1. WOMEN'S HEALTH GOULBURN NORTH EAST
November 25 - December 10, 2020
16DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
(or, how to bring gender equality into your life,
your work, your community and your world)
2. Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the wisdom, living culture and connection of the Traditional Custodians
of the unceded lands on which we work, and acknowledge the profound disruption of
colonisation and the Stolen Generations on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples.
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3. • It's a global call to action, recognising that gender-based violence
against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.
• It starts on the November 25: International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women.
• It ends on the December 10: World Human Rights Day.
• It was launched in 1991 by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership.
• The 2020 global theme is 'From awareness to accountability'.
Centre for Women's Global Leadership, 2020
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4. Gender-based violence continues at alarming rates:
• In Australia, one in six women have experienced physical and/or sexual
violence at the hands of a current or former partner;
• Gender-based violence amounts to one police call out every two minutes;
• On average, one woman is murdered per week by a current or former
partner; and is
• Estimated cost to the Australian economy is $22 billion each year.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2016
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5. Gender inequality lies at the heart of violence against women. And we can
achieve gender equality through active learning, conscious decisions,
respectful behaviour and by eliminating unconscious bias at home, at work
and in the community.
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6. • Coordinated by Respect Victoria in partnership with the Municipal
Association of Victoria, 79 local governments and 18 non-government
organisations have received small grants to promote the campaign in their
communities.
• The 2020 theme is “Respect Is…”, which invites people:
⚬ to think and talk about what respect looks like in everyday life;
⚬ call out disrespect, sexism and harassment; and
⚬ make the link between gender equality and gender-based violence.
Municipal Association of Victoria, 2020
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• Women's Health Goulburn North East's regional campaign is inspired by
the global theme “From awareness to accountability”
• How you can get involved:
⚬ Check out 16 Days events happening in your region;
⚬ Follow WHGNE social media for daily posts and blogs;
⚬ Deliver your own presentation using our template; and
⚬ Share what “Respect Is…” to you.
8. Template - insert your own content here.
For example: events, training opportunities, invite staff to join the walk
against family violence, an organisational 16 Days email signature, encourage
staff to wear orange, resources on healthy masculinities, internal work at your
organisation to promote gender equity. Get creative! What do you want your
team to know?
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Low representation of women in leadership
positions and in male-dominated industries is
driven by gender stereotypes.
And this has flow-on effects for women’s
equal participation in making the
decisions, planning the systems and
designing the technologies that are
shaping the future of the world.
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At home - by sharing domestic work equally, parents and
carers model equity for children - and this, in turn shapes
expectations of our future workforce and a more
egalitarian perspective of work and home life.
At work - establish quotas and targets to increase women’s
representation in leadership roles, introduce measures to
encourage men to participate in female-dominated sectors
and vice versa. And pay all employees equally for work of
equal value.
Disrupt notions of "women's work" and "men's work"
12. WOMEN'S HEALTH GOULBURN NORTH EAST
16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence with
You have the power to bring gender
equality into your life, your work, your
community and your world.
Systemic change starts with learning.
And it will flourish with practice.
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• 16dayscampaign.org
• Respectvictoria.vic.gov.au
• Mav.asn.au (16 days campaign)
• Whealth.com.au
• Ourwatch.org.au
• Anrows.org.au (NCAS)
14. • Safe Steps - 1800 015 188 -
safesteps.org.au
• 1800 RESPECT - 1800 737 732 -
1800respect.org.au
• Men's Referral Service -
1300 766 491 - ntv.org.au
• Djirra - 1800 105 303 -
djirra.org.au
• Rainbow Door - 1800 729 367 -
rainbowdoor.org.au
• InTouch Multicultural Centre
Against Family Violence -
1800 755 988 - intouch.org.au
• Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800 -
kidshelpline.com.au
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TEMPLATE – insert your contact
details here
Women’s Health Goulburn
North East
whealth@whealth.com.au
(03) 5722 3009
Editor's Notes
Hello and welcome to our presentation on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign for 2020.
