-based-abuse-offences-2022-to-2023/statistics-on-so-called-honour-based-abuse-offences-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023#:%7E:text=1.-,Introduction,mandatory%20basis%20since%20April%202019.">to record</a> crimes often referred to as “honour-based” since 2019. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/oct/31/honour-based-offences-soared-by-81-in-last-five-years">Between 2016 and 2020</a>, the number recorded rose by 81%. </p>
<p>This mandatory reporting may be behind some of the increase in offences. But the pandemic lockdowns also provided abusers with <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JACPR-07-2022-0734/full/pdf">greater opportunity</a> to offend. What’s more, there may be many cases of HBA that go unreported.</p>
<p>There are a variety of <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-05640-6_21">harmful practices</a> categorised as HBA. These include forced marriages, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, female genital mutilation, and honour killings. These crimes are committed by people seeking to defend or restore the honour of a person or social group, such as a family, clan, caste, kin group or community. </p>
<h2>A global issue</h2>
<p>It is a global issue happening across different cultures and communities, although some areas are considered more affected, such as the Middle East and south Asia. </p>
<p>While such crimes can affect anyone, women and girls are more likely to be targeted. In the UK, it is particularly prevalent among young girls. In 2022, the Forced Marriage Unit <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forced-marriage-unit-statistics-2022/forced-marriage-unit-statistics-2022#forced-marriage-unit-statistics">handled 302 cases</a>: 78% of the victims were female, while 22% were male. Over half of the victims were 21 or younger. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-32379-9_7">My research</a> with communities in the UK and abroad indicates that the ideology that triggers this harmful behaviour towards family members is that women and girls are considered carriers of family honour, and a precious social resource. </p>
<p>Given the social, cultural and economic value of family honour that lies with women and girls, social groups have rules and practices to protect the value they have placed in honour. </p>
<p>For example, if a young woman marries without her family or parents’ consent, this act would be <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-55985-4_17">considered dishonourable for the family</a>. This young woman’s behaviour can trigger gossip about her family’s reputation, showing that the family is exposed to dishonour and shame in its concerned social group. As a result, the family, particularly the male members, will attempt to restore the family honour. </p>
<p>The actions and behaviour taken to protect or restore family honour in this way are context-specific. The action could range from a harsh warning to murder, and any harmful behaviour in between, such as threatening, stalking, harassing or forcing her to leave her husband. </p>
<h2>Impact of lockdown</h2>
<p>However, this type of crime is often not reported to authorities because victims hesitate to come forward. HBA thrives in secrecy and fear. The COVID-19 lockdowns and associated restrictions created an environment which made it easier for perpetrators to commit offences and more difficult for survivors to seek help. </p>
<p>The national helpline for HBA saw a <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/rights-lab/resources/reports-and-briefings/2021/april/impact-of-covid-19-on-calls-to-national-forced-marriage-helplines.pdf">significant decline in calls</a> about forced marriage following the government’s order to stay home on March 23 2020. The helpline saw a peak in contacts in May 2020, following the easing of some restrictions – and another rise when schools reopened in September 2020.</p>
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<p>The number of reported cases has also increased because of the implementation of official recording methods, which has slightly improved its visibility. The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6733653.stm">murder of Banaz Mahmod</a> in 2006 drew attention to honour crimes in the UK, and there has been a gradual increase in the awareness of these offences. </p>
<p>But political cultural sensitivities may be getting in the way of tackling HBA. For example, it has been alleged that the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/07/cps-afraid-to-tackle-honour-crimes/">Crown Prosecution Service</a> may have avoided tackling such crimes for fear of creating “unrest” in communities.</p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1124037/police-respond-risk-honour-based-abuse-tvip-super-complaint.pdf">police</a> may have been nervous about investigating sexual abuse in ethnic minority communities for fear of being labelled racist. </p>
<p>The UK parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee recently <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmwomeq/831/summary.html">carried out an inquiry</a> into so-called honour-based abuse, reviewing evidence submitted by several witnesses and experts, including <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/114470/html/">myself</a>. The committee called for the creation of a legal definition of HBA. </p>
<p>A shared, statutory definition would increase awareness and also reduce the hypersensitivity attached to HBA that frames it as a cultural problem of certain communities, which often prevents state agencies from acting and prosecuting such violent crimes. </p>
<p>Additionally, a legal definition for HBA would contribute to social and professional understanding, help to improve data collection and ultimately assist in bringing more perpetrators to justice.</p>
<p>The government <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/197412/government-rejects-mps-calls-to-legally-define-honourbased-abuse/">has rejected</a> the committee’s recommendation for a statutory definition of HBA, however. This is a missed opportunity to take a decisive step forward in the fight against this kind of crime.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214512/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sadiq Bhanbhro does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>So-called honour-based abuse thrives in secrecy and fear.Sadiq Bhanbhro, Senior Research Fellow on Public Health and Gender-Based Violence, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2150462023-11-26T19:58:10Z2023-11-26T19:58:10ZGender-based violence: Teaching about its root causes is necessary to address it<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/gender-based-violence-teaching-about-its-root-causes-is-necessary-to-address-it" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>In 2022, <a href="https://femicideincanada.ca/callitfemicide2018-2022.pdf">184 women and girls were killed by violence in Canada</a>. This number has steadily increased in each of the past three years; 148 women and girls were killed in 2019, 172 in 2020 and 177 in 2021.</p>
<p>There were <a href="https://egale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Egale_Pride_Unravelled_Government_Package_May23.pdf">6,423 incidences of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ protests and online hate</a> in Canada in the first three months of 2023 alone. Expressions of hate toward trans and non-binary people and 2SLGBTQIA+ people more broadly have been rising.</p>
<p>Transphobia and femicide are both forms of gender-based violence, <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-based-violence/about-gender-based-violence.html">defined as any form of violence directed toward somebody because of their gender, gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender</a>. </p>
<p>My team of researchers, <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com">The Gender-Based Violence Teaching Network</a>, created resources, professional development and <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com/about-6">a teaching toolkit</a> to support more teachers to effectively teach students about the root causes and consequences of different forms of gender-based violence. </p>
<h2>Devastating effects</h2>
<p>Gender-based violence has devastating effects for those who experience it. In addition to immediate physical, psychological and/or sexual harm, it leads to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3837386">increased economic insecurity</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women">has detrimental impacts on mental health</a>. </p>
<p>Gender-based violence is prevalent in our society. A <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/blog/new-survey-few-well-prepared-to-support-someone-facing-gender-based-violence/">2021 survey by the Canadian Women’s Foundation</a> showed that two-thirds of 1,515 Canadian respondents know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Despite this high prevalence, it is often not examined in schools as a social issue.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/educationpub/75/">My analysis</a> of Ontario secondary school curricula showed that some form of gender-based violence is mentioned at all grade levels. It is most frequently mentioned in upper-level optional <a href="https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/ssciences9to122013.pdf">social sciences and humanities</a> courses (such as Grade 11 Gender Studies or Grade 12 Challenge and Change in Society). </p>
<p>These elective courses are also more likely to help students examine how gender-based violence is <a href="https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-015-0256-4">influenced by systems of power, discrimination and social constructs</a>, including through the intersections of gender and racialization, disability and socioeconomic status.</p>
<h2>Need to learn how violence is normalized</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1884193">Teachers told me</a> that, unfortunately, these elective courses are not always offered and, when they are, they are most often taken by students already familiar with these ideas. </p>
<p>This means most Ontario students never learn about the connection between acts of violence and broader structures that normalize gender-based violence by discriminating against girls, women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1a-1.pdf">Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than</a> other women in Canada. This disproportionate violence results from centuries of colonization, which continues to manifest through multigenerational and intergenerational trauma, social and economic marginalization, and institutional practices and social behaviours that maintain the status quo and ignore the agency and expertise of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. </p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and-girls-an-epidemic-on-both-sides-of-the-medicine-line-118261">Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls: An epidemic on both sides of the Medicine Line</a>
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<h2>Overlooking power discrepancies</h2>
<p>There are required courses that mention some forms of gender-based violence,
most notably Grade 9 <a href="https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/secondary-hpe">Health and Physical Education</a>. However, my analysis of this curriculum found it frames gender-based violence <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1884193">as an issue of individual responsibility</a>, overlooking the ways power discrepancies can influence the situation and impact a person’s ability to provide consent or respond to violence. </p>
<p>There are also brief mentions of several gender-based violence issues in the Grade 10 Canadian History and Civics and Citizenship courses, including missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. My examination of the curriculum and teachers’ experience teaching it, however, demonstrates these curricula do not prompt critical analysis of the social causes that led to these acts of violence.</p>
<h2>What effective teaching looks like</h2>
<p>My research demonstrated that some teachers are teaching about gender-based violence issues. They explain that effective teaching about gender-based violence involves grappling with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103755">power and privilege of both students and teachers</a>, intentionally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.2007987">cultivating relationships with and between students</a> and <a href="https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jfs/vol22/iss22/2/">with community resources</a> and considering the root causes of gender-based violence as connected to patriarchy, colonialism, heteronormativity and cisnormativity. </p>
<p>Students call for education that conveys the holistic consequences for victims as real people, not just statistics, and that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103755">empowers them to understand and prevent gender-based violence in their lives and communities</a>. </p>
<h2>Teaching toolkit</h2>
<p>My team created resources and professional development to respond to <a href="https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/educationpub/77/">teachers’ concerns</a> that they lacked sufficient training and materials about gender-based violence, and that this discourages teaching about it. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com/about-6">Teaching About Gender-Based Violence Toolkit</a> is available on our project website. The toolkit has lesson plans, guidance notes and other teaching materials to support teachers to address gender-based violence topics. It aligns to Grade 8-12 Ontario curriculum expectations. </p>
<p>Topics addressed include sexual assault, consent and healthy relationships, human trafficking, transphobia and homophobia, gender policing, cisnormativity and heteronormativity, missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people and intimate partner violence. </p>
<p>More directly addressing gender-based violence through education can help the upcoming generation of Canadians understand how gender-based violence manifests across our society. </p>
<h2>More education needed</h2>
<p>The ongoing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/mashkode-bizhiki-ikwe-unidentified-homicide-jeremy-skibicki-1.7020242">disappearance and murder of Indigenous women, girls</a> and Two-Spirit people, the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9393280/canada-lgbtq-hate-trans-west-block/">proliferation of hate toward 2SLGBTQIA+ people</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/workers-supporting-survivors-of-gender-based-violence-are-demanding-change-195897">the unmanageable demand for women’s shelters</a> and the emergence of new <a href="https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-39/index.html">forms of sexual violence facilitated by technology</a> show the importance of more education about gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Broader awareness of its root causes and devastating consequences is necessary to better address it.</p>
<p>Teachers are uniquely placed to support the development of students’ understanding of gender-based violence. All educators are encouraged to explore the resources that we have created to help students understand that, tragically, gender-based violence exists all around them. </p>
<p>We need to teach students what it looks like and why it happens before we can empower them to collectively act to circumvent it in their lives and communities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215046/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Vanner receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>The Teaching About Gender-Based Violence Toolkit offers lesson plans and other teaching materials, and is designed to meet Grades 8-12 Ontario curriculum expectations.Catherine Vanner, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2175522023-11-19T18:59:43Z2023-11-19T18:59:43Z49 women have been killed in Australia so far in 2023 as a result of violence. Are we actually making any progress?<p>As of November 17, 49 women have been killed in Australia this year as a result of violence; 28 were allegedly killed at the hands of a male intimate or ex-intimate partner. That’s according to the activist project <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Counting-Dead-Women-Australia-100063733051461/">Counting Dead Women Australia</a>, which collects these figures based on media-reported crimes. </p>
<p>The Commonwealth government’s recent <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/08_2023/np-outcomes-framework.pdf">Outcomes Framework</a> identifies key targets that need to be met if we are to end violence against women in “one generation”, as set out in the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence">National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032</a>. </p>
<p>The targets include:</p>
<ul>
<li>25% annual reductions in women being killed by intimate partners</li>
<li>improved understanding of violence against women and support for gender equality in the community</li>
<li>halving the rate of all forms of domestic/family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by 2031, as progress towards zero. </li>
</ul>
<p>Yet, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/05/rate-of-first-nations-women-eight-times-higher-than-for-non-indigenous-counterparts">Indigenous women in Australia are eight times</a> more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered. Overall, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every two weeks in Australia. </p>
<p>There is no doubt violence against women has gained critical public and policy attention. But sometimes it can feel as though the problem is growing and that nothing we are doing is working to stop it.</p>
<p>So how much progress are we actually making?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/emotionally-hes-destroyed-me-why-intimate-partner-sexual-violence-needs-to-be-taken-as-seriously-as-stranger-rape-214581">'Emotionally, he's destroyed me': why intimate partner sexual violence needs to be taken as seriously as stranger rape</a>
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<h2>What the data show: the good news</h2>
<p>Any preventable death is one too many, and zero homicides of any person should be our ultimate goal. Yet data from the <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/taxonomy/term/239">National Homicide Monitoring Program</a> show a reduction in intimate partner homicide in particular. </p>
<p>For example, in <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/sr42_homicide_in_australia_2020-21.pdf">the most recent report</a>, 25 females were killed by an intimate partner (2020-21). That’s a 31% reduction in one year from 2019-20, when 36 females were killed by an intimate partner. In 2016-17, 40 females were killed by an intimate partner, so the reduction over five years to 2020-21 is about 38%. </p>
<p>While the rates vary year-to-year, the good news is that the overall trend over the past decade shows intimate partner homicide is in steady decline.</p>
<p>Another critical measure of violence against women is the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release">Personal Safety Survey (PSS)</a>. This is the most accurate measure of self-reported experiences of all forms of personal violence in Australia. </p>
<p>Conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics since 2005, the fourth wave was released earlier this year. While we often hear the lifetime prevalence rates of violence against women, it is changes in rates of violence experienced during the past 12 months that are most sensitive to current policies and programs. This means they are most useful for monitoring a decrease over time. </p>
<p>The survey shows rates of total partner violence, including both physical and sexual violence, have reduced. Overall, the 12-month partner violence rate decreased significantly, from 2.3% in the 12 months prior to the last survey (in 2016) to 1.5% during 2021-2022. The rate of cohabiting partner violence over the past two years has either decreased or not changed in all states of Australia (NT and ACT not reported).</p>
<p>Rates of sexual harassment in the most recent survey (2021-22) were also the lowest they’ve ever been in every state and territory. And there was a significant reduction in the national 12-month rate of sexual harassment to 12.6% in 2021-22 compared to 17.3% in 2016.</p>
<p>As a community, we are also hearing more about the truth of violence against women. This does seem to be improving our knowledge and attitudes. The Australian National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) survey of <a href="https://www.ncas.au/">Australian community attitudes towards violence against women (NCAS)</a> identified that understanding and rejection of violence against women has been increasing over the past 12 years.</p>
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<h2>Where do we have the most work to do?</h2>
<p>As mentioned, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women experience violence at higher rates than non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women. <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/FirstNationswomenchildren/Additional_Documents?docType=Answer%20to%20Question%20on%20Notice">Available national data</a> tell us that, despite comprising less than 3% of the population, Indigenous women have consistently experienced higher rates of homicide than non-Indigenous women since 2005–2006. The average rate is eight times higher than for non-Indigenous women. </p>
<p>Professor Kyllie Cripps’ <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-harrowing-stories-of-murdered-indigenous-women-and-the-failure-of-police-to-act-205655">coronial records investigation into 151 Indigenous women killed</a> over the past two decades due to intimate partner violence by Indigenous and non-Indigenous men further found that almost all had sought help from the police but did not receive the support that could have saved their lives.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-harrowing-stories-of-murdered-indigenous-women-and-the-failure-of-police-to-act-205655">New research reveals harrowing stories of murdered Indigenous women and the failure of police to act</a>
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<p>Alarmingly, national data on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-09/linda-burney-wants-senate-inquiry-into-missing-indigenous-women/11773992">unsolved missing persons cases</a> highlight that Indigenous women represent up to 10% of cases. This is significant, as many are presumed dead.</p>
<p>When these data are coupled with statistics highlighting the disproportionate rate at which Indigenous women are hospitalised for assault-related injuries (<a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/summary">32 times higher</a> than for non-Indigenous women), there is clearly much work to be done in this area. </p>
<p>Our national datasets do not routinely report on the specific experiences of Indigenous women. This makes it difficult to know if there have been reductions in intimate partner and family violence in recent years.</p>
<p>But statistics alone do not articulate the complexity of these women’s stories and the systemic challenges they have encountered. This requires more in-depth research and engagement with Indigenous communities to appreciate risk, and how that translates into intervention and prevention strategies. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/FirstNationswomenchildren">Senate Inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children</a> and the dedicated <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-action-plan-2023-2025">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan</a> are investments in building evidence to better understand the systemic issues and ultimately end the pervasive family, domestic and sexual violence in communities across the nation. </p>
<p>A further issue raised by the available data is the persistent rate of sexual assault in the Australian community. The 12-month prevalence rate from the last Personal Safety Survey showed no significant change in sexual assault or threatened sexual assault, a trend that has remained steady since 2005. </p>
<p>Further, the most recent national survey of Australian community attitudes towards violence against women (NCAS) identified that overall, <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/publication/chuck-her-on-a-lie-detector-investigating-australians-mistrust-in-womens-reports-of-sexual-assault/">four in ten Australians mistrust women’s reports of sexual violence</a>. This suggests we still have a way to go to better educate and inform people about the reality of sexual assault and to support women in reporting it.</p>
<p>There has been a welcome increase in policy and funding to address violence against women across Australia in recent years as well as investments in research.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-plan-aims-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-in-one-generation-can-it-succeed-192497">A new national plan aims to end violence against women and children 'in one generation'. Can it succeed?</a>
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<p>And while it is difficult to directly attribute reductions in violence against women to specific policy actions, the data to date show there is cause for optimism that our efforts are beginning to have a meaningful impact. </p>
<p>It’s not yet clear if these reductions will continue – we need to analyse the trend over time to make a clear assessment. And we need further investigation on how our prevention and response efforts affect different groups within the Australian population to ensure that <em>all</em> women are safer. </p>
<p>But it is clear that to end violence against women “in one generation” – between 20 and 30 years – we must not lose our focus. It will continue to take a coordinated and evidence-based set of actions across our whole community to address, and ultimately prevent, violence against women in Australia. </p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217552/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anastasia Powell receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Criminology Research Council, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS), and Family Safety Victoria. Anastasia is also a director of Our Watch (Australia's national organisation for the prevention of violence against women), and a member of the National Women's Safety Alliance (NWSA).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqui True receives funding from the Australian Research Council under the Discovery and Centre of Excellence programs.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristin Diemer receives funding from the Victorian Government Department of Justice and Community Safety and Family Safety Victoria, as well as Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS). She is part of the Technical Advisory Committees for the Australian Personal Safety Survey and the National Community Attitudes Survey towards Violence against Women. She is Chair of the Board for Lucy's Project supporting animals in the context of domestic and family violence.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kyllie Cripps receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Government and State Governments to conduct research and evaluations. Details related to this are on her public profiles.</span></em></p>While it can feel like little progress is being made to stop women being killed by their partners or ex-partners, the data show a steady decline in recent years.Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family & Sexual Violence, RMIT UniversityJacqui True, FASSA FAIIA Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), Monash UniversityKristin Diemer, Associate Professor of Sociology, The University of MelbourneKyllie Cripps, Director Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, CI ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), School of Philosophical, Historical & International Studies (SOPHIS), School of Social Sciences (SOSS), Faculty of Arts, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2172882023-11-15T01:05:04Z2023-11-15T01:05:04Z‘I was told to return to work as soon as I regained consciousness.’ Why only a third of assaulted nurses report it to police<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559003/original/file-20231113-19-g682an.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C0%2C7326%2C4902&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-nurse-suffering-headache-1369626374">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Violence <a href="https://theconversation.com/violence-against-nurses-is-on-the-rise-but-protections-remain-weak-76019">against nurses is pervasive</a>. They are <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/76/12/927">more likely to experience physical violence</a> than any other health-care professionals. Violence against nurses occurs in the context of <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day">violence against women</a>, with <a href="https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/About/Statistics.aspx">87.5% of Australia’s nursing workforce</a> identifying as women. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2023.08.003">Nurses report</a> being punched, hit, struck, having objects or body fluids thrown at them, being kicked, grabbed, spat on, threatened, pushed, slapped, strangled, scratched, bitten, or sexually assaulted by patients. These actions are assault, which is a crime. In recent years Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory have <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.075234270376929">implemented tougher penalties</a> for those who assault nurses on the job as a deterrent.</p>
<p>But nurses don’t feel empowered or supported to report these crimes and patients are not being held accountable for their actions. Harsher penalties alone aren’t enough to protect nurses.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/doctors-are-being-sexually-harassed-at-work-this-needs-to-stop-214264">Doctors are being sexually harassed at work. This needs to stop</a>
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<h2>Unhelpful responses from employers and police</h2>
<p>We surveyed 275 nurses as part of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2023.08.003">our research</a>. About 83% had been assaulted by patients. Around a third of the nurses in our study reported experiencing more than one form of assault. </p>
<p>But only about one in three assaulted nurses report attacks to the police. Nurses say the support they receive from their employers and police is generally poor, and they feel discouraged from proceeding with the reports they do make. Nurses said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I felt like the decision was taken away from me and my management didn’t do anything in support of me. </p>
<p>I did not pursue charges as [there was] pressure from police to drop charges and no further support from my department in doing so.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="nurse stands with hand in front of her to say stop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559001/original/file-20231113-17-8n46yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Violence and assault is often minimised as ‘part of the job’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-beautiful-african-american-doctor-woman-2023569635">Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Assaults still seen as ‘part of the job’</h2>
<p>Nurses in our study spoke about how they see assaults as “part of the job”. As one said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was told to return to work as soon as I regained consciousness […] I had to look after the same patient because ‘there aren’t enough staff to replace you, and this is part of nursing […] There is only four hours left of your shift. Then you can go home and sleep it off’.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another nurse said assaults were common:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] this sort of treatment from patients happens often and no one reports it. There’s this sort of culture that you just move on and get over it […] I have been physically and sexually assaulted a few times over the last year but not reported to police as I feel like I’m wasting time and resources and my claim isn’t important enough.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This self-limiting culture appears to be longstanding, and reinforced by substandard responses from their employer and police.</p>
<h2>Nurses don’t report based on misconceptions</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2023.08.003">our research</a> nurses thought patients who are intoxicated or have a mental illness wouldn’t satisfy the requirement of a guilty mind (<em><a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/traditional-rights-and-freedoms-encroachments-by-commonwealth-laws-ip-46/12-strict-and-absolute-liability/a-common-law-principle-2/">mens rea</a></em>) required for conviction. Or that, they have to be physically hurt for assaults to be seen as an offence. </p>
<p>But patients who are intoxicated or have mental illness can be held accountable.</p>
<p>In legal terms, neither intoxication or mental illness <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2023C00283">equate to a lack of capacity</a> to know what is right or wrong. And to say someone cannot be held responsible for their actions due to mental illness, can be seen as stigmatising or unjust. It is not up to a nurse, employer or police to decide a person’s mental capacity. Every person is to be presumed of “sound mind” unless proven otherwise during prosecution. </p>
<p>Another misconception is that nurses have to be physically hurt for assaults to be reported. As one nurse said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I didn’t think that it was worth reporting it to the police as there was no visible harm done to me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Harms from assault can be physical, emotional or psychosocial (impact on one’s thought and how they interact with others). However, <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2023C00283">assault is not characterised by its impact, but rather the act itself.</a> A patient can be guilty of assault if they physically attack a nurse or if they threaten to do so.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/aged-care-staff-urgently-need-training-to-report-and-prevent-sexual-assault-169734">Aged care staff urgently need training to report and prevent sexual assault</a>
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<h2>Benefits of reporting to the police</h2>
<p>Laws help set standards of what is right or wrong in society. To enforce the law, nurses must first report and make a statement to the police, so charges can be laid against a patient who commits violence. Police can then present this evidence to a prosecutor, who makes a decision if there is sufficient evidence for conviction.</p>
<p>Reporting to the police could have far-reaching impacts including:</p>
<ul>
<li>enforcing a culture of respect and safety, improved staff retention and wellbeing<br></li>
<li>helping patients learn their rights to seek health care must be balanced with nurses’ rights to a safe workplace</li>
<li>setting a consistent standard of acceptable behaviours in society that includes health-care settings.</li>
</ul>
<p>Many nurses have been assaulted by patients, but only few are reporting to the police. Employers and authorities must work together to empower and support nurses to report assaults. It is through this collective effort that we can hold patients to account, and ultimately keep nurses safe from harm. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/paramedics-have-one-of-australias-most-dangerous-jobs-and-not-just-because-of-the-trauma-they-witness-149540">Paramedics have one of Australia's most dangerous jobs — and not just because of the trauma they witness</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217288/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>C.J. Cabilan received funding the PA Research Foundation to conduct this research. She currently serves as the Director of Occupational Violence Prevention and Management for Canberra Health Services. The views described in the article are her own based on evidence.</span></em></p>Nurses say violence is treated as ‘part of the job’ or believe patients can’t be held accountable for their assaults if they are intoxicated or distressed.C.J. Cabilan, Adjunct Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2148282023-10-06T01:57:14Z2023-10-06T01:57:14ZCampaign trail threats and abuse reinforce the need to protect NZ’s women politicians – before they quit for good<p>A female candidate slapped after a public debate, another whose home was vandalised, a man trespassed for entering the same house, shouts and jeers directed at another woman candidate for using te reo Māori – the 2023 election has certainly had its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/03/racism-threats-and-home-invasions-candidates-face-abuse-on-new-zealands-campaign-trail">uglier moments</a>.</p>
<p>But reports of abuse, threats and violence on the campaign trail shouldn’t surprise anyone. Over the past five years, female politicians have consistently spoken about the often violent and sexist harassment they receive online. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.icfj.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/ICFJ%20Unesco_TheChilling_OnlineViolence.pdf">United Nations study</a> examining the experiences of female journalists established a clear link between online and real-world violence, particularly stalking. Another <a href="https://decoders.amnesty.org/projects/troll-patrol/findings">study</a> found female politicians and journalists in Britain and the United States are abused on Twitter (now X) every 30 seconds.</p>
<p>This is backed up by local politicians’ experiences. Green Party MPs <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/361341/green-party-co-leader-receives-rape-and-death-threats-on-social-media">Marama Davidson</a> and Golriz Ghahraman have both spoken about the serious abuse they receive online. Ghahraman needed a <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112882626/security-escort-for-green-mp-golrizghahraman-after-acts-david-seymour-called-her-a-menace">security escort</a> following a series of death threats.</p>
<p>In 2021, Christchurch city councillor Sara Templeton and other female leaders, including mayor Lianne Dalziel and Labour MPs Sarah Pallet and Megan Woods, were subjected to a <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/125676849/enough-is-enough-christchurch-city-councillor-calls-out-online-bullying">relentless campaign</a> of online harassment and increasingly gendered abuse.</p>
<p>Similar experiences have been shared by National MPs <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018836535/female-politicians-face-sexist-abuse-online">Nicola Willis</a> and <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/paula-bennett-why-i-didnt-put-my-hand-up-to-be-the-mayor-of-auckland/RSXOVPXZZWMYNM4GRSKTDJ46EE/">Paula Bennett </a>. Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern also had to tolerate high levels of <a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/01/24/data-shines-a-light-on-the-online-hatred-for-jacinda-ardern.html">online vitriol</a>. What has happened during the election campaign is part of a clear trend.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1683576144723861510"}"></div></p>
<h2>Normalised gender-based violence</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2023.2181136">often misogynistic</a> nature of online abuse, from sexist name-calling to threats of rape and death, makes it a form of <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/faqs/tech-facilitated-gender-based-violence">gender-based violence </a>. And the New Zealand government has made international and domestic commitments to create a safe political environment for women.</p>
<p>But this would require the development of a concrete plan to address online violence – something most political parties have been largely silent about during the election campaign.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-abuse-could-drive-women-out-of-political-life-the-time-to-act-is-now-214301">Online abuse could drive women out of political life – the time to act is now</a>
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<p>And it’s not a new issue. The <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/office-of-the-speaker/corporate-documents/independent-external-review-into-bullying-and-harassment-in-the-new-zealand-parliamentary-workplace-final-report/">independent review</a> into bullying and harassment in parliament was released in 2019. It found online harassment and abuse of MPs by members of the public, including sexist and violent threats, was increasingly common and even accepted as par for the course.</p>
<p>Since then, there have been <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494224/parlimentary-workplace-culture-improved-significantly-since-damning-2019-review-report">significant improvements</a> to combat workplace bullying, but essentially nothing has been done about online abuse.</p>
<p>This is especially concerning given the way violent online behaviour <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2022/08/intensification-of-efforts-to-eliminate-all-forms-of-violence-against-women-report-of-the-secretary-general-2022">may embolden</a> some people to act out such behaviours in real life.</p>
<h2>A weak legal framework</h2>
<p>That said, there are some rules governing online abuse. The current legal framework includes the <a href="https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0063/latest/whole.html">Harmful Digital Communications Act</a>, which was designed to address harmful online communication such as cyberbullying, harassment and threats. It established legal mechanisms for reporting and prosecuting harmful digital content.</p>
<p>But the law has two key weaknesses when it comes to gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Firstly, to prove a criminal offence, the harmful content must cause “serious emotional distress” to the victim. This may be difficult to prove from a single comment from a single person, because the real harm lies in the barrage of abusive comments from numerous people all at once. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-misogyny-narcissism-and-a-desperate-need-for-power-make-men-abuse-women-online-95054">How misogyny, narcissism and a desperate need for power make men abuse women online</a>
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<p>It must also be proved that the content would cause “serious emotional distress” to an “ordinary reasonable person”. So the law does not fully consider the gendered nature of online abuse, and may not account for the specific ways in which women are targeted.</p>
<p>Secondly, the normalisation of online abuse against female politicians means they often do not report the abuse. This leaves perpetrators to continue with impunity. Overall, the law seems to have failed to deter people from engaging in online gender-based violence.</p>
<p>In turn, this puts New Zealand offside with its responsibilities as a signatory to important United Nations human rights conventions. Online abuse violates women’s <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-recommendation-no-35-2017-gender-based">right to be free from violence</a> and the right of women to <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women">participate in political and public life</a>.</p>
<h2>Public education needed</h2>
<p>Although some political leaders have expressed deep concern about online abuse <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/464375/national-launches-troll-hunt-online-abuse-unacceptable">in the past</a>, the issue is not currently a priority for any major party. The risk is that women will simply leave the political arena, something already <a href="https://www.cigionline.org/articles/when-women-are-silenced-online-democracy-suffers/">observed overseas</a>. </p>
<p>Whichever party or coalition forms the next government should act urgently to address gender-based violence, both online and offline. It needs to review the legal framework to allow better protection for women, and find ways to enlist the general public’s support in making such abuse socially unacceptable. </p>
<p>This will require a comprehensive plan involving public education, schools, law enforcement, the judiciary and parliamentarians. But without more urgent action, the likelihood of online violence spilling over into the real world only increases.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra Mudgway does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ugly incidents in the run-up to the election mirror the rise of online violence against women in politics. The next government needs a plan to tackle the problem before it’s too late.Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of CanterburyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2143012023-09-26T17:13:33Z2023-09-26T17:13:33ZOnline abuse could drive women out of political life – the time to act is now<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550072/original/file-20230925-25-y5lqv6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C44%2C5892%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/vchal</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is becoming increasingly evident that life in modern politics is presenting women with a stark choice – endure almost constant online threats and abuse or get out of public life. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152">Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand,</a> and Sanna Marin, the former prime minister of Finland, are the two highest profile cases, but the problem is widespread. </p>
<p>Elected representatives have always faced criticism and public scrutiny. Some would argue this is par for the course. But the social media era has normalised ever more aggressive forms of abuse. Politicians can now expect insults, intimidation, cyberbullying and trolling as a regular part of their daily online interactions.</p>
<p>Women in politics can expect even worse. Everything from sexist comments to hate speech, cyberstalking, body shaming and even threats of assault, rape and death, all create a toxic virtual environment that poses a real risk to their participation in public life – and the health of democracy.</p>
<p>The problem is global. Research by the <a href="https://www.ipu.org/news/news-in-brief/2022-11/violence-against-women-parliamentarians-causes-effects-solutions-0">Inter-Parliamentary Union</a>, an organisation that seeks to represent parliaments around the world, revealed that four out of five women parliamentarians have been subjected to psychological violence such as bullying, intimidation, verbal abuse or harassment. </p>
<p>Two thirds have been targeted with humiliating sexual or sexist remarks and more than two out of five have received threats of assault, sexual violence or death.</p>
<p>The abuse against Ardern has been so intense that even in retirement <a href="https://time.com/6250008/jacinda-ardern-ongoing-security-threats/">she’s expected to have extra police protection</a>. Work in the <a href="https://acleddata.com/2021/12/08/violence-targeting-women-in-politics-trends-in-targets-types-and-perpetrators-of-political-violence/">US and Canada</a>, <a href="https://decoders.blob.core.windows.net/troll-patrol-india-findings/Amnesty_International_India_Troll_Patrol_India_Findings_2020.pdf">India</a>, the <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2018/03/online-violence-against-women-chapter-1-1/">UK</a>, <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2014/Violence%20Against%20Women%20in%20Politics-Report.pdf">South East Asia</a>, across <a href="https://ogbv.pollicy.org/report.pdf">Africa</a> and in <a href="https://www.ipu.org/resources/publications/issue-briefs/2018-10/sexism-harassment-and-violence-against-women-in-parliaments-in-europe">Europe</a> reveal broadly similar findings there.</p>
<p>Ongoing research at the <a href="https://www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2020/october/online-abuse-and-threats-of-violence-against-female-politicians-on-the-rise.html">University of Galway</a> on the experiences of female politicians in Ireland – from local councillors to former government ministers – paints a similarly worrying picture. In qualitative interviews, conducted as part of my ongoing research with colleagues, we’ve found more than nine out of ten reported they had received abusive messages. </p>
<p>These ranged from foul language to hateful comments about their appearance and intelligence. Almost three quarters said they had experienced threats of physical violence on social media and 38% said they had received threats of rape or sexual violence – all criminal offences under Irish law.</p>
<p>Joan Burton, the former tánaiste (deputy prime minister) of Ireland, previously revealed she had been <a href="https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/ex-tanaiste-joan-burton-reveals-12269260">threatened with an acid attack</a>, and had received death threats from internet trolls. Intersectional cyberabuse is also commonplace, according to a study published by the <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/662621/EPRS_STU(2021)662621_EN.pdf">European Parliament</a>. Women politicians who belong to minority racial or ethnic backgrounds, or identify as LGBTQI+, are frequent targets.</p>