My name is INSERT PRESENTER NAME and I am INSERT PRESENTER ROLE at INSERT ORGANISATION NAME. This presentation has been developed by Women’s Health Goulburn North East, for us to tailor to our organisational context and deliver internally.
The presentation will provide an overview of the 16 Days campaign, starting with the international and state-wide context, before drilling down on the local work and what’s happening within our organisation, as well as providing ideas for you to be able to incorporate actions into your everyday life.
Whilst this presentation has a prevention focus and frames the content from a gender equity perspective, we do talk about gender-based violence and disrespect as well. These types of reflective conversations can sometimes bring up uncomfortable feelings for some people, and so if that happens, I encourage you to reach out for support. State-wide service information is included at the end of the presentation if you, or anyone else you know needs them.
I acknowledge the wisdom, living culture and connection of the Traditional Custodians of the unceded lands on which we work, and acknowledge the profound disruption of colonisation and the Stolen Generations on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
So this 16 Days campaign – what is it about?
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign is a call to action to emphasise that gender-based violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.
Beginning on the 25 November which is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the campaign spans 16 days to finish on 10 December which is World Human Rights Day. These dates were specifically chosen to link violence against women and human rights.
The campaign was launched in 1991 by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership. Almost three decades on, ‘16 Days’ is a widely recognised global campaign and organising strategy for individuals and groups to call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence. To date, more than 6,000 organisations from around 187 countries have participated in the campaign.
This year the global campaign theme is “From Awareness to Accountability”.
[extra info if required]
The global reach and prominence of this campaign helps us collectively to:
raise awareness about gender-based violence against women as a human rights issue
strengthen local work around gender-based violence against women
establish a clear link between local and international work to end gender-based violence against women
provide a forum in which we can all develop and share new and effective strategies
demonstrate the solidarity of women around the world organizing against gender-based violence against women
create tools to pressure governments to implement commitments to eliminate gender-based violence against women
Globally, gender-based violence against women continues to occur at alarming rates. Too often it is accepted as normal behaviour and the global culture of discrimination against women allows violence to occur largely unchecked.
The term gender-based violence describes violence rooted in gender-based power, inequality and discrimination. It causes or can cause physical, sexual, psychological or financial harm. It can occur in the home, at work, online or in public. People of all genders can experience gender-based violence, including transgender and/or non-binary people. Gender-based violence is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘violence against women’ because of the disproportionate number of women and girls who experience violence.
The statistics that are presented here are at the general population level as a whole, and demonstrates the pervasiveness of the issue, it does not discriminate. However, there are certain gendered patterns in the data that are important to note, to then be able to develop tailored responses.
On a national level, gender-based violence against women and their children costs Australia $22 billion each year.
In Australia, the most unsafe place for a woman, is her own home. Women are at greater risk of family, domestic and sexual violence than men – and they are more likely to know the perpetrator (often their current or a previous partner) and the violence usually takes place in their home. Men experience violence too but are more likely to experience violence from strangers in a public place.
One in six women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a current or former cohabiting partner. This is compared to one in sixteen men. It amounts to one police call out every two minutes and on average, in Australia, one woman is murdered per week by a current or former partner.
Calls for action like the 16 days of Activism campaign are crucial because they shine a spotlight on the issue of gender-based violence and highlight what needs to change to prevent it from happening in the first place at the local, national, regional and international levels.
Gender-based violence against women is a global problem and it requires global action.
You may get the sense that because it’s such a widespread issue that there isn’t much individuals can do in their own local area. However, here’s the good news: gender-based violence against women is preventable and promoting and normalising gender equality is at the heart of the solution. This is captured in an evidenced based national framework called Change the Story, developed by Our Watch.
A common saying is “Not every act of disrespect leads to violence, but every act of violence starts with disrespect”.
Research has found that when there are unequal power relations, and unequal value and respect shown to men, women and gender diverse people, these create broader conditions in society that produce violence.
So to address gender inequality as the root cause of the problem, we must look beyond the individual, and at the broader culture that may subtly shape attitudes towards violence.