<p>And of course it is not just politicians who are at risk. The <a href="https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/">Economist Intelligence Unit</a> has reported that more than one in three women have experienced online violence.</p>
<h2>Driving women out</h2>
<p>All this has the very real potential to pose a chilling effect on the participation and engagement of women in civic and political life – not just as politicians but as participants in the online debates that now drive so much of political culture. A global survey by Washington-based non-profit <a href="https://www.ndi.org/tweets-that-chill">National Democratic Institute</a> found that more than half of young women who posted political opinions online were attacked for their views.</p>
<p>This abuse isn’t just a collection of isolated incidents – it’s a systemic problem that erodes our democratic values. One in five Irish female politicians who responded to our study said they have considered quitting politics because of the online harassment they have received. Safety concerns for themselves, their staff and their families further deter participation. Some respondents also said they didn’t feel safe going to public meetings.</p>
<p>A 2021 report by <a href="https://stratcomcoe.org/publications/abuse-of-power-coordinated-online-harassment-of-finnish-government-ministers/5">Nato</a> tracked abuse received by Finnish female government ministers, including Marin, on X (formerly Twitter) and found volumes of hostile, gendered attacks. The report uncovered routine uses of terms like “lipstick government”, “feminist quintet” and “tampax team” to refer to the government. </p>
<p>A key point in the Nato report is that these attacks were coordinated by those actively seeking to disrupt democracy. This amounts to compelling evidence that the problem runs deep, illustrating that people attempting to undermine a government have recognised attacking women as a winning strategy. </p>
<p>The examples highlighted in the report don’t merely revolve around hatred towards these women. They underscore that those seeking to oppose a government understand this form of hatred is an effective means to achieve their goals. This suggests a disconcerting indifference on the part of the attackers but also a perception that nothing can or will be done to counter their attacks.</p>
<p>After years of progress on increasing female participation in political life, democracies around the world are now in real danger of regressing if women are driven out of politics.</p>
<h2>We know the problem, we know the solutions</h2>
<p>Tackling cyber-violence against women in politics is complicated but that doesn’t mean we cannot take action. Laws already exist that are supposed to protect women from this kind of abuse but they are not being vigorously enforced.</p>
<p>It’s also time to rein in the tech platforms and hold them legally accountable for the toxic content they host, pushed out by their algorithms. A collective international effort is needed to advocate for tough sanctions. </p>
<p>That should include, for example, an online safety tsar with the power to force these monoliths to take down abusive content and stop it from spreading. Tech companies that are consistent hate spreaders should face massive fines. </p>
<p>Public awareness and education campaigns should target boys and men, emphasising respectful online behaviour and critical thinking to encourage them to question harmful stereotypes and biases. They should be taught digital literacy to better understand the consequences of their actions online. Meanwhile, robust support systems are needed for women politicians facing abuse.</p>
<p>The impact of online abuse on <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/cyber.2020.0253?casa_token=mYmW6o8HwcIAAAAA%3ANXbKJZWbltb-16jPYgMWXhLy52DYXNFzDF9qeUnGGT8Jz5QTpnKns32rgqzREOB8mB6Fyqs0J6-cdw">female politicians is significant</a>. And if the issue isn’t addressed, it could lead to dire consequences for democracy as women retreat from positions of power.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214301/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Felle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Inaction on gendered abuse is making it an even more effective tool for discouraging women from taking public office.Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of GalwayLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2138062023-09-20T15:07:52Z2023-09-20T15:07:52ZRussell Brand: why it is so difficult for people to come forward with sexual assault allegations<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549313/original/file-20230920-19-lezh8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=80%2C110%2C6609%2C4335&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-side-view-african-young-lonely-1733456645">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When writer E. Jean Carroll was asked why she finally went <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/president-donald-trump-faces-new-rape-accusation.html">public</a> – after more than 25 years – to accuse then US president Donald Trump of sexual assault, her response was something that countless others have thought: “Think of how many women have come forward and nothing happens.”</p>
<p>The thousands of comments on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHucIRl3hkc&t=38s">YouTube clip</a> of that interview show the typical backlash faced by people who come forward with such accusations. They are cruel and misogynistic, unsubstantiated accusations that the person is crazy, attention-seeking, a money grabber, a liar and not a “real” victim. </p>
<p>Commenters claim to know how a “real” victim reacts – they scream, tell someone right away or go to the police. They do not keep quiet for years.</p>
<p>Unlike Carroll, most victims will not have the resources to pursue their abusers in court. Rarer still is that perpetrators are found liable, as Trump was for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">sexual abuse and defamation</a>. </p>
<p>But what all women who accuse high-profile men of sexual abuse have in common, is their experience with the vitriol, myths and misconceptions that stop so many others from speaking out. This is already being seen in the public <a href="https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/opinion/comment/4735093/kirsty-strickland-comment-opinion-russell-brand/">reaction</a> to the allegations against comedian Russell Brand, though it must be remembered that the allegations have not yet been tested in any court.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system">the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network</a> in the US, only about 30% of sexual assaults are reported to police. Of those, fewer than 3% of cases lead to a conviction. Similar statistics are found in the <a href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/statistics-sexual-violence/">UK</a>.</p>
<p>There is little chance for due process, but a huge risk of reliving deeply traumatising experiences while being doubted, undermined, and in high profile cases, publicly shamed. </p>
<p>Most perpetrators also have a <a href="https://www.rainn.org/statistics/perpetrators-sexual-violence">relationship</a> with their victims. This is usually an unbalanced power dynamic, such as a work supervisor or romantic partner. In these cases, the consequences of reporting can also threaten someone’s career, family and personal life. </p>
<h2>Myths about assault survivors</h2>
<p>There are a number of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260509354503">false beliefs</a> used against victims (also called survivors) at every turn. <a href="https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/about-sexual-violence/myths-vs-realities/">The most common myths</a> include that the victim is lying or secretly “wanted it”, the perpetrator didn’t mean to, it wasn’t that bad, a “legitimate” victim would’ve fought back and the victim is seeking attention. </p>
<p>These myths perpetuate gendered stereotypes – that women who experience violence are helpless or promiscuous – and often ignore the experiences of male and LGBTQ+ victims. </p>
<p>Such ideas are not just the purview of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sgp2.12011?casa_token=ZXn_6WTFfBoAAAAA:YmS1X61QR9K_k_uS7hENnPGc5ypBtZukRBJGjmDZUc76wJ_0VodL-bojRwddYb8iGyEyRHF4VIchYwx9">online mobs</a>, they are enmeshed in the structures that are meant to protect victims. They are repeated in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fvio0000072">police reports</a>, are a defence tactic in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0964663916680130?casa_token=rQhhd4g6UcQAAAAA:xQcK84_ALxS2oLozl9rKRow40fHwvXGCXUV5B64tOhg44UiWMiR1Lac0nwa5Cikok5Sl6EaN15SX4g">court</a> and used in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10510974.2021.1953091">workplaces</a> to protect perpetrators. </p>
<p>They are used in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10778012211021129?casa_token=8-mjvUoHP8cAAAAA%3A61zaT7P1SiOPCwhlpqZCK3P8lvQeRabjurwIxQWml-wt1w4IFpuCSF984xPLQ9xck_0fS-OIvu8Xjg">news coverage</a> of high-profile cases. But even when a case is not making international news, they are repeated in families, in social circles, at work and in religious settings. </p>
<p>It is no wonder then, that most people who experience sexual violence <a href="https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system">never report</a> to police or go public. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0886260516658756?casa_token=fSmHjNZ33K4AAAAA%3A_DjTmJcGYyIWTy9nLpM84PyNEjlT_2ByyOC-9poKhjfsQeUtaLqnd6nhT4fSVFfwzW-3OwZQSJ-kbQ">They doubt themselves</a>, feel shame and lack trust in institutions to help. </p>
<p>The low conviction rate and problematic cultural attitudes – as displayed in reactions to high-profile accusations – <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.125232218452814">reaffirm</a> their fears and keeps reporting low.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-scorecards-show-under-1-of-reported-rapes-lead-to-conviction-criminologist-explains-why-englands-justice-system-continues-to-fail-180345">New scorecards show under 1% of reported rapes lead to conviction – criminologist explains why England's justice system continues to fail</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>What does it take to come forward?</h2>
<p>Research shows people are more likely <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0886260517717490?casa_token=tXPq3mHQZZYAAAAA%3AY3YQRYF45wXk_RbHw43NFmeUH6UkApzSOgscqphG23N7ODkFA0FLBwbTqodE8fbIKlTul2YwgG33eg">to come forward</a> when they trust institutions like their university or workplace. </p>
<p>Other factors that can encourage reporting include receiving institutional training on how to report and access to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1077801219857831?casa_token=RuDSZxJFeXgAAAAA%3Ap9DIicaBYCQJ75LDz52RhAZ5sgqNL2D18M8pQeCZB2zEhsT73B9Fz2J7L6tsO4Ulgt-8B3jrRyvt2w">victim advocates</a>, who are starting to be hired by some law enforcement. </p>
<p>Social media, despite being a hub of toxicity, can also be a place to encourage people <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kelly-oxford-starts-social-media-movement-of-women-sharing-sexual-assault-stories/">to speak out</a>. Once one person comes forward, others will follow. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Participants in a MeToo march hold signs in front of the domed San Francisco city hall" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549316/original/file-20230920-25-m05f5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even in the post-MeToo era, myths about sexual assault persist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/january-20-2018-san-francisco-ca-1005750553">Sundry Photography/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>It can take years for allegations against a powerful person to come to light. Timing can also determine public reactions. When not at their peak power, the accused are often more likely to face consequences. Trump losing the civil suit after he was president seemed to produce less backlash than when Carroll first came forward. </p>
<p>But when a US Supreme Court seat was in the balance, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/sep/13/christine-blasey-ford-memoir-brett-kavanaugh-testimony">Christine Blasey Ford</a> received death threats and had to move to protect herself and her family after accusing Brett Kavanaugh of a historic sexual assault. </p>
<p>Blasey Ford <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/09/26/651941113/read-christine-blasey-fords-opening-statement-for-senate-hearing">described</a> how the support of family, friends, the journalists she trusted and many in the public gave her the strength when she came forward. Yet, they couldn’t protect her from the retaliation that totally disrupted her life. </p>
<h2>A changing culture</h2>
<p>A common excuse for not believing sexual violence allegations is that there’s not enough proof – it’s her words against his. But for those who perpetuate rape myths, gathering evidence doesn’t seem to matter. </p>
<p>After every serious journalism report, like The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russell-brand-rape-sexual-assault-abuse-allegations-investigation-v5hxdlmb6">investigation</a> into Russell Brand, is an avalanche of <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/18/russell-brand-allegations-andrew-tate-beverley-turner-elon-musk-19517073/">celebrities</a> and fans defending the accused and denigrating the accuser. </p>
<p>This is meant to be the post-#MeToo era, where it’s possible for people to speak out and be listened to, and to have their allegations taken seriously and investigated by the authorities. Serial abusers like former Hollywood producer <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/from-aggressive-overtures-to-sexual-assault-harvey-weinsteins-accusers-tell-their-stories">Harvey Weinstein</a>, former doctor to the US women’s national gymnastics team <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/larry-nassar-now-abuse-timeline-b1920783.html">Larry Nassar</a> and singer <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61989606">R. Kelly</a> are serving decades-long prison sentences. </p>
<p>These cases may bring some sense of justice for the victims who faced public exposure, personal anxiety and the re-traumatisation that comes with telling and retelling their experiences.</p>
<p>Despite this, the persistence of rape myths is still making it difficult for people to come forward. It may take many more years of historic allegations coming to light before we see the much needed cultural change and reform to the systems that still fail victims.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213806/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lindsey Blumell has received funding from City, University of London to conduct her research. </span></em></p>Myths about rape and assault persist even in the post-MeToo era.Lindsey Blumell, Lecturer in Journalism, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2101012023-09-07T15:43:24Z2023-09-07T15:43:24ZHow to support someone who is experiencing domestic abuse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546227/original/file-20230904-32933-37baqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=155%2C0%2C5570%2C3069&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/middle-aged-asia-people-old-mom-2274179825">Chay_Tee/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is likely that you know someone in a harmful or unhealthy relationship. Domestic abuse is common. For example, estimates suggest that <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women">one in three women</a> globally will experience abuse in their lifetime. But many people do not know how to respond when a friend, relative or colleague tells them about domestic abuse.</p>
<p>My <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15248380231189191">new research</a> with colleagues at UCL and domestic abuse charities examines how education and training can help families and social networks recognise domestic abuse, know how to respond and be willing to do so. </p>
<p>During COVID lockdowns, domestic abuse became more prevalent while traditional care services were more difficult to access. This meant that victims <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cl2.1263">leaned on support</a> from friends, family, colleagues and neighbours even more. As <a href="https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3808">we found</a>, equipping social and family networks to give this help can be a valuable – and lifesaving – addition to the support provided by professionals.</p>
<p>In the UK, charities and other social organisations offer training programmes, such as <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/our-approach-change-that-lasts/askme/">Women’s Aid “Ask Me”</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-domestic-abuse-is-such-a-difficult-subject-for-churches-157799">programmes for faith leaders</a> and <a href="https://www.eida.org.uk/">toolkits for workplaces</a>. These initiatives teach members of the public and community leaders how to respond to people experiencing abuse in positive and helpful ways.</p>
<p>While most people experiencing abuse <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260519843282">tell at least one friend or family member</a>, evidence suggests that <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1524838018770412">female and young</a> victims, and members of some <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10903-018-0803-9">marginalised groups</a> are most likely to inform and rely on their informal networks rather than formal services such as the police. </p>
<p>The reaction of informal networks can be vital. Research shows positive reactions from friends or colleagues can improve the <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/15246090260137644">health</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077801202250083">wellbeing</a> and safety of people experiencing abuse. Informal support from personal contacts can also encourage people to seek help from <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2020.1867278">formal services</a>, such as gaining access to practical or legal support. </p>
<h2>How to help</h2>
<p>If you believe that a friend, relative, colleague or neighbour may be in a harmful relationship, it is not your responsibility to stop the abuse. If you think that they are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. But you can provide support and offer to help in other ways.</p>
<p>Talking about domestic abuse is difficult. It may make you feel uncomfortable if someone confides in you about an unhealthy relationship, or if you raise the issue of abuse. But there are steps you can take to respond in positive and helpful ways.</p>
<p>An easy way to remember them is through four “Rs”: recognise, respond, reassure and react.</p>
<h2>Recognise</h2>
<p>Our research highlights the importance of being able to identify the <a href="https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/domestic-abuse-warning-signs/">warning signs</a> and risk factors for abuse. Many people do not recognise that domestic abuse takes many <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/">different forms</a>. And there are widespread <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/myths/">myths</a> associated with abuse that must be challenged – for example, that it always involves violence.</p>
<p>Become familiar with domestic abuse in all its forms, including <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/coercive-control/">coercive control</a> and <a href="https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/what-is-economic-abuse/">economic abuse</a>, so that you can recognise the signs of an unhealthy relationship. </p>
<p>Research suggests that learning about the <a href="https://safelives.org.uk/policy-evidence/about-domestic-abuse/how-widespread-domestic-abuse-and-what-impact">high prevalence and serious impacts</a> of domestic abuse also motivates friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to take action. </p>
<p>If you are planning on <a href="https://safelives.org.uk/reach-in">reaching out to someone close to you</a>, domestic abuse charity SafeLives recommends you start by considering safety – theirs and your own. Think about safe ways to contact them or places to meet before you reach out. </p>
<h2>Respond</h2>
<p>When discussing harmful relationships or experiences of abuse, listen without blaming. Create a space in which your friend, relative or neighbour can confide in you and feel safe. Listen without judgement and show empathy. Be patient and recognise that it is not easy to talk about experiences of abuse. </p>
<p>Gender norms and cultural expectations might make it particularly difficult for some people to open up about their experiences, for example <a href="https://safelives.org.uk/policy-evidence/experiences-male-survivors">male victims of abuse</a> or those in conservative religious communities.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-a-good-listener-and-how-to-know-when-youre-doing-it-right-211556">How to be a good listener - and how to know when you're doing it right</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/the-survivors-handbook/im-worried-about-someone-else/#1667820183042-dca07399-ea4a">Supporting a friend</a> may mean reminding them that you are there to listen, helping them to identify their options, or seeking professional advice on their behalf (with their consent).</p>
<h2>Reassure</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732314540054">Research</a> highlights the importance of affirming, validating and understanding the feelings and experiences expressed by the person experiencing abuse. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732314540054">Studies report</a> that informal networks do not always respond in a helpful way. Expressing doubt, blame or hostility can harm the wellbeing of the person experiencing abuse and diminish the likelihood that they will seek further help. Make it clear that you believe them and validate their experiences. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Close up side profile of a middle aged woman talking on a mobile phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546230/original/file-20230904-19-7zpmoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Remind friends you are there for them – and that the abuse is not their fault.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-portrait-mature-business-woman-talking-1201166101">Jacob Lund / Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Domestic abuse campaign group and charity Refuge provides advice on <a href="https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/Supporting-a-survivor">how to support a survivor</a> and Equation, another group working against domestic abuse, recommends things that you <a href="https://equation.org.uk/need-help/help-someone">should tell</a> the person you are supporting. A good place to start is to say “I believe you”, and tell them the abuse “is not your fault”.</p>
<h2>React</h2>
<p>Finally, offer to help your friend, relative or neighbour seek support – acting only if and when they want you to. This may mean offering to get in touch with local support services, ringing the national <a href="https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/Supporting-a-survivor">domestic abuse helpline</a> or using the <a href="https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/Chat-to-us-online">webchat</a>. </p>
<p>Women’s Aid also keeps an up-to-date <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-directory/">directory</a> of local support services and resources across the UK.</p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1524838016641919">Research</a> highlights that supporting a friend or family member experiencing domestic abuse is difficult, so take steps to <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-introduction/self-care/">look after yourself</a> too. Stay aware of your own needs when helping someone with such a difficult situation, and incorporate activities into your routine that nourish your <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729">mental, emotional and physical wellbeing</a>. This may include talking to friends, being compassionate with yourself, and making time for leisure activities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210101/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Schucan Bird receives funding from Economic and Social Research Council. </span></em></p>The support of friends and family can be crucial for domestic abuse victims.Karen Schucan Bird, Associate Professor of Social and Political Science, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114912023-08-23T13:03:22Z2023-08-23T13:03:22ZThe power of needlework: how embroidery is helping South African women tell unspeakable stories<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542686/original/file-20230814-28-wbiufb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C577%2C5000%2C3958&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In her artwork for the project, Christina Leputla depicted victims of domestic violence fleeing their attacker.</span> </figcaption></figure><p>In June 2020, three months after South Africa entered the first of a series of hard lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID, the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa described men’s violence against women as a “<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-06-18-gender-based-violence-is-south-africas-second-pandemic-says-ramaphosa/">second pandemic</a>”. </p>
<p>In the first three weeks of that lockdown the Gender Based Violence Command Centre, designed to support victims of gender-based violence (GBV), <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-09-01-shocking-stats-on-gender-based-violence-during-lockdown-revealed/">recorded more than 120,000 victims</a>. Also in its <a href="https://www.saps.gov.za/services/april_to_march_2019_20_presentation.pdf">2019/2020 crimes statistics</a>, the South African Police Services indicated that an average of 116 rape cases were reported each day.</p>
<p>While South Africa’s GBV crisis is not new, it was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, which made the perpetual challenges faced by many women and gender non-conforming individuals hyper visible. </p>
<p>This visibility sheds light on the reality that the home is a complex space where <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">care and violence</a> can <a href="https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/spc3.12568?casa_token=fhtiC323xA0AAAAA:nQOf6gVo54TLKsikaMp4ayC7xFFB9B2Um2AUyoeiwTlzn3J_ePd1yH5i1lq8y7NAXxuREDAkTKepoReV">co-exist</a>. Women can feel simultaneously safe and in danger in their homes. All of this happens behind closed doors, often robbing women of a voice to express their fear, suffering and pain. </p>
<p>That affects more than just individual women: GBV is a collective, structural challenge. When women are violated at homes, it affects familial relations, productivity at work, and <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">overall societal functioning</a>. </p>
<p>I am a psychologist who wanted to harness the power of visual artistic expression to highlight the multi-layered ways in which gendered violence is woven into everyday encounters. To do so, <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">I turned</a> – as I have done <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-embroidery-broke-the-silence-around-womens-apartheid-trauma-146714">in previous research</a> – to embroidery.</p>
<p>As I have written in my previous research into the role of embroidery in empowering women’s storytelling, for this current work, I drew again from this methodology to visually tell the narrative of GBV in colourful and creative ways, paying attention to moments of encounters where those who perpetrate and those against whom the violence is perpetrated appear in the same frame. The visual artwork invites the viewer to witness. The hope is that beyond the witnessing is a call for action. </p>
<h2>Everyday violence</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An embroidery depicts a woman with blue hair, her eyes wide and frightened and her mouth covered by another person's hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Evelyn Twala’s embroidery communicates fear and pain.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Beyond making visually appealing artwork, needlework has always been a useful tool <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2015.1047661?journalCode=tied20">to tell difficult or unspeakable stories</a>. Through depicting their lived experiences of gender trauma, women can have an outlet for their pain. While their embroideries serve as a canvas for the outpouring of pain, loss and trauma, their work also tells stories of hope, resilience and resistance.</p>
<p>For this research I worked with the <a href="https://www.artivismexhibition.com/intuthuko-embroidery-project.html">Intuthuko women’s collective</a>. The group consists of 16 Black women based in one of the townships (these are historically Black urban residential areas) in Ekurhuleni in the Gauteng province. GBV in South Africa continues to <a href="https://aho.org/news/south-african-poor-black-women-are-the-face-of-health-inequity/">affect Black women</a> disproportionately, a reality rooted <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09612025.2023.2219535">in history</a> as well as in present systems. </p>
<p>The idea with this project was to let the visuals do the talking. So we did not focus on personal experiences, but an overview of the many ways in which GBV shows itself in our lives. I was part of the group and also contributed in making an embroidery piece. This allowed me to shift from being just a researcher and spectator to becoming a contributor in the process of thinking, reflecting and making. It was a collaborative endeavour where we came up with themes as a collective and then each focused on a particular theme for the making of the embroideries. </p>
<p>During the process of making the embroideries, we would share stories of how GBV constantly affects our communities, reflecting on the need to use these embroideries as a form of awareness raising, tool for community dialogues, and to challenge the patriarchal system that has rendered the world unsafe for women. </p>
<p>The aim was to highlight the multi-layered ways in which gendered violence is woven into everyday encounters. We sought to engage the ways in which creative meaning could be made of GBV in our communities – and how the challenges facing our society because of gendered violence could be given attention. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-embroidery-broke-the-silence-around-womens-apartheid-trauma-146714">How embroidery broke the silence around women's apartheid trauma</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Perpetual fear</h2>
<p>The embroideries depict a society where <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-08-05-female-fear-factory-any-woman-can-be-made-into-a-whore-so-sit-like-a-girl/">fear is manufactured</a>, created, and produced by patriarchal and unjust structural violent systems. This in turn leads to women living in perpetual fear; they cannot feel safe within and outside of their homes. </p>
<p>Through our artistic visual depictions, we expressed how GBV creates a sense of women being regulated and controlled, and of not entirely owning their bodies.</p>
<p>Some embroideries featured women being violated and robbed in public places, reduced to kneeling down for mercy. The artworks highlighted women’s sense that the streets are not safe and that they are never sure whether they will make it back home safely. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An embroidery depicts a male figure groping a woman in a street alongside some houses. She is raising her hand to object." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Angela Mangte’s artwork captures women’s sense that they are not safe in the streets.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Feeling unsafe and in a constant state of fear makes it difficult for many women to exercise their agency: when society is structured in ways that make women victims, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/reseafrilite.45.4.89">patriarchy prevails</a>.</p>
<h2>Staring reality in the face</h2>
<p>These embroideries are not just pieces of visual art. They are a challenge to the viewer to stare the violence in the face with the hope that they will be compelled to reflect and to act. </p>
<p>The embroideries have been displayed at an art exhibition where the public could attend and engage with the pieces. We also produced a multilingual visual booklet which is being used in the women’s community and schools as a tool for opening up dialogues on GBV.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Puleng Segalo receives funding from the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. </span></em></p>Pain in a thousand stitches; depicting a society where women live in constant fear of being attacked.Puleng Segalo, Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2116062023-08-16T06:30:41Z2023-08-16T06:30:41ZThe government has released its action plans to end violence against women and children. Will they be enough?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542945/original/file-20230816-25-93f0bf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government has today released the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">First Action Plan 2023-2027</a> and the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-action-plan-2023-2025">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan</a> under the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-2022-2032">National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032</a>. These long-awaited plans detail what the Commonwealth, state and territory governments have agreed to do to progress their ambitious target to eliminate domestic, family and sexual violence. </p>
<p>In the first 32 weeks of 2023 alone, 44 women have been killed allegedly by violence. These action plans come at a critical time when advocates, academics and practitioners <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2023/07/27/1386002/violence-against-women-more-deaths-little-action">have been calling for</a> more funding and clearer actions to counter domestic, family and sexual violence. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-plan-aims-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-in-one-generation-can-it-succeed-192497">A new national plan aims to end violence against women and children 'in one generation'. Can it succeed?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the action plans?</h2>
<p>The action plans set out the national and state-based commitments across prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing. </p>
<p>The purpose of the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">first action plan</a> is to </p>
<blockquote>
<p>understand what actions governments are taking to end gender-based violence, what outcomes the actions and activities aim to achieve, and the targets we are working towards.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1691661583242674211"}"></div></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-action-plan-2023-2025">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan</a> is the first dedicated plan to address violence against women and children in First Nations communities. </p>
<p>It was developed with the <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/closing-gap/implementation-measures/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-advisory-council-family-domestic-and-sexual-violence-advisory-council">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council</a> and in consultation with First Nations communities. It provides a road map for addressing the disproportionately high rates of violence First Nations women and children experience.</p>
<h2>What commitments have been made?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">first action plan</a> commits to implementing <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/08_2023/np-activities.pdf">ten actions</a>. </p>
<p>It includes education and training across justice, specialist and mainstream workforces, as well as advancing gender equality. </p>
<p>Specific actions outlined in the first action plan include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>funding to support increased education and training on family, domestic and sexual violence for community mainstream workers, health professionals and the justice sector</p></li>
<li><p>establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men’s Advisory Body to provide advice and leadership on issues such as family violence, gender equality, programs and services for men</p></li>
<li><p>improving access to short-term, medium-term and long-term housing for women and children experiencing violence</p></li>
<li><p>improving actions to prevent and address sexual violence and harassment in all settings</p></li>
<li><p>improving police responses and the justice system to better support victim-survivors by providing trauma-informed, culturally safe supports that promote safety and wellbeing. This also includes holding people who choose to use violence to account.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>One of the notable features of the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-2022-2032">national plan</a> is its focus on recovery and healing. The first action plan commits to enhancing trauma-informed supports and exploring new models of recovery for victim-survivors. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-2022-2032">national plan</a> also includes an acknowledgement of children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">first action plan</a> commits to developing and implementing age-appropriate, culturally safe programs across all four domains of prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing. These will be informed by children and young people. </p>
<p>While the detail of how this will be achieved is unclear, the commitment is critical. <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-end-gender-based-violence-in-one-generation-we-must-fix-how-the-system-responds-to-children-and-young-people-192839">As we have noted previously</a>, ending gender-based violence in one generation requires a focus on delivering improved outcomes with transformational results for the next generation. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1691668257609314713"}"></div></p>
<h2>How will success be measured?</h2>
<p>One of <a href="https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/podcast/the-empty-plan-end-violence-against-women">the key criticisms</a> of the former <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/women/programs-services/reducing-violence/the-national-plan-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-their-children-2010-2022">national plan</a> was that it didn’t include any measures to track progress over its ten-year life span. </p>
<p>Notably, the evaluation of the former plan was never released publicly. This is a significant failing in public accountability for efforts to reduce violence against women and children.</p>
<p>A key finding from <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/report/National_Plan_Stakeholder_Consultation_Final_Report/20304420">the consultations</a> was the emphasis <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/report/National_Plan_Stakeholder_Consultation_Final_Report/20304420">from stakeholders</a> and <a href="https://www.monash.edu/arts/gender-and-family-violence/research-and-projects/national-plan-victim-survivor-advocates-consultation-project">victim-survivors</a> that targets be included in this national plan. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.monash.edu/arts/gender-and-family-violence/research-and-projects/national-plan-victim-survivor-advocates-consultation-project">first action plan</a> is accompanied by an <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/outcomes-framework-2023-2032">outcomes framework</a> that includes targets to reduce violence. It also promises a future measurement plan, to be released in early 2024. </p>
<p>Careful attention and urgency in developing this measurement plan are critical. The six national targets outlined in the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">first action plan</a> focus on: </p>
<ul>
<li>reducing the prevalence of intimate partner homicide </li>
<li>improving community knowledge of what constitutes domestic, family and sexual violence</li>
<li>improving community attitudes. </li>
</ul>
<p>Notably, this <a href="https://www.monash.edu/arts/gender-and-family-violence/research-and-projects/national-plan-victim-survivor-advocates-consultation-project">action plan</a> specifies a commitment to a 25% annual reduction in female victims of intimate partner homicide. No justification is included for aiming for this specific level of reduction. </p>
<p>The action plan also recognises that attitudinal change is key to eliminating violence. It includes several targets related to shifting community attitudes. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/first-action-plan-2023-2027">first action plan</a> commits to annual reporting of progress. This includes tracking the implementation of the actions contained in the two action plans. This will be a much-needed check, and ensures accountability and transparency over the life of both action plans. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-end-gender-based-violence-in-one-generation-we-must-fix-how-the-system-responds-to-children-and-young-people-192839">To end gender-based violence in one generation, we must fix how the system responds to children and young people</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is needed now to ensure effective change and a reduction of violence?</h2>
<p>These actions plans represent a much-needed next step in realising the objectives of the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-2022-2032">national plan</a>. Achieving the set targets will require a significant increase in urgency and funding. </p>
<p>This government has made an unprecedented funding commitment of $2.3 billion over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 budgets to address women’s safety and support delivery of these action plans. </p>
<p>While this sounds impressive, it is not commensurate with the scale of the crisis of domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia. Increased funding to accelerate delivery of these action plans is urgently needed. </p>
<p>It is also critical that the reforms and work in this space are not siloed: housing, economic security and childcare are critical aspects of securing women’s safety. This is a whole-of-government project, and must be led in this way.</p>
<p>The way forward must be driven by a commitment to safety and recognising that we need to move urgently on the actions in the plans. They cannot simply be a political tool: they are the result of extensive consultation across Australia involving experts, advocates and victim-survivors. </p>
<p>This work must accelerate now. Each action may not necessarily work. Monitoring is needed to understand what works and for whom. </p>
<p>Agility is also required to ensure efforts can be tailored to maximise the potential for ending domestic, family and sexual violence in one generation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211606/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate has received funding for family violence related research from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety, the Victorian Government and the Department of Social Services. In 2021 Kate led the National Plan Stakeholder and Victim-Survivor Advocates Consultation Projects. This piece is written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon in her capacity as Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and is wholly independent of Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s role as Chair of Respect Victoria.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marie Segrave receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Silke Meyer has received funding for domestic and family violence related research from the Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety, the Queensland Government and the Department of Social Services. In 2021 Silke co-led led the National Plan Stakeholder Consultation Project.</span></em></p>While the actions outlined in the plans are admirable, achieving the set targets will require a significant increase in urgency and funding.Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Director, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre; Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash UniversityMarie Segrave, Associate Professor, Criminology, Monash UniversitySilke Meyer, Professor of Social Work; Leneen Forde Chair in Child & Family Research, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2048712023-07-31T12:25:16Z2023-07-31T12:25:16ZSexual violence is a pervasive threat for female farm workers – here’s how the US could reduce their risk<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539593/original/file-20230726-15-t8cqps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4764%2C3102&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mexican migrant workers harvest parsley on a farm in Wellington, Colo.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/mexican-migrant-workers-harvest-organic-parsley-at-grant-news-photo/129068134">John Moore/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Television crime shows often are set in cities, but in its third season, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3488298/">ABC’s “American Crime</a>” took a different tack. It opened on a tomato farm in North Carolina, where it showed a young woman being brutally raped in a field by her supervisor. </p>
<p>“People die all the time on that farm. Nobody cares. Women get raped, regular,” another character <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/01/the-disciplined-power-of-american-crime">tells a police interrogator</a>. </p>
<p>The show’s writers did their research. Studies show that 80% of Mexican and Mexican American women farmworkers in the U.S. have experienced <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801209360857">some form of sexual harassment at work</a>. Rape is common enough for some to nickname their workplace the “<a href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/thcsj/TheEEOCandImmigrantWorkers.pdf">fields of panties</a>.” For comparison, about 38% of women in the U.S. report experiencing <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-percent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment">some kind of workplace sexual harassment</a>.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc5343en">recent report</a>, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization called for transformative changes to the formal and informal social systems that disempower women who work on farms and in the food sector around the world. While violence against women in agriculture may seem like an issue mainly experienced in developing countries, the truth is that it also happens all too often to women and girls on farms in the U.S. </p>
<p>As we see it, sexual exploitation perpetrated by men in positions of power instills fear that <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429199752-30/gender-precarious-work-agriculture-kathleen-sexsmith-megan-griffin">keeps farm laborers obedient</a>, despite precarious working conditions – and keeps fruits and vegetables cheap. </p>
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<h2>Vulnerable workers</h2>
<p>In our research on <a href="https://pure.psu.edu/en/persons/kathleen-sexsmith">rural development</a>, <a href="https://aese.psu.edu/directory/far5137">agriculture</a> and <a href="https://sites.psu.edu/redesigningmodernities1/megan-griffin/">rural gender inequality</a>, we have found that gender-based violence against female workers is frighteningly common on U.S. farms.</p>
<p>According to the U.N., <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/women/gender-based-violence-against-women-and-girls">violence against women and girls</a> includes “any gender-based act that creates sexual, psychological, or physical harm or suffering.” Men and boys can, of course, experience gender-based violence on U.S. farms, but to our knowledge no corroborating research exists. </p>
<p>Most often, sexual violence against women is <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2012/05/15/cultivating-fear/vulnerability-immigrant-farmworkers-us-sexual-violence-and">committed by men in positions of power</a>, such as foremen, farm labor contractors, farm owners and co-workers. Unfortunately, farm workers often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2020.1825245">buy into the myth</a> that women bring sexual harassment on themselves. This belief makes it difficult for victims to get support.</p>
<p>Immigrant women farm workers are vulnerable because of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12788">power imbalances</a> in their male-dominated workplaces. Women represent <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/#employment">28%</a> of the nation’s farm workers, making them a minority on many farms. Most are immigrants from Latin America, and <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/#employment">many are undocumented</a>. </p>
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<p>Female farm workers also face a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13202">gender wage gap</a> of about 6%, partly because of parenting responsibilities that limit the number of hours they can work. Researchers have documented how men in positions of power <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2016.1143903">take advantage of this vulnerability</a> by offering hours and job perks in exchange for sexual favors and threatening to fire women if they refuse.</p>