A long-term approach is needed to achieve cultural change, however many small actions can make a big difference collectively. Everyone has a role to play in challenging harmful stereotypes, norms and structures that perpetuate inequality and disrespect.
Because when gender equality exists, we all benefit.
At the Victorian level, Respect Victoria is responsible for coordinating a the 16 Days of Activism campaign, in partnership with Municipal Association of Victoria.
In 2020, the Respect Women: Call It Out key message will again be used to encourage and support bystander action.
“Respect is…” is the theme of the 2020 campaign.
This is a positive message that aims to support the Victorian community to unpack what respect means, what it looks like, and how to put it into practice in homes, relationships, workplaces, friendships and communities. Respect sits at the core of all safe, healthy and equal relationships.
All 79 local governments across the state and an additional 18 non-government organisations (including Women’s Health Goulburn North East) received small grants to promote the “Respect is…” campaign in their local communities.
With this campaign, individuals and communities are being invited to:
Think about and talk about what respect looks like in their everyday lives – including in relationships, families, workplaces and communities;
Call out disrespect, sexism, harassment and abuse when it is safe to do so;
Make the link between gender equality and gender-based violence against women.
By getting involved in the Victorian campaign, we all have an opportunity to support our communities to understand what gender equality looks like and how striving for equality and respect can prevent gender-based violence.
At the regional level, this year Women’s Health Goulburn North East is advocating for communities to move beyond awareness raising, and towards tangible action, weaving women’s rights and gender equality into our everyday behaviour, practice and the economic, cultural and social fabric of our communities.
Shifting the focus from awareness to accountability is perhaps even more important this year, due to the gendered impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.
The fallout from COVID-19 has intensified rates of violence against women in communities across Australia, at the same time as increasing women’s unpaid care and domestic workloads and putting at risk women’s livelihoods and economic security. The pandemic has also rolled back decades’ worth of gains in gender equality.
However, the pandemic recovery presents an opportunity to transform our current economic model and its cultural and social underpinnings into one that has women’s human rights and gender equality at its core. And transformation begins at home and work, with every one of us.
Some ideas for how you can get involved include:
Check out the 16 days regional calendar and participate in the many wonderful (and online) events and add your own!
Follow the Women’s Health socials (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for daily posts and blogs about the spheres of action and how you can integrate them into your daily life and world
Use the information from this presentation to start a conversation with your colleagues
Share what respect means to you – start a conversation at home and with your social groups
Template – insert your own speakers notes here.
You may remember that I mentioned a national framework earlier, called Change the Story.
Not only does this framework outline the key gendered drivers of violence against women – it also provides five essential actions for addressing them.
The drivers are:
The condoning of violence against women - for example, the idea that it is excusable for men to use violence in certain circumstances, that they cannot always be held responsible, or that some kinds of violence (such as sexual harassment) are not serious. Trying to shift blame onto the victim is another way violence is often condoned.
Men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence in public life and relationships – for example, the idea that men make better leaders than women, or that men should be the head of the household and decide how money is spent.
Rigid gender roles and stereotyped constructions of masculinity and femininity – the idea that women and men and girls and boys should act in certain ways or fulfil certain roles.
Male peer relationships or ‘male bonding’ that emphasises aggression and disrespect towards women – for example, the way some groups of men seek to prove their ‘manhood’ or ‘masculinity’ through actions that are disrespectful, hostile or aggressive towards women.
And to address these drivers in everyday life, we can:
Challenge the condoning of violence against women by thinking critically and talking about media portrayals of violence against women that highlight victim behaviour, rather than perpetrators responsibility.
Promote women’s independence and decision making. This might mean taking extra steps to ensure women’s voices are heard, in the board room and at the dinner table.
Challenge gender stereotypes and roles – share the work around the house, don’t use phrases that reinforce these stereotypes like ‘stop crying like a girl’, ‘man up’ or ‘don’t be such a girl’ – these phrases put pressure on men and boys to hide their emotions and belittle girls and women.
Strengthen positive, equal and respectful relationships. This is where the state-wide ‘respect women: call it out’ campaign comes in – call it out when you encounter a problematic attitude (if it’s safe to do so), such as the false belief that women make up false reports of sexual assaults in order to punish men, which is held by over a third of the population. This is the very reason that victim survivors are afraid to seek help, and the majority either delay or never report sexual assault. Evidence shows that only 5% of sexual assault allegations are false.
Both the global and regional 16 Days campaigns ‘From awareness to accountability’ are focussed on women’s human rights in the world of work.
Here we look at one particular example of the gendered drivers: rigid gender roles and stereotyped constructions of masculinity and feminitity and demonstrate how this plays out in our interpersonal relationships, in our communities, our organisations and in wider society.
These stereotypes also drive the low representation of women in leadership positions and in male-dominated industries, which has flow-on effects for women’s equal participation in making the decisions, planning the systems and designing the technologies that are shaping the future of the world. Again this is one of the essential actions to work on – promoting women’s independence and decision making in both public and private spheres.
So, now that you know this – what can you do about it?
Challenge these rigid gender stereotypes by disrupting notions of “women’s work” and “men’s work”.
You can do this at home, by sharing domestic work equally, parents and carers’ model equity for children - and this, in turn shapes expectations of our future workforce and a more egalitarian perspective of work and home life.
You can also do this at work:
Workplaces are somewhere that people spend a great deal of their time, and therefore, they can play a huge part in influencing the attitudes, behaviours, and social norms through everyday conversations and how respect is modelled in the workplace.
Workplace systems, such as policies and procedures, can unintentionally perpetuate gender inequality. This can result in biased recruitment and promotion processes, the underrepresentation of women in senior roles and the unequal sharing of care responsibilities.
By conducting a workplace audit of staffing demographics, you can start to build a picture of where some of the inequities and barriers lie, and begin to open up conversations about how to work towards a more gender equitable workplace that values diversity.
In Victoria in particular the introduction of the Gender Equality Act will go a long way to facilitating public entities to have a gender equity action plan by October 2021.
For more ideas on actions you can take to address the drivers of violence at home and at work, follow the Women’s Health 16 Days Campaign on social media.
You have the power to bring gender equality into your life, your work, your community and your world.
It might be as simple as starting to think about and reflect on some of the conversations you have in social and work settings, as well as the things you see in the media and popular culture.
What are some everyday terms that are routinely used in general conversations and what messages do they send about gender stereotypes and roles?
For example, what does it mean when someone uses the terms ‘like a girl’ or ‘man up’? What does it mean when a father is ‘babysitting’ his children, is he not ‘being a parent’? When a leader who is female makes assertive decisions that may be considered unpopular by some, why are they called bossy?
Once you start to see gender in all of these everyday situations, you become part of the critical community for change. So I encourage you to be curious about the world you live in and start to make ripples that way.
Systemic change starts with learning.
Gender equity work is challenging work – if you want to dive a bit deeper and learn more about the gendered drivers, about the 16 Days campaigns, globally, state-wide or locally, or if you want to learn more about community attitudes towards gender equity and violence against women – you can check out any of the websites listed here.
Remember, that if you or someone you know is experiencing family violence – you are not alone, and support is available.
Please reach out to the support services listed here or in an emergency please call 000.
Safe Steps is the 24/7 Victorian family violence response phone line.
1800 Respect is the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services.
No to Violence is a referral service for men who use violence.
Djirra provides telephone and face-to-face support to Aboriginal people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
Rainbow Door is a specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline.
InTouch is a specialist family violence service for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
And finally, Kids Helpline – a support service for kids, teens and young adults experiencing family violence.
Thank you to each and every one of you for taking the time to tune in to this presentation.
There is already an incredible amount of transformative work happening across the region, and we know that for many of you, this is something that we are all fighting for each and every day of the year.
The 16 Days campaign provides us with an important opportunity each year to showcase this work, grow the awareness more broadly, and use this collective momentum to engage more individuals, organisations and communities to work on long-term efforts.
So if you or your organisation would like to know how you can be involved in gender equity initiatives beyond the campaign, please get in touch with us or Women’s Health Goulburn North East. We’d love to link you in to our many partnerships and projects.
Thank you