<h2>The role of child labor</h2>
<p>Girls under the age of 18 are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and abuse on farms. While much-needed reporting has generated a public outcry against <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html">arduous work conditions for migrant child laborers</a>, migrant children have worked in agriculture in the U.S. for decades – legally. </p>
<p>Agriculture holds a special status under federal labor laws, which permit farm owners to <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/31/us-congress-should-protect-child-farmworkers">hire children as young as 12</a>. Facing <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/#employment">low wages</a> and <a href="https://www.farmworkerjustice.org/blog-post/farmworkers-low-wage-rates-have-risen-modestly-now-congress-may-pass-a-law-to-lower-them/">high poverty rates</a>, farm worker families often rely on income from children’s work. </p>
<p>Experts say young girls may be <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2010/05/05/fields-peril/child-labor-us-agriculture">especially vulnerable</a> to sexual harassment and violence on farms because they are less likely to recognize and report abuse. Currently, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181472559/child-labor-farms-agriculture-human-rights-congress">children as young as 12</a> can be hired on farms without a cap on the number of hours they work, as long as they don’t miss school. </p>
<p>Democrats in Congress have repeatedly introduced versions of the <a href="https://ruiz.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dr-ruiz-introduces-legislation-raise-labor-standards-and-protections">Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety (CARE) Act</a> since 2005. The bill would help address the vulnerability of young girls in farm work by aligning the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181472559/child-labor-farms-agriculture-human-rights-congress">legal farm working age</a> with other industries.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. labor law allows children as young as 12 to work in agriculture, putting young girls at risk of sexual violence.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Are guest worker visas the answer?</h2>
<p>Since one major driver of the threat of violence against female farm workers is the fact that many of them are undocumented, could expanding the national <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2a-temporary-agricultural-workers">H-2A agricultural guest worker visa</a> program be a solution?</p>
<p>The H-2A program has exploded in popularity among farmers as a way to address <a href="https://s.giannini.ucop.edu/uploads/giannini_public/67/33/673330c9-c5a1-4664-ade5-6e9b406b8ef3/v10n5_3.pdf">agricultural labor shortages</a>. The number of U.S. farm jobs certified for H-2A workers increased <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/#employment">from 48,000 in 2005 to 371,000 in 2022</a> as farmers pressed Congress to allow more foreign nationals into the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural jobs.</p>
<p>This program, at least in theory, addresses several of the structural vulnerabilities of female farm workers. A visa confers a legal right to enter the country, alleviating the severe risk of <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-03-07/the-reality-of-migrant-women-en-route-to-the-united-states-raped-and-unable-to-access-a-hospital.html">sexual assault</a> during clandestine border crossings. Legal status should also eliminate fear of deportation, which would bolster women’s courage to speak up against sexual violence in the workplace.</p>
<p>But the key word here is “should.”</p>
<p>Concerningly, migrant labor advocates have charged that the H-2A program promotes “<a href="https://cdmigrante.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ripe-for-Reform.pdf">systemic sex-based discrimination in hiring</a>.” Only <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/readingroom/NI/NonimmigrantCOAsexage">3.3% of H-2A guest workers</a> admitted in 2021 were women, a level that reflects historical trends. Some foreign advertisements for H-2A workers explicitly state that recruiters are looking for <a href="https://cdmigrante.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ripe-for-Reform.pdf">capable male workers</a>. </p>
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<p>When female farm workers are few in number, they have less collective capacity to protest or report sexually abusive conditions. Moreover, <a href="https://cdmigrante.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ripe-for-Reform.pdf">one 2020 report</a> on labor conditions among H-2A workers found that 12% of participants – including women and men – had experienced sexual harassment. The authors believed this figure represented a gross undercount.</p>
<p>Guest worker visa programs can actually make workers more likely to tolerate abusive situations, because the workers’ legal status in the U.S. by definition is tied to their employment. Guest workers are often particularly <a href="https://cdmigrante.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ripe-for-Reform.pdf">fearful of employer retaliation</a> if they complain about sexual abuse. In our view, guest worker visa programs <a href="https://doi.org/10.48416/ijsaf.v26i2.57">institutionalize workers’ uncertain position</a> instead of solving it.</p>
<h2>A path forward</h2>
<p>We agree with the U.N. that sweeping change is needed to empower women, raise farm productivity and promote human rights in the global food system. As U.S. lawmakers <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-four-challenges-will-shape-the-next-farm-bill-and-how-the-us-eats-202555">craft the next farm bill</a>, they could do enormous good for women around the world by setting an example in American fields and farms.</p>
<p>As a first step, we believe lawmakers should pass the CARE Act, which would raise the legal working age on farms to 14, reducing the number of young girls who are vulnerable to abuse. </p>
<p>Second, legalizing the nation’s approximately <a href="https://cmsny.org/agricultural-workers-rosenbloom-083022/">283,000 unauthorized farm workers</a> would make those workers less vulnerable to sexual abuse by expanding employment opportunities outside of the agricultural sector. </p>
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<p>Third, in our view, efforts to legalize farm workers – most recently through the <a href="https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/bipartisan-members-reintroduce-farm-workforce-modernization-act-2023">Farm Workforce Modernization Act</a> – should strengthen labor law enforcement and provide well-funded channels for reporting abuses and changing jobs when abuse occurs.</p>
<p>Bills proposing a pathway to legalization for agricultural workers have focused on providing enough labor for farm employers. For example, some proposals would expand the H-2A program and require workers already in the U.S. to continue working in agriculture for a number of years to receive a green card. </p>
<p>But without steps to improve labor protection systems, such changes could make workers even more vulnerable to sexual and other labor abuses, and have the counterproductive result of making them more likely to want to leave agriculture as soon as they can.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204871/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Sexsmith receives funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania State University, Rural Sociological Society, American Mushroom Institute, Oxfam America, and the Sociological Initiatives Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Francisco Alfredo Reyes and Megan A. M. Griffin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the US, with workers exposed to vehicles, chemicals and heavy equipment. Women working on farms face another risk: sexual assault.Kathleen Sexsmith, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Penn StateFrancisco Alfredo Reyes, Ph.D. Candidate in Rural Sociology & International Agriculture and Development, Penn StateMegan A. M. Griffin, Student Community Engagement Specialist, Connecticut CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2053992023-07-04T02:59:57Z2023-07-04T02:59:57Z60% of women and non-binary punters and artists feel unsafe in Melbourne’s music spaces<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525827/original/file-20230512-19-50hj2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C2912%2C4346&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Markus Spiske/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A new <a href="https://figshare.com/s/62519f8c95bab5ca4c32">survey</a> of 126 women and non-binary punters and artists working the music industry in Melbourne has found 60% of respondents feel unsafe in music spaces. </p>
<p>The survey found sexual violence disempowers female music workers, deters non-binary communities from working in the industry, and discourages punters from going to gigs.</p>
<p>This is a marked increase on previous surveys. In the <a href="https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2019/07/MLMC-2017-Report-compressed.pdf">2018 Victorian Live Music census</a>, only 8% of respondents did not believe “most Victorian venues provide a safe and inclusive environment”.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/initiatives/victorian-live-music-census/">2022 census</a> didn’t even ask about safety or sexual violence.</p>
<p>As Melbourne beats Sydney to became the nation’s most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/17/melbourne-overtakes-sydney-as-australias-most-populous-city">populated city</a> in 2023, the epidemic of sexual violence may intensify in its urban music spaces. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-rife-in-the-music-industry-167852">Is sexual abuse and exploitation rife in the music industry?</a>
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<h2>The #meNoMore awakening</h2>
<p>In 2017, <a href="https://themusicnetwork.com/me-no-more/">an open letter</a> was signed by over 1,000 women who work or participate in the Australian music industry, calling out abuse and harassment in the industry under the hashtag #MeNoMore. </p>
<p>This is a global problem. Studies have found <a href="https://iaspmjournal.net/index.php/IASPM_Journal/article/view/991">grassroots venues</a> and promoters in the United Kingdom need to implement changes to tackle sexual violence and work towards gender equality. Music festivals <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gendered-Violence-at-International-Festivals-An-Interdisciplinary-Perspective/Platt-Finkel/p/book/9781032336695">are rife</a> with structural sexism, inequalities and gendered power dynamics. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/tempo/article/abs/teaching-tertiary-music-in-the-metoo-era/9A4E6871975D51BEC51711E23BE44B3F">music education</a> women “face disadvantages in terms of income, inclusion and professional opportunities”. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17512786.2019.1674683">music media</a>, women deal with discrimination, harassment and sexist abuse. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman plays guitar" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525828/original/file-20230512-17-4cs0n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A 2022 report found unacceptably high rates of sexual harassment in the Australian music industry.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anton Mislawsky/Unsplash</span></span>
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<p>In late 2022, the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RCH10ICOZUX9T7LWpb-Dx9pTKlA9fISn/view">Raising Their Voices</a> industry report about the contemporary Australian music scene found unacceptably high rates of sexual harassment, sexual harm, bullying and systemic discrimination. </p>
<p>The report called for an industry-wide approach to respond to the findings. </p>
<p>In January, it was announced the federal government’s new Revive cultural policy would <a href="https://theconversation.com/pay-safety-and-welfare-how-the-new-centre-for-arts-and-entertainment-workplaces-can-strengthen-the-arts-sector-198859">establish a centre</a> to address sexual harassment in the arts and entertainment industry. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pay-safety-and-welfare-how-the-new-centre-for-arts-and-entertainment-workplaces-can-strengthen-the-arts-sector-198859">Pay, safety and welfare: how the new Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces can strengthen the arts sector</a>
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<h2>A frequent violence</h2>
<p>In our survey, we found groping and harassment were normalised in clubs and venues.</p>
<p>Respondents reported street harassment to and from venues, or were assaulted in commercially shared vehicles.</p>
<p>The majority of perpetrators were men. </p>
<p>One third of the music punters reported an incident to venue staff or festival management. </p>
<p>“In the last incident of assault I reacted by punching the guy, and I was thrown out by security after I explained what happened […] ” one punter said. “I want to call it out now […] I am sick of this shit”.</p>
<p>Music workers were less likely to report these incidents than punters: 80% of music workers told us they had not reported these incidents to venue staff, festival authorities, music management or to police. </p>
<p>Fearing unemployment in a highly competitive industry, they remain stoic victim-survivors in the boy’s club. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Punters at a gig" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525829/original/file-20230512-19-o251am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Some punters are now reluctant to go to gigs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lindsey Bahia/Unsplash</span></span>
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<p>“As someone who has worked in the music industry for 40 years, I feel I have a thicker skin when it comes to sexual harassment… [but] I feel that it really is time for change,” one music worker told us.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>More than one-third of the music workers we spoke to had considered leaving the industry due to sexual harassment. Some punters told us they were reluctant to go to gigs.</p>
<p>If Melbourne wants to be considered a global music city, then the music talent and audience drain related to the epidemic of sexual violence requires critical attention.</p>
<p>The 2018 Melbourne Music Census found <a href="https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2019/07/MLMC-2017-Report-compressed.pdf">only 49%</a> of staff in venues were trained in-house to deal with sexual harassment or assault.</p>
<p>Our study suggests all security staff should be provided with bystander training to prevent, detect and address perpetrators’ behaviour, and to refer victim-survivors to relevant authorities. Too often, security staff have a reluctance to change routine practices, and many venues have a lack of female security staff. There is poor collaboration between security companies and music staff, and limited funding for grassroots venues to conduct this training. </p>
<p>Less than 10% of the women and non-binary people we spoke to had reached out for counselling support following an experience of sexual violence. More needs to be done to spread the awareness of phone counselling hotlines, such as The Support Act <a href="https://supportact.org.au/get-help/wellbeing-helpline/">Wellbeing Helpline</a> for people working in music or the arts.</p>
<p>There are international models we can look towards. The not-for-profit <a href="https://www.goodnightoutcampaign.org/info/">Good Night Out</a> began in Leeds, UK, in 2014. The organisation runs accredited sexual violence response training programs for licensed venues and live music events. Its workers put up campaign posters in venues and encourage trained staff to wear badges to alert people that help is available. The program was <a href="https://fullstop.org.au/training/for-licensed-premises/good-night-out">established in Melbourne</a> in 2021, and an evaluation of the program will be conducted in August this year. </p>
<p>Our report also suggested music venues and organisations should be achieving gender and ethnic diversity among their leadership and staff to be eligible for government funding.</p>
<p>Changes also need to happen beyond the music industry.</p>
<p>Changes in the school curriculum and how we talk about consent more broadly in society will also impact on music spaces. Movements like <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/hundreds-of-sydney-students-claim-they-were-sexually-assaulted-and-call-for-better-consent-education-20210219-p57449.html">Teach Us Consent</a> advocate for sex education in schools to include an understanding sexual violence is an unacceptable behaviour, and what it means to have consent.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/affirmative-consent-model-now-law-victoria">2022 bill</a> in the Victorian parliament adopted an affirmative consent model to provide better protections for victim-survivors of sexual offences, shifting the scrutiny onto their perpetrators.</p>
<p>This bill will help break the code of silence and encourage women and non-binary people to speak out about their experiences of sexual violence. </p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/camp-cope-leaves-the-australian-music-industry-forever-changed-by-their-fearless-feminist-activism-199518">Camp Cope leaves the Australian music industry forever changed by their fearless feminist activism</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205399/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Jean Baker received funding from the Victorian State government and the City of Melbourne. </span></em></p>A new survey found sexual violence disempowers female music workers, deters non-binary communities from working in the industry, and discourages punters from going to gigs.Andrea Jean Baker, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2049102023-05-11T00:37:13Z2023-05-11T00:37:13ZAt times devastating, always powerful: new SBS drama Safe Home looks at domestic violence with nuance, integrity and care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525289/original/file-20230510-21-j7m5gb.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C0%2C3870%2C2598&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">SBS</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Phoebe Rook (Aisha Dee) is a 20-something starting work as communications specialist for the Family Violence Legal Service, a state-wide community centre providing free legal assistance for people escaping domestic and family violence in Victoria. </p>
<p>Tasked with raising the centre’s profile amid rumours of funding cuts, Phoebe is quickly confronted with her own assumptions of the policies and services used to protect victim-survivors.</p>
<p>While shadowing prickly lawyer Jenny (Mabel Li) at the magistrate’s court on her first day, Phoebe reads through a list of intervention orders. </p>
<p>“These people should be in jail!” she exclaims.</p>
<p>“Because jail has always worked so well at stopping violent behaviour,” Jenny drily responds. </p>
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<p>The centre’s work in advocating on behalf of vulnerable people caught in cycles of abuse is urgent and vital. But as Phoebe settles into this new role, she is haunted by her complex past. </p>
<p>As Phoebe’s complicated relationships threaten to challenge her ethics, a series of gripping events attest to the ways violence is insidious and ingrained in systemic structures of power. </p>
<p>Safe Home, a new television series from SBS, is compelling, at times devastating, but always powerful in its commitment to articulating difficult truths around domestic and family violence with nuance, integrity and care.</p>
<h2>Domestic and family violence in Australia</h2>
<p>Safe Home offers an important critique of the assumptions and expectations that influence public understanding of domestic and family violence. </p>
<p>These abuses persist on endemic levels in Australia. On average, a woman is killed by an intimate partner <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr39">every ten days</a>. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release">one in three</a> women have experienced physical violence since they turned 15. These rates are even higher for <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/summary">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women</a> and women from marginalised groups.</p>
<p>While the Australian government has recently launched a <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence">National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children</a>, experts have emphasised the significant, long term funding needed to meet its goal to end violence against women “<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-plan-aims-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-in-one-generation-can-it-succeed-192497">in one generation</a>”.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-plan-aims-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-in-one-generation-can-it-succeed-192497">A new national plan aims to end violence against women and children 'in one generation'. Can it succeed?</a>
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<h2>Telling stories of crisis</h2>
<p>Safe Home makes a timely contribution to a growing body of television that addresses socio-political crises through unflinchingly honest storytelling. </p>
<p>The BBC’s adaptation of NHS doctor Adam Kay’s bestselling memoir <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/08/this-is-going-to-hurt-review-ben-whishaw-stars-in-a-realism-packed-adaptation">This is Going to Hurt</a> engages with the experiences of junior doctors who endure high levels of fatigue and mental health related issues amid a lack of resources and compensation for the difficult and necessary work they do.</p>
<p>Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, Netflix’s limited series <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/arts/television/review-maid-netflix.html">Maid</a> centres on a young mother fleeing an abusive relationship who takes up work cleaning houses and critiques the class and economic structures that enforce social exclusion and poverty. </p>
<p>Safe Home was inspired by creator Anna Barnes’ experience working at community legal centres in Melbourne. The show depicts domestic and family violence with sensitivity and awareness. It is particularly authentic in its portrayal of victim-survivors who must navigate an exceedingly complex and overloaded system.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two women smile at desks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525296/original/file-20230510-17-iywtwz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Safe Home was inspired by creator Anna Barnes’ experience working at community legal centres.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SBS</span></span>
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<p>As Jenny explains to Phoebe, looming federal funding cuts threaten to eliminate a fifth of the Family Violence Legal Service’s budget – the equivalent of four lawyers. This would force the centre to decline walk-ins and limit their ability to manage the volume of cases they receive.</p>
<p>Against the backdrop of these precarious conditions, Safe Home deftly weaves stories of victim-survivors to highlight the blind spots, inequities and failures of the sector in providing adequate and urgent intervention.</p>
<p>Diana (Janet Andrewartha) struggles to leave her controlling husband Jon (Mark Mitchinson), a retired teacher well-regarded in their small town. </p>
<p>Ry (Tegan Stimson) falls into an unstable intimate relationship after escaping her mother’s verbal and physical abuse at home. </p>
<p>In perhaps the most heartbreaking story, Cherry (Katlyn Wong) risks losing her children after reporting her husband’s life-threatening violence to authorities because of a language barrier. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-data-shows-1-in-3-women-have-experienced-physical-violence-and-sexual-violence-remains-stubbornly-persistent-201758">New data shows 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence and sexual violence remains stubbornly persistent</a>
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<h2>The personal becomes political</h2>
<p>In these stories, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2022.2102598">cultural, linguistic and economic diversity</a> of victim-survivors who seek help is powerfully depicted. </p>
<p>We encounter the spectre of strategies used against victim-survivors: physical abuse, economic abuse, verbal threats and put-downs, control and coercion, love bombing and revenge porn. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two young women, one white and one Black, in a waiting room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525294/original/file-20230510-15-mt2x11.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The diversity of victim-survivors who seek help is powerfully depicted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SBS</span></span>
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<p>We are confronted with perpetrators who evade common stereotypes to appear, on the surface, likeable, friendly, charming and sympathetic. </p>
<p>The situations faced by victim-survivors intersect with – and are exacerbated by – current crises surrounding housing, homelessness and the cost of living. These circumstances can force them to return or remain <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10383441.2016.1204684">in dangerous situations</a>. </p>
<p>Contrary to the show’s title, home is not safe for people experiencing domestic and family violence. But for many, it is preferable to being homeless, to losing access to their children, to becoming susceptible to other kinds of violence. </p>
<p>Telling stories is critical to humanise, to engender empathy, to bring awareness to issues often shrouded in silence. As Phoebe puts it, “We tell stories to change minds, to change legislation, and most importantly, to change behaviour”.</p>
<p>In Safe Home, the personal becomes political. The stories behind the case numbers sit in dialogue with the current crisis of domestic and family violence. </p>
<p>These are stories victim-survivors and those who advocate on their behalf know well, but the Australian public still struggles to understand. </p>
<p><em>Safe Home is on SBS and SBS On Demand from today.</em></p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204910/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shannon Sandford does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Safe Home attests to the ways violence is insidious and ingrained in systemic structures of power.Shannon Sandford, Lecturer, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010592023-04-28T12:26:13Z2023-04-28T12:26:13ZWhy we need to talk about porn when we talk about Andrew Tate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522772/original/file-20230425-2136-ld8wy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">AB WBT</span> </figcaption></figure><p>For decades, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40239168">many feminists</a> have highlighted the <a href="https://www.culturereframed.org/the-porn-crisis/">harms</a> of pornography. They have argued that pornography incarnates male supremacy, and it not only constitutes male violence against women but it also constitutes <a href="https://www.feministes-radicales.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Andrea-DWORKIN-Pornography-Men-Possessing-Women-1981.pdf">the main conduit</a> for such violence.</p>
<p>Experts have long shown the <a href="https://www.appg-cse.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inquiry-on-pornography.pdf">links</a> between pornography, misogyny and sexual violence against women. Research <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/217360/1/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_StaffGroupR%24_rogersjm_Desktop_Flood%2C%2BThe%2Bharms%2Bof%2Bpornography%2Bexposure%2B09.pdf">has found</a> that exposure to both violent pornography and non-violent pornography – depicting consensual sexual activity between adults – fosters attitudes supportive of sexual aggression and rape. And that in <a href="https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1073&context=dignity">normalising</a> sexual violence, pornography also fuels it. </p>
<p>Recently, Lucy Emmerson, the director of the Sex Education Forum has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/02/impact-porn-not-taught-schools-england-survey?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other">warned</a> that “seeing violent sexual acts in pornography is having a knock-on effect on [young people’s] behaviour”. Research has found <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/217360/1/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_StaffGroupR%24_rogersjm_Desktop_Flood%2C%2BThe%2Bharms%2Bof%2Bpornography%2Bexposure%2B09.pdf">a correlation</a> among underage boys between frequent consumption of porn and the idea that forcing someone to have sex is ok. </p>
<p>Despite this, porn is only sporadically discussed in connection with violence against women, online and offline. A case in point is <a href="https://theconversation.com/andrew-tate-research-has-long-shown-how-feminist-progress-is-always-followed-by-a-misogynistic-backlash-197433?notice=Article+has+been+updated.">Andrew Tate</a>. </p>
<p>Tate was arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking and rape and subsequently moved to house arrest in March 2023. The house arrest <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65351270">has been extended</a> as public prosecutors reportedly continue to investigate him and his brother, Tristan, for crimes including sexually exploiting women and, in the case of Tristan Tate, <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/romanian-prosecutors-add-charge-against-105022461.html">inciting others</a> to violence. </p>
<p>This has seen the influencer receive an incredible amount of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001jg1t/the-dangerous-rise-of-andrew-tate">media coverage</a>. This has revolved, primarily, around his “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star">deviant</a>” personality, while <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64125045">ignoring</a> the cultural context he operates in: a patriarchal society in which <a href="https://files.libcom.org/files/Theorizing%20Patriarchy%20-%20Sylvia%20Walby.pdf">misogynistic violence</a> is routinely encouraged by mainstream pornography. While Tate arguably promotes the same violence, the two are rarely connected in popular discourse.</p>
<p>Tate’s case it not unique. My research <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/9783031093524">shows</a> how representations of perpetrators of sexual violence, from <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-28243-1?source=shoppingads&amp;locale=en-gb&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA0oagBhDHARIsAI-Bbgf5WKRSOcRQe6eFiisBta-5clzT-jJaT0vjHXs31BskQ_sKl3nPVB0aAv2zEALw_wcB">Harvey Weinstein to Jimmy Saville</a>, routinely focus on individual “deviancy”. They fail to make the connection between misogyny and wider social problems, like pornography. The “villain” is typically identified and singled out as an abnormal man. The details of his abuse are discussed ad nauseam in public discourse and every attempt is made to purge society of his presence and move on.</p>
<p>This is a problem. In ignoring the broader socio-cultural factors at play, this narrative fails to connect what appear to be the <a href="https://www.politybooks.com/search?s=surviving%20sexual%20violence">most severe</a> instances of misogyny with more “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801221996453">mundane</a>” forms, which have been normalised or appear less harmful. As a result, these are allowed to continue undisturbed.</p>
<h2>The mundane misogyny of social media</h2>
<p>It is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447345">no secret</a> that social media platforms are littered with “mundane” misogyny, from rape apologists to neo-sexist videos which promote the idea that women have achieved equality with men and that men are the “real” victims now.</p>
<p>Men’s podcasts such as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@freshandfit_clips?lang=en">Fresh and Fit</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@moa.podcast">Men of Action</a> (MOA), <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theviralwaypodcast">The Viral Way</a>, for example, are unfiltered repositories of sexism and misogyny. Yet, they are nowhere to be found in mainstream discussions on the topic. The recent, sustained focus on the “extreme” misogyny of Tate has effectively shielded other providers of “mundane” misogyny from media scrutiny.</p>
<p>This kind of tunnel-vision narrative also leaves out of the picture the ordinary misogyny of normalised, yet no less harmful, social practices like pornography. Pornographic websites like PornHub, RedTube, and YouPorn, which have been shown to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801210382866?casa_token=7Jj-2itHNkQAAAAA:UOvzyEIm5IFBZfD9d6fZns9xd3cjlbMEKqMk8T5AQj1E87Rbrnw5GM8Vr8ancmoe8sMVq78m-XQ">promote violent and misogynistic content</a>, are accessible to anyone, everywhere. Until March 2023, these online platforms were all owned by the same company, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/pornhub-owner-mindgeek-sold-canadas-ethical-capital-2023-03-16/">MindGeek</a>, and, in 2020, together they reportedly had approximately <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/20/the-fight-to-hold-pornhub-accountable">4.5 billion monthly visits</a> – that’s almost double that of Google and Facebook combined.</p>
<p>In the UK, the most prolific users of these porn sites are <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/220414/online-nation-2021-report.pdf">young adults aged 18-24</a>. News reports have highlighted that children <a href="https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/news/children-see-pornography-as-young-as-seven-new-report-finds">as young as seven</a> have been exposed to their content.</p>
<p>Compared to even a generation ago, mobile technology has made pornography widely available and easily accessible. This has caused a major <a href="http://www.beacon.org/Pornland-P891.aspx">cultural shift</a> whose consequences have not been fully explored or understood yet. Today anyone can watch violent porn with the same ease they can watch cat videos and we don’t fully know what this is doing to us.</p>
<p>If we look at the language of pornography, it is not fundamentally different from the language of Tate. Think, for example, of the similarities between Tate’s obsession with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star">grabbing women by the neck</a> and the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32661813/">popularity</a> of strangulation in online pornography.</p>
<p>Yet, while every second, online pornography broadcasts the same ideas expressed by Tate to millions of people, including children and teenagers, it does not generate the same level of public outrage. On the contrary, pornography is often defended as a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a40616209/sex-education-porn/">sex positive practice</a> and accepted as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/feb/08/porn-not-real-sex-positive-educators-influencers-breaking-taboos">work of fiction</a>. </p>
<p>Its role in the spread of misogyny is notably absent from most mainstream discussions of violence against women, including those about Tate. Society is wondering <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/talk-children-andrew-tate-misogyny-online-safety-b1053749.html">how to talk to children about Tate</a>, yet pornography is still largely absent from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/02/impact-porn-not-taught-schools-england-survey?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other">sex education</a>.</p>
<h2>It’s about the money</h2>
<p>The question then is why Tate has been branded an <a href="https://hopenothate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Andrew-Tate-Briefing-Final.pdf">extreme misogynist</a> but pornography is defended as a “sex-positive” practice. Why do we find it abhorrent for Tate to talk about violence against women, but believe that watching it is fine? </p>
<p>The answer lies largely in two factors: money and the patriarchy. </p>
<p>On the one hand, tunnel-vision narratives function as a patriarchal tool that distracts the attention from broader social factors like pornography and protects “ordinary” men. Hashtags such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-15213-0_18">#himtoo or #notallmen</a> speak precisely to this idea that violence against women is only perpetrated by a tiny minority of men. Most other men are simply being unfairly accused.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the focus on specific individuals distracts the attention from those who profit from pornography. Pornography is an <a href="https://qz.com/1309527/porn-could-have-a-bigger-economic-influence-on-the-us-than-netflix">extremely lucrative business</a>. The silence that surrounds it allows it to continue undisturbed. It makes it easier for individuals and companies to escape accountability and avoid public scrutiny. Many of us know, by now, what Andrew Tate looks like. Comparatively few, if any, will know exactly who owns Pornhub.</p>
<p>Pornography constitutes the socio-cultural context within which men like Tate operate. While it is important that we educate young people about Tate, it is also crucial to place his success within the patriarchal context in which his actions and words are normalised.</p>
<p>Any analysis of Tate, or whoever came before him or will come after him, that does not consider the broader pornification of society will never be complete. To join the dots between “mundane” and “extreme” misogyny and move away from the “tunnel-vision”, we need to talk about porn.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201059/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alessia Tranchese does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In focussing on individual “deviancy”, we fail to make the connection between misogyny and wider social problems, like pornography.Alessia Tranchese, Senior Lecturer in Communication and Applied Linguistics, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010282023-03-07T18:03:36Z2023-03-07T18:03:36ZWomen politicians pay too high a personal cost for their leadership<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513646/original/file-20230306-24-olt4ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=77%2C147%2C5098%2C3298&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Robert Perry</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the wake of her decision to resign, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s outgoing first minister, said that life for women politicians who “put their head above the parapet” is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0f23shp/the-women-who-changed-modern-scotland-series-1-3-breakthroughs-and-backlash">“much harsher” and “more hostile”</a> now than at any time in her decades-long career.</p>
<p>Women are better represented in politics than ever and with flourishing online feminist activism such as #MeToo, more and more women publicly claim their rights. This, however, has created a backlash against women’s rights that women in the public eye bear the brunt of. </p>
<p>There are more women than ever in political office. As of December 2022, <a href="https://data.ipu.org/women-averages?month=12&year=2022">26.4% of parliamentarians worldwide are women</a> and there are <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures#_edn1">30 women serving as elected heads of state or heads of government</a>.</p>
<p>Yet, the UN Women agency calculates that at the current rate, it will take <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures">130 years</a> to reach gender equality in the highest positions of power. The trajectory is upward. The rate of progress, slow. </p>
<p>Having women dare to “put their head above the parapet” is important. Research has shown that most legislative changes on women’s issues worldwide have been achieved thanks to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/logics-of-gender-justice/EB161B6A933F49D89957F865015998B9">pressure from feminist movements</a>. Where women are part of the decision-making process they are able to instigate change and improve lives, not only by addressing women’s issues but also by, for instance, promoting <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0176268020300446">welfare policies</a> and investing in public goods. This is also a very current issue. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been argued that countries headed through the crisis by women leaders emerged form the pandemic <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13545701.2021.1874614">in better shape</a>. </p>
<h2>Impact of abuse</h2>
<p>All this raises a dilemma. Women’s involvement in politics has been hard won but those who lead the way appear to be <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/violence-against-women-in-politics-9780190088477?lang=en&cc=us">paying a high cost</a>. There may be more women in offices of authority and influence than ever before, but everyday women in such positions face violence and abuse directed towards them: from sexist and misogynist comments about their appearance to death and rape threats to physical assault. This is abuse that men do not suffer to the same extent. </p>
<p>Violence against women serves to reinforce a gender system where the roles, responsibilities and norms of women and men are clearly defined. Those who fall outside of them are punished and forced to comply. Women challenging the idea of politics and the public sphere as a “man’s world” are targeted to “show them their place in society” and that has consequences. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2014/6/violence-against-women-in-politics">report</a> on violence against women politicians in South Asia, for example, found that 90% of women in India, Nepal and Pakistan felt that violence breaks their resolve to join politics. Another Report by <a href="https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/a-house-for-everyone">the Fawcett Society</a> this year found that 93% of women MPs in the UK said that online abuse or harassment has a negative impact on how they feel about being an MP. </p>
<p>For our work with Amnesty International on violence against women and girls, we had no shortage of <a href="https://academy.amnesty.org/learn/course/external/view/elearning/278/confronting-and-countering-gender-based-violence">case studies</a> of women in the public sphere who spoke up only to be faced with online and offline violence. Often this abuse is compounded by a host of demographic factors, including race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion and disability. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/17/how-female-mps-cope-with-misogynistic-abuse">Diane Abbott</a>, the UK’s first black female MP, who has been in the job since 1987, came close to quitting due to racist and sexualised abuse.</p>
<p>For <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/angela-rayner-sexist-basic-instinct-story-was-steeped-classism_uk_6267a569e4b0dc52f49b815a">Angela Rayner</a>, Labour’s deputy leader, negative media attention “wasn’t just about me as a woman … it was also steeped in classism and about where I come from, where I grew up”. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/02/kim-leadbeater-political-novice-who-will-not-toe-the-line-in-westminster">Kim Leadbeater,</a> sister of the murdered MP Jo Cox, was faced with a barrage of homophobic abuse while campaigning for Batley and Spen. In the UK, Jewish and Muslim women MPs <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39339487">face the most abuse</a> on social media.</p>
<p>In only six weeks in 2022, Muslim MP Naz Shah received nearly 5,000 toxic messages on Twitter. Shah <a href="https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23113447.naz-shah-mp-shockingly-received-5-000-toxic-tweets-six-weeks/">says</a> she has come to see it as part of her routine:</p>
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<p>I still wake up to a daily barrage of racist, Islamophobic, sexist and hate-filled tweets.</p>
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<h2>How to respond?</h2>
<p>We need to think about how key institutions (political parties, parliaments, governments) deal with the abuse directed at women who put themselves forward. State legislation, such as the UK’s <a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137">online safety bill</a> or Bolivia’s <a href="https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/criminalising-political-violence-and-harassment-bolivia">2012 law</a> specifically criminalising political violence and harassment against women, are important steps in the right direction. But without addressing the still all-too common attitudes that assign women to the private sphere and define politics as the sphere of men, we will not be able to solve the problem.</p>
<p>Without creating an awareness among young adults of violence against women and girls, its causes and possible solutions, women who engage in online and offline politics will remain targets of bias based on gender. Indeed, we need political institutions to lead in this cause instead of leaving <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2023/03/werise-app-bridges-generations-to-promote-gender-equality-through-gaming">organisations such as the UN</a> and Amnesty to bear the burden.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201028/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Parveen Akhtar had a consultancy contract with Amnesty International Hungary to develop online material on Violence against Women and Girls.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Jenichen had a consultancy contract with Amnesty International Hungary to develop online material on Violence against Women and Girls. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patricia Correa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Feminist movements are giving women a louder voice than ever, but those at the top of their game are routinely expected to deal with abuse and threats of violence.Parveen Akhtar, Senior Lecturer: Politics, History and International Relations, Aston UniversityAnne Jenichen, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Aston UniversityPatricia Correa, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1972922023-01-09T11:12:09Z2023-01-09T11:12:09ZThe online ‘hierarchy of credibility’ that fuels influencers like Andrew Tate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503427/original/file-20230106-15-h4wf1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=93%2C40%2C3800%2C2913&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The arrest of influencer Andrew Tate in Romania on charges of sex trafficking and sexual abuse will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jan/01/fans-andrew-tate-king-of-toxic-masculinity-flood-web-arrest">do little to deter his supporters</a>. For some time now, those outside his sphere of influence have looked on bemused as to how he appears to have accumulated so much power over young people. </p>
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<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>The fact is that Tate, like many others, has tapped into the understanding that people who feel disenfranchised seek leadership, guidance, and hope via the internet. He is part of a new social hierarchy that is forming around people who feel let down by conventional leaders. </p>
<p>Within my research, I argue that the legitimacy and credibility of the British and US governments has corroded since the turn of the century. Trust in the British government <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/survey-trust-in-british-government-dropped-to-record-low/">dropped to an all-time low in 2021</a>. </p>
<p>There have been many controversial issues and political indignities such as the <a href="https://www.democraticaudit.com/2017/07/07/long-read-public-opinion-legitimacy-and-tony-blairs-war-in-iraq/">invasion of Iraq</a>, the British <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6499657/MPs-expenses-scandal-a-timeline.html">parliamentary expenses scandal</a>, the Edward Snowden leaks of government surveillance, economic austerity, failed Brexit promises, and, most recently, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7a2093f8-55f8-400f-9176-2225b9193e05">COVID PPE deals</a> that have subsequently come under scrutiny. Every example of unethical government behaviour undermines any illusion that political elites are morally and intellectually superior to the people they lead and contributes to a decline in public faith.</p>
<p>The internet and social media have exacerbated this problem. We, the public, can share information like never before and critique the people who sit at the top of a long-standing <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199683581.001.0001/acref-9780199683581-e-1006%3Bjsessionid=0EF68E5AB5773383BA9F6C9FE0637B44#:%7E:text=A%2520concept%2520introduced%2520by%2520Howard,at%2520the%2520bottom%2520less%2520so.">hierarchy of credibility</a>.
Politicians have fewer stones under which to hide, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/trustingovernmentuk/2022">fuelling the erosion of their leadership credentials</a>. </p>
<p>Sociologist Howard Becker’s <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199683581.001.0001/acref-9780199683581-e-1006;jsessionid=0EF68E5AB5773383BA9F6C9FE0637B44">hierarchy of credibility</a> suggests a way to determine who defines reality and what the truth should be. It is grounded in the principle that those belonging to the highest-ranking social groups have the authority and the credibility to define and decipher events. </p>
<p>Other sociologists, such as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/089124167300200308">Stanley Cohen</a>, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/29766074">Stuart Hall</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02673231070220030707">Chas Critcher</a> have added the idea that social actors such as political leaders, police and the media occupy high positions in the mainstream hierarchy. They frame phenomena on behalf of the rest of us at the grassroots level.</p>
<p>One part of this hierarchy is the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405165518.wbeosm122#:%7E:text=A%2520moral%2520entrepreneur%2520is%2520an,own%2520ardently%2520held%2520moral%2520beliefs.">moral entrepreneur</a>. This is a person or organisation occupying the middle rungs of society, often campaigning in favour of a particular social issue within the mainstream social system. They strive to challenge narratives and gain support for their causes.</p>
<p>Finally, at the bottom of the mainstream hierarchy are “laymen”, whose knowledge and understanding of world events is given to them by those at the top. </p>
<h2>The ‘alt-moral entrepreneur’</h2>
<p>Just as social media has enabled us to witness more elite scandal and unethical behaviour than ever before, it has also made it possible for alternative hierarchies to emerge. It is within these hierarchies that people like Tate thrive. </p>
<p>The internet has provided platforms for the fringes of society to voice their discontent and connect with like-minded others. And these new hierarchies are the perfect environment for people who have lost faith in the mainstream social ordering and in the willingness of conventional leaders to hold their best interests at heart. Or, as is often the case with Andrew Tate’s followers, those who are <a href="https://www.collectiveshout.org/andrew_tate_a_grade_poison_what_parents_and_teachers_need_to_know_about_his_indoctrination_of_boys">too young and impressionable</a> to understand the difference. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Tate’s arrest explained.</span></figcaption>
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<p>At the most extreme tip of this hierarchy, populist political figures such as Donald Trump and conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones hold strong credulity and high positions. Their distorted takes on world events are eagerly digested by disenfranchised followers who believe that they hold the answers to ongoing issues. These figures assume leadership roles, talk expertly on issues with little or flawed information, and profess populist remedies to such issues. </p>
<p>Tate slots in as what might be described as an “alt-moral entrepreneur” within this alternative online global hierarchy. His messages are projected as advice and guidance for “lost men” rather than being presented as full-blown conspiracy theories. Online videos disseminated by followers often portray Tate as an advice giver and a solver of men’s issues, akin to the moral entrepreneurs of the mainstream hierarchy. </p>
<p>Like many others, I have been bombarded via YouTube with videos of Tate’s preaching on various podcasts, shared by like-minded influencers (male and female) espousing similar views. He professes cures for men feeling lost in a system portrayed as oppressive to them, managed by political figureheads lacking moral credibility. </p>
<p>Tate and his brother, Tristan, often talk of their difficult “brokie” days, and how they rose to fame and attained wealth, suggesting such a route as achievable to others with the right mindset. Tate’s road map of how to go from “rags to riches” via the unethical treatment of women will have serious repercussions for today’s youth. </p>
<h2>A conundrum for the mainstream</h2>
<p>Mainstream leaders are yet to work out how to deal with these emerging online hierarchies. During a cost of living crisis where social and economic resources are being stretched to their limits, it is inevitable that some will suffer more than others. </p>
<p>If elected leaders can’t help the most disadvantaged, its natural that those same people will seek out help elsewhere to alleviate their hardship. It is here that political leaders fall short, failing to understand the sway that figures such as Tate have, and how such sway actively harms both the legitimacy of their elected leadership, and the democratic process itself. </p>
<p>Tate and others like him are a warning to the mainstream elite hierarchy that social changes are needed to prevent his kind from targeting and corrupting young men and women. People have moved beyond accepting political rhetoric with no end product, and the internet provides a means for people to step outside the mainstream hierarchy in search of alternatives. </p>
<p>It isn’t just a matter of silencing harmful rhetoric through cancellation. Political leaders need to meaningfully instil changes that lead to a renewed faith in their ability to create real prosperity. The alternative is Andrew Tate.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197292/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul TJ French does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Those who feel disenfranchised from mainstream leaders are vulnerable to falling for the promises of online ‘leaders’ and ‘alt-moral entrepreneurs’.Paul TJ French, PhD Candidate in Criminal Law & Criminology; Lecturer of Criminology, University of Chester, Liverpool John Moores UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1962762022-12-22T22:13:09Z2022-12-22T22:13:09ZWill Australia receive a red card for gender equity at the 2023 Women’s World Cup?<p>This year’s FIFA men’s World Cup has cast a media spotlight on Qatar’s human rights record. The tournament also offered an opportunity to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/29/protests-around-iran-at-world-cup-continue-but-security-take-a-step-back">draw attention</a> to the current protests in Iran surrounding the mistreatment of women.</p>
<p>Qatar’s <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/qatar/report-qatar/">imbalance in rights</a> and treatment of women in particular has been called out. Discrimination against women has long been enshrined in Qatari law, including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/mar/29/were-treated-as-children-qatari-women-tell-rights-group">unclear rules</a> on male guardianship. This means Qatari women face inequities and lack of access to basic freedoms.</p>
<p>Although Iran was not a host country, the World Cup has been an opportunity for people to protest the treatment of women in Iran following the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-23/what-happened-to-mahsa-mini-iran-protests-death-iranian-women/101467612">death in custody</a> of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. Iranian footballer Amir Reza Nasr Azadani was this month <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-15/iranian-footballer-handed-death-sentence-for-backing-women/101774262">sentenced to death</a> for joining in protests against the country’s clerical establishment.</p>
<p>Host nations of large sports events are often called out by the international public for their track record on human rights. If they fall short of human rights expectations they are increasingly accused of “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/16/sportswashing-qatar-west-world-cup-regime">sportswashing</a>” – enhancing their reputation by leveraging the <a href="https://theconversation.com/liv-golf-sportwashing-vs-the-commercial-value-of-public-attention-185478">goodwill associated with sport</a>. </p>
<p>While Australia is unlikely to be accused of sportswashing to the same extent as nations like Qatar, should we be? As we prepare to co-host (with New Zealand) the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup, will the world bring focus to Australia’s treatment of women?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fifas-mirage-of-unity-why-the-world-cup-is-a-vessel-for-political-protest-195432">FIFA's mirage of unity: why the World Cup is a vessel for political protest</a>
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<h2>Sport events revealing human rights injustices</h2>
<p>In 2017, amid mounting criticism of its decision to award the 2022 tournament to Qatar, FIFA, the international governing body of football, adopted a <a href="https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/1a876c66a3f0498d/original/kr05dqyhwr1uhqy2lh6r-pdf.pdf">Human Rights Policy</a> with the aim of encouraging member countries to respect and protect all human rights. However, FIFA stands accused of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/12/fifa-accused-of-failing-to-adhere-to-its-own-human-rights-commitments">failing to adhere</a> to its own human rights commitments.</p>
<p>This includes FIFA <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-worldcup-fifa-infantino-idUSKBN1K31IG">praising Russia</a> for hosting a successful tournament in 2018, despite the country doing little to hold that nation to account for abuses of foreign workers, repression of LGBTQIA+ people and its persecution of Ukraine.</p>
<h2>Is Australia levelling the playing field for women?</h2>
<p>It’s important to note that unlike Qatar and Iran, Australia doesn’t have constitutional or legally formalised repression of women or sexual minorities. However, women (especially First Nations women) in Australia still navigate deeply entrenched inequities and disadvantage for a range of reasons.</p>
<p>This is why in the lead-up to Australia co-hosting the Women’s World Cup, the nation needs to look at its own gender inequities. For example, Australia is currently ranked <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2022.pdf">43rd in the world</a> by the World Economic Forum for gender equality. In contrast, our 2023 Women’s World Cup hosting partners New Zealand ranks fourth. </p>
<p>One woman a week <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/01/a-woman-is-still-being-killed-each-week-in-australia-we-need-federal-leadership">dies in Australia</a> as a consequence of intimate partner violence. <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/quick-facts/">One in two</a> Australian women have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. It’s been <a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/pdf/a-high-price-to-pay.pdf">estimated</a> violence against women costs the Australian economy $21.7 billion a year. <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-dark-underbelly-of-australian-workplaces-was-exposed-now-migrants-are-being-asked-for-their-stories/mhyk2p0pc">Migrant, refugee</a> and First Nations women are at <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/report-editions">greater risk</a>. </p>
<p>Australia’s lack of progress is also reflected in Australian men having been <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/australian-men-rank-among-most-misogynistic/">found</a> to hold some of the most sexist and misogynistic views in the world. This research found more men in Australia believe “it’s a woman’s obligation to have sex with her boyfriend or husband even if she doesn’t feel like it” than men in any of the 30 countries surveyed.</p>
<p>Inequity against women is also present in workplaces. Despite legislative and other apparent protections, inequities against women are weaved into the very fabric of our nation. From the private domain, workplaces to the law and public office, masculine (typically white) privilege is retained.</p>
<p>At the current rate of progress, it will take more than 200 years for Australian women to achieve <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/05/australian-women-will-need-more-than-200-years-to-reach-income-equity-with-men">pay equity with men</a>. </p>
<h2>First Nations women disproportionately affected by inequity in Australia</h2>
<p>Through <a href="https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/legacy23">Australia’s Legacy ‘23 plan</a> to increase diversity in professional sport, there is an <a href="https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/australia-new-zealand2023/news/australia-building-strong-platform-for-indigenous-legacy">opportunity</a> for First Nations women and gender-diverse people to participate in football. While a great sporting opportunity, how will this materially or culturally benefit these First Nations people in the long term? </p>
<p>First Nations peoples’ public participation in sport is not enough, as academics Toni Bruce and Emma Wensing have found in <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230367463_31">their research</a>. They analysed the reception to Cathy Freeman’s success at the Sydney Olympics, and found that widepsread media coverage of Freeman’s achievements did nothing to change the country’s racial attitudes towards Aboriginal people. </p>
<p>While widespread media coverage of participation in sport is certainly a great opportunity for some First Nations people in Australia, it could be considered a form of sportswashing, where media use sport and sporting achievements to distract from bigger issues. For example, in 2016–17, Indigenous women in Australia reported three times as many incidents of sexual violence and accounted for one in three family violence <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/b180312b-27de-4cd9-b43e-16109e52f3d4/aihw-fdv4-FDSV-in-Australia-2019_in-brief.pdf.aspx?inline=true">hospitalisations</a>, and were more likely to be killed due to assault.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-closing-the-gap-may-close-doors-for-first-nations-women-in-new-plan-to-end-violence-192620">How 'closing the gap' may close doors for First Nations women in new plan to end violence</a>
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<h2>Moving the goalposts</h2>
<p>Australia has voluntarily entered into <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/human-rights-and-anti-discrimination/international-human-rights-system#:%7E:text=Australia%20is%20a%20party%20to,Forms%20of%20Racial%20Discrimination%20(CERD)">human rights treaty commitments</a> including the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). </p>
<p>As it stands, we aren’t doing enough to honour this commitment. Uplifting women will have positive cultural and economic effects that benefit all Australians, we’re on the same team after all. To build women’s strengths Australia could start by investing in meaningful amounts of <a href="https://theconversation.com/paid-parental-leave-needs-an-overhaul-if-governments-want-us-to-have-one-for-the-country-145627">paid parental leave</a>. First Nations people must also be valued and <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-insists-voice-will-help-close-the-gap-as-divisions-flare-in-nationals-195564">empowered</a> to address inequities affecting them.</p>
<p>Perhaps some rules of the game need changing? Or maybe the goalposts need to be shifted altogether. Calling foul on workplace harassment, eliminating the gender pay gap, reducing violence against Indigenous women and enabling women to progress are rights Australia has sworn to practice and protect. </p>
<p>This would be a win for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sonya Pearce works with Homelessness NSW and is Consultant for DVSM RAP PLAN, and received grants from PAUL RAMSAY FOUNDATION and UTSB.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Pullen, Hazel Maxwell, Michelle O'Shea, and Sarah Duffy do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Qatar World Cup has attracted criticism of the country’s human rights. With Australia set to host the women’s world cup next year, there’s some work we need to do in this area, too.Michelle O'Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney UniversityAlison Pullen, Professor of Gender, Work and Organization, Macquarie UniversityHazel Maxwell, Senior Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversitySarah Duffy, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney UniversitySonya Joy Pearce, Casual academic, University of Sydney, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1958972022-12-06T19:04:14Z2022-12-06T19:04:14ZWorkers supporting survivors of gender-based violence are demanding change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499277/original/file-20221206-17-31xdiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C3594%2C2382&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A staff member carries bedding to a suite at Toronto's Interval House, an emergency shelter for women in abusive situations, in 2017. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/workers-supporting-survivors-of-gender-based-violence-are-demanding-change" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>While the world went into lockdown at the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, shelters helping women who are survivors of domestic violence remained open. </p>
<p>In fact, for many of shelters, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00398-2">the work increased</a> as they adjusted to public health measures and a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/domestic-violence-rates-rising-due-to-covid19-1.5545851">surge in gender-based violence</a>. </p>
<p>The United Nations has termed this a “<a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19">shadow pandemic</a>.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-made-the-impacts-of-gender-based-violence-worse-193197">The COVID-19 pandemic has made the impacts of gender-based violence worse</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Challenges facing front-line workers</h2>
<p>I’ve been working in gender-based violence for 15 years, the past five at <a href="https://endvaw.ca/">Women’s Shelters Canada</a>, a national non-profit organization supporting women’s shelters.</p>
<p>My work in the field started early for me. As a survivor of gender-based violence, I know the reality all too well and have witnessed family members struggle to survive and carve out new paths to live free of violence and abuse. These early experiences propelled me into activism and the women’s movement.</p>
<p>As a researcher, I do not work directly with survivors, but rather those who work tirelessly to support them in their healing journeys. </p>
<p>Working at Women’s Shelters Canada has connected me with front-line workers across the country. Hearing their stories of struggle under the weight of the pandemic led us to conduct a <a href="https://endvaw.ca/feminist-brain-drain/">national study</a> about the extent of this labour crisis, as well as providing potential solutions on how we can collectively improve the lives of those who work so hard to make the world a better and safer place.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman looks through a rainy window." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C54%2C5961%2C3881&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499077/original/file-20221205-22-on3rpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Front-line workers at women’s shelters are under-compensated, overworked and burnt out. It’s time to throw them a lifeline the way they do for so many victims of gender-based violence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Elliot Mann/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Retention problems</h2>
<p>Like other sectors, especially the <a href="https://theonn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Survey-2022-Policy-Report.pdf">non-profit sector</a>, we struggle with retention issues — losing workers to employers (usually government) that can offer better salaries and benefits. </p>
<p>I cannot count the times I have heard leaders in our sector refer to violence against women shelters as a “training ground.” We prepare our workers with all the tools they need to provide quality trauma-informed care to then watch them leave once they have gained enough experience.</p>
<p>But can we blame them? We know our <a href="https://endvaw.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/More-Than-a-Bed-Final-Report.pdf">salaries have not remained competitive</a> and this is largely due to government funders refusing to increase salaries, even cost-of-living increases, in our operating budgets. </p>
<p>To compensate for this inadequacy, management tries workarounds like increasing benefits and flex time, but it’s not enough. </p>
<p>In a preliminary and unpublished subset of data from a recent <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/rd15-rr15/p2.html">national survey</a>, we found that 32 per cent of shelter workers work an additional job to supplement their incomes, and over a quarter are considering quitting their jobs.</p>
<p>Compounding low wages is the level of burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue at all levels, from front-line workers to organizational leaders.</p>
<p>This occurs for many reasons, including working within broken systems (for example, the lack of affordable housing, inadequate mental health supports, insufficient social assistance and immigration barriers, to name just a few issues). As well, the <a href="http://endvaw.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Shelter-Voices-2020-2.pdf">complexity of cases</a> have intensified during the pandemic, including both the severity and frequency of the violence survivors are experiencing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadas-shadow-pandemic-femicide-187661">Canada's shadow pandemic: Femicide</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Relentless need</h2>
<p>As workers leave the sector and shelters struggle to hire new staff, the remaining workers are overwhelmed and exhausted from the past two and a half years. </p>
<p>Like the ongoing crisis of overflowing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/cheo-second-pediatric-icu-surge-cases-1.6646324">intensive care units in children’s hospitals</a>, the demand and need is relentless. </p>
<p><a href="https://endvaw.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shelter-Voices-2022.pdf">Shelter Voices</a> reported 60 per cent of women’s shelters have requested more space since March 2020. </p>
<p>This stress is spilling into workplaces as front-line workers have reported cases of microaggressions from other staff.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in a white T-shirt and jeans sits with her head in her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499084/original/file-20221205-23-fd2k95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many shelter workers report microaggressions from their colleagues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Half of workers we surveyed during the pandemic have witnessed or experienced microaggressions based on their race and 30 per cent based on gender identity. As a result of these compounding challenges, 64 per cent of shelters reported that they have seen a decrease in mental health of their front-line staff.</p>
<p>Leadership and management are doing their best to support workers, but are also affected by the increased workloads and challenges as the pandemic wears on. Shelters are an essential service for many survivors of domestic violence, and yet they must raise funds to keep their doors open and services flowing. </p>
<p>We’ve heard from our members that some provinces are seeing a turnover in leadership of up to 25 per cent. The loss of this institutional knowledge at the organizational and sector level is profound and will have lasting impacts.</p>
<h2>Coming together to build a movement</h2>
<p>We recently brought together 45 shelter workers from across the country to discuss this issue. The participants were grateful, after more than two years of isolation, for an opportunity connect with their peers. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1599816852728778752"}"></div></p>
<p>We could feel the energy and the momentum to create some real change to improve the lives of workers. We asked some hard and critical questions of each other: Are we a sector or are we a movement?</p>
<p>We are both, and transformation — especially when it comes to the large systemic change required to end gender-based violence — needs diverse and multi-layered strategies. </p>
<p>We need to take to the streets to demand equitable and sustainable funding that similar sectors receive. We believe that the supports a survivor receives should not depend upon their <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-womens-shelters-canada-funding/">postal code</a>. There are <a href="https://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-35/index.html">fewer services in rural, remote and northern communities</a> and what services do exist must act as a catch-all for a variety of community needs.</p>
<p>We also need a seat at the table with the federal government as it shapes its <a href="http://endvaw.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Final-Joint-Statement-on-NAP.pdf">National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of women pose for a photo" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499019/original/file-20221205-5826-m5rbf0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shelter workers gather at the Feminist Brain Drain Symposium in Ottawa in November 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Women’s Shelters Canada</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a workforce predominantly comprised of <a href="https://canadianwomens.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ResettingNormal-Women-Decent-Work-and-Care-EN.pdf">women and women of colour</a>, we are tired of being ignored, silenced and tokenized. </p>
<p>Our expertise and value is essential in the fight to end gender-based violence. Our workers are the heart of this transformative justice work and need to be recognized, appreciated and adequately compensated for the important and often life-saving work they do. </p>
<p>Survivors — and frontline workers — deserve nothing less.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195897/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Krys Maki (they/them) worked for Women's Shelters Canada as the Director of Research and Policy from 2017-2022. </span></em></p>The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that shelters helping survivors of domestic violence are essential. Retention and recruitment issues in the gender-based violence sector require systemic solutions.Krys Maki, Assistant Professor at the School of Social Innovation, Université Saint-Paul / Saint Paul UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1868272022-12-06T00:28:07Z2022-12-06T00:28:07Z1 in 10 women report disrespectful or abusive care in childbirth<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492044/original/file-20221027-29153-d7sx1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5701%2C3795&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-giving-birth-baby-pregnant-patient-2128065755">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Having a baby can be an empowering experience when women are treated with kindness and respect. </p>
<p>However, some women are left feeling traumatised by how they were treated. When women receive disrespectful and abusive care from health providers during pregnancy, labour and birth, or after the baby is born, it’s called <a href="https://birthmonopoly.com/obstetric-violence/">obstetric violence</a>. This includes verbal, physical and emotional abuse, threats or coercion by health providers. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10778012221140138">study</a>, published today in journal Violence Against Women, is the first to look at Australian women’s experiences of obstetric violence. Of the 8,804 women we surveyed, more than one in ten (11.6%) indicated they had, or may have, experienced obstetric violence. </p>
<p>Respondents who elaborated told us this ranged from disrespectful, abusive and coercive comments (42%) to physical abuse (7%) and vaginal examinations without consent (17%).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/so-your-birth-didnt-go-according-to-plan-dont-blame-yourself-89155">So your birth didn't go according to plan? Don't blame yourself</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>‘Dehumanised’, ‘powerless’ and ‘violated’</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10778012221140138">data</a> comes from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BirthExperienceStudy">Birth Experience Study</a>, a survey asking Australian women about their birth experiences over the past five years. </p>
<p>We asked participants if they experienced obstetric violence and they were able to leave comments if they wanted to. </p>
<p>Like all surveys, women who are more educated and have English as their first language tend to respond the most. To reduce this bias, we translated the survey into seven other languages.</p>
<p>Some 626 women left comments describing feeling dehumanised, powerless and violated. Some experienced psychological and emotional abuse, while others were threatened and yelled at. </p>
<p>More alarming were the experiences of physical assault, such as forcible restraint or being held down. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman grimaces while in labour" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492040/original/file-20221027-23886-nbnzuj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Experiences ranged from emotional abuse to physical violence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/R5yoJSYDDfI">Jimmy Conover/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some women felt the experience was like a sexual assault. This was mainly associated with rough vaginal examinations or procedures the women didn’t consent to. </p>
<p>As one woman from New South Wales explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was told by the doctor who just appeared in the room that he would need to do a <a href="https://theconversation.com/episiotomy-during-childbirth-not-just-a-little-snip-36062">vacuum delivery</a> and an <a href="https://theconversation.com/episiotomy-during-childbirth-not-just-a-little-snip-36062">episiotomy</a>, and I felt him cut me as he was speaking before [using] a numbing needle, it wasn’t during a contraction and I hadn’t had a chance to consent yet. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another woman from Queensland told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I felt dehumanised because A) nobody told me the procedure was optional or gave me choice to opt out. B) I was very clearly highly distressed and they didn’t pause or stop the procedure to check my consent. C) there were three people I didn’t know standing and looking at my exposed naked body. D) the midwife had joked about the procedure. </p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-national-plan-aims-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-in-one-generation-can-it-succeed-192497">A new national plan aims to end violence against women and children 'in one generation'. Can it succeed?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is the law in Australia?</h2>
<p>Australia doesn’t have a <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/human-rights-acts-around-australia">National Human Rights Act</a> or legislation addressing obstetric violence. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www7.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/act/consol_act/hra2004148/">Australian Capital Territory</a>, <a href="https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/charter-human-rights-and-responsibilities-act-2006/015">Victoria</a> and <a href="https://www.qhrc.qld.gov.au/your-rights/human-rights-law">Queensland</a> have their own state/territory human rights acts. This protects against “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” and requires clinicians get the “person’s full, free and informed consent” before performing any medical treatment. </p>
<p>However, across Australia, consent is <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-09/sq20-030_-_fact_sheet_-_informed_consent_-_nsqhs-8.9a.pdf">always required</a> before any medical treatment or examination, except where the woman is incapacitated or unconscious. The provider must explain the proposed treatment in a way that is balanced, truthful, timely, and free of harassment and coercion. And she can change her mind at any time.</p>
<p>Clinical guidelines don’t trump the right to bodily integrity. If guidelines suggest a vaginal examination, they need to be explained, including the reasons for the treatment and the alternatives. Then the woman has to be given an opportunity to accept or decline. </p>
<p>Yet our study detailed many instances of treatments or examinations with either no consent, no informed consent, or despite their refusal.</p>
<p>Midwives and obstetric doctors are expected to practise ethically and respect their patients’ right to refuse consent or withdraw consent. </p>
<p>Patients can make complaints about doctors or midwives, however there are a variety of different methods <a href="https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Concerned-about-a-health-practitioner.aspx">dependent on state/territory</a> which can make the process confusing and overwhelming. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mother holder her newborn close" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492038/original/file-20221027-19-6wwsi3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The process of making a complaint can be difficult and overwhelming.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ZTSiID1W7-o">Alexander Grey</a></span>
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<h2>How do we eliminate obstetric violence?</h2>
<p>All women deserve respectful maternity care, free from harm and abuse. To prevent obstetric violence, we first need to recognise it exists. </p>
<p>The next steps need to involve getting the main professional colleges for <a href="https://ranzcog.edu.au/">obstetricians</a> and <a href="https://www.midwives.org.au/">midwives</a>, consumer organisations, universities that train health providers, health departments and governments to work together to change policies and improve education.</p>
<p>The International Confederation of Midwives and UN Population Fund created a <a href="https://www.internationalmidwives.org/our-work/other-resources/respect-toolkit.html">RESPECT toolkit</a> to facilitate workshops for health care providers on respectful maternity care to support their strategy to create zero tolerance for disrespect and abuse. Programs such as this could be implemented across Australia.</p>
<p>In Queensland, <a href="http://www.humanrightsinchildbirth.org/">Human Rights in Childbirth</a> and <a href="https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/">Maternity Consumer Network</a> have just commenced <a href="https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/about-6">consent training</a> for maternity health professionals. Again, similar programs could be rolled out nationally.</p>
<p>Alongside education, we need legislation recognising obstetric violence as a human rights violation. This would mean women are aware of their rights and have access to legal support if needed. It would also prompt governments and health services to develop <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/communicating-safety-standard/clinical-governance-and-quality-improvement-support-effective-communication/action-602">quality improvement systems</a>, including repercussions for clinicians who commit obstetric violence. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-one-womans-traumatic-experience-drove-her-investigation-into-pregnancy-and-mental-health-177152">How one woman's traumatic experience drove her investigation into pregnancy and mental health</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bashi Hazard is the Chair of the Human Rights in Childbirth, a US s501(c)(3) NGO.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hannah Dahlen and Hazel Keedle do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Women described feeling dehumanised, powerless and violated. Some experienced psychological and emotional abuse, while others were threatened and yelled at.Hazel Keedle, Lecturer of Midwifery, Western Sydney UniversityBashi Hazard, Lawyer, PhD Candidate, University of SydneyHannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1953222022-11-30T16:34:29Z2022-11-30T16:34:29ZCombating violence against women: why the EU’s new bill is a game-changer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497966/original/file-20221129-20-qk55zz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> </figcaption></figure><p>Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 45% of women worldwide have reported that they or a woman they know has experienced a form of violence, a <a href="https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/documents/Publications/Measuring-shadow-pandemic.pdf">2021 UN Women report</a> found. Around 70% said they thought that verbal or physical abuse by a partner has become more common, and 60% felt that sexual harassment in public spaces has worsened.</p>
<p>The situation is no less severe in Europe, where countering gender-based violence against women (GBVAW) has been a high priority for the European Commission president <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0152">Ursula von der Leyen</a>. With <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day">International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women</a> taking place on 25 November, it is important to take stock of EU legislation on fighting GBVAW and at what has – or has not – to be done to push member states to take real action to eradicate the phenomenon.</p>
<h2>The Istanbul Convention</h2>
<p>More than 11 years ago, the 46-state Council of Europe adopted the convention on preventing and combating violence against women, Known as the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/home?">Istanbul Convention</a>, it was ratified by 37 states, including 21 out of 27 members of the EU. States that aren’t part of the Council of Europe, including Israel, Tunisia and Kazakhstan, have also expressed their interest in pressing ahead with the ratification.</p>
<p>The convention is considered as the gold standard for combating gender-based violence against women because it imposes <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/the-convention-in-brief">significant obligations</a>. For example, states are required to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>criminalise the behaviours included in the convention</p></li>
<li><p>provide support to victims, including children that have witnessed violence</p></li>
<li><p>adopt measures of prevention to eradicate stereotypes on the role of women in the society</p></li>
<li><p>and collect data and ensure adequate funding to policies aimed at countering violence against women and domestic violence.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>A monitoring system established by the convention, the <a href="https://www.ecoi.net/en/source/12096.html">Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence</a> (GREVIO), works to ensure its implementation. The European Court of Human Rights referred to the Istanbul Convention in several judgements, including a <a href="https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#%7B%22itemid%22:%5B%22001-220989%22%5D%7D">2022 case against Italy</a>. </p>
<p>In the case, the court ruled Italy failed to protect and assist a mother and her children during contact sessions with the children’s father, a drug addict and alcoholic, who was accused of ill-treatment and threatening behaviour. The children were particularly distressed by the prospect of meeting their father in an unprotected environment. Italy has been compelled to pay compensation to the mother and her children for moral damages.</p>
<h2>How the EU could take it further</h2>
<p>While the EU has signed the Istanbul Convention, it has yet to ratify it. To overcome the impasse, on 8 March 2022 the commission published a <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022PC0105">proposal</a> for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence. The bill is promising, both in its referrals to the Istanbul Convention and its attempt to surpass it, notably by combating the widespread phenomenon of <a href="https://www.ejiltalk.org/a-first-insight-into-the-eu-proposal-for-a-directive-on-countering-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence/">cyber-violence against women</a>. According to the current draft, member states will be required to make online stalking, harassment, inciting violence or hatred and non-consensual sharing of intimate or manipulated material criminal offences. At present, the Istanbul Convention does not address such behaviours.</p>
<p>The directive is currently being debated by both the EU Parliament and Council. The Parliament will publish a report in January and amendments will be then submitted. The vote in the plenary is expected in spring.</p>
<p>In the council, the risk is that prejudices regarding the convention – that are blocking some ratification processes and putting into question already achieved processes of ratification – might also slow down the legislative procedure in the EU or water down the original proposal. Concerns over the convention have been aired over the concept of gender, including by <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/696691">states such as Poland</a>.</p>
<h2>What has (or has not) to be done</h2>
<p>A significant number of NGOs, members of parliament and academics are championing the EU directive, which would mark a step forward in the protection of women and girls from violence in Europe and would support a much-needed cultural change.</p>
<p>However, the directive’s success will depend on its getting a strong push, be among the general public or politicians. As it stands, the proposal can clearly be improved, especially regarding the provisions of the Istanbul Convention related to migration. According to Article 60, state parties must take the necessary measures to ensure that gender-based violence against women be recognised as a form of persecution for the recognition of refugee status.</p>
<p>Still, the bill remains a step in the right direction. For the first time, it sets up EU-wide definitions of criminal offences such as rape and female genital mutilation. It also recognises four forms of online violence against women, including gender and/or sex-based incitement to hatred and violence, while calling to protect victims of all forms of GBVAW.</p>
<p>We must talk about the scourge of gender-based violence against women every day of the year, not just on 25 November. More work is needed to prevent the spread of new forms of violence like the ones committed in the digital world and raise awareness on the domination and discrimination patterns underlying them.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite">“UNITE to end violence against women”</a> is the theme of this year 16-day campaign promoted by the United Nations. And more than ever, being united is what really matters in adopting and then effectively implementing new legislation at European and national level.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195322/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara De Vido ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>If passed in its current form, the European Union’s new directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence will be world-leading.Sara De Vido, Associate Professor of International Law, Ca' Foscari University of VeniceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.