STOP the Violence25 November to 10 December 2020 #16DaysInWA

www.communities.wa.gov.au/16DaysinWA

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Minister’s Message

Violence against women is never okay. We all have a responsibility to prevent violence, call it out when we see it and provide support to those affected.

This is an important message we are sharing with the Western Australian community during our annual campaign, 16 Days in WA to Stop Violence Against Women, which starts on 25 November (the International day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and finishes on 10 December (Human Rights Day).

Since 2017, the WA-led campaign has empowered hundreds of thousands of Western Australians to help stop gender-based violence in our State.

We again ask the community to get behind this initiative to raise awareness and increase positive actions to end violence against women in our community.

The theme for the 2020 campaign is Respect starts with you. Promoting equality and respectful relationships, violence-free spaces and safer communities is key to stopping violence against women.

Importantly, we want to give you the necessary tools to challenge attitudes and behaviours that you or those around you may have that can lead to violence occurring.

We are also urging young people to lead the way in shaping positive attitudes towards women and insisting on healthy, respectful relationships. Generational change is crucial if we are to achieve long-term success and stop gender-based violence in our communities for good.

There is no quick fix to WA’s high rates of family and domestic violence. But as the State’s first Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, I am determined to make sure we have the right systems and programs in place to turn the situation around.

The McGowan Government’s strong commitment to keeping women and children safe from family and domestic violence is evidenced by the delivery of a significant package of safety and support initiatives. This includes Path to Safety, Western Australia’s Strategy for Reducing Family and Domestic Violence 2020-2030, as well as the most comprehensive family violence law reform package ever seen in Western Australia.

There is no doubt there is a lot of work to do to keep survivors of domestic violence safe. But we cannot do this without you.

I encourage community members, businesses and sector leaders to be part of 16 Days in WA and do what you can to help end violence against women.

Together, we can create a future where all Western Australians live free from family and domestic violence.

Hon Simone McGurk MLAMinister for Child Protection; Women’s Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services

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Background The 16 Days in WA to Stop Violence Against Women initiative began in 2017, led by the McGowan Government and its first dedicated Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, the Hon Simone McGurk MLA.

From 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, which is Human Rights Day, individuals and communities throughout the State have an opportunity to show their support for ending violence against women, including family, domestic and sexual violence.

Our initiative draws inspiration from the 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign to end violence against women and girls across the world1 . Since 1991, more than 6,000 organisations in approximately 182 countries have taken part in the 16 Days Campaign.

In Western Australia, 16 Days in WA to Stop Violence Against Women aims to raise awareness; increase positive actions; and highlight organisations, agencies, communities and individuals working to end violence against women.

Taking Action

This kit is designed to support your efforts to speak out in your community and circles of influence, over the period of the campaign.

It includes:

• Key Messages, Facts and Statistics • 16 Ways to Take Action• Social Media• Host an Event• Resources• Information, Services and Supports.

1 https://16dayscampaign.org/

https://16dayscampaign.org/

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Our Key Messages• Violence against women is never okay. We all have a responsibility to help stop

the violence.

• Stopping violence against women is about promoting equality and respectful relationships, violence-free spaces and safer communities.

• Breaking the cycle of family and domestic violence starts with respect towards women.

• Young people can lead the way in shaping positive attitudes towards women by insisting on healthy, respectful relationships.

Facts and Statistics• Almost a third (30% or 125 victims) of all homicide and related offences (including

murder, attempted murder and manslaughter) in Australia in 2019 were family and domestic violence related. Western Australia recorded 12 victims.2

• One in five Western Australian women reported experiencing partner violence since the age of 15.3

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women account for 67% of hospitalisations due to family and domestic violence in Western Australia.4

• 63% of assaults in Western Australia were family and domestic violence-related in 2019.5

• The number of family and domestic violence-related victims increased in most Australian jurisdictions between 2018 and 2019. In Western Australia, this number increased by 10% to 19,437 people.6

• 49,198 Police Domestic Violence Incident Reports were triaged in 2019-20. Children were present in 15,832 of these cases.7

• 11,975 family violence restraining orders were lodged in Western Australia in 2018-19, equalling 75% of the total restraining orders filed.8

• As many as 56% of youth homelessness cases in Western Australia are linked to family and domestic violence.9

• Family and domestic violence is a leading cause of women’s homelessness. Domestic violence accounted for 55.8% of the accommodation support from specialist homelessness agencies in WA in 2017-18, up from 45.1% in 2012-13.10

2 2019 ABS Recorded Crime3 2019 Women’s Report Card4 2019 Women’s Report Card5 2019 ABS Recorded Crime6 2019 ABS Recorded Crime7 Western Australia’s Family and Domestic Violence Response Team8 Department of Justice, WA 20199 Flatau P, Thielking M, MacKenzie D and Steen A with Bauskis A and Nolan K. The Australian Youth

Homelessness Experience. The Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia study. Snapshot Report 1. Salvation Army, 2015

10 2019 Women’s Report Card

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Do you know?In 2019, the most common age group for people experiencing family and domestic violence-related assault in Western Australia was 25 to 34 years.11

Children living in families with family and domestic violence are more likely to experience low self-esteem, learning difficulties, behavioural problems, depression, bullying and homelessness with long-term impacts on their wellbeing.12

Childhood trauma is a major contributor to adolescents’ use of violence in the home. This is partly due to social learning, where adolescents are exposed to intimate partner violence that they then copy. Trauma has a significant impact on the child’s ability to learn, communicate and regulate emotions and behaviour.13

WA Government policySince last year’s campaign the Western Australian Government has released a range of strategies to address the impacts of violence against women:

Stronger Together: WA’s plan for Gender Equality

Path to safety: Western Australia’s strategy to reduce family and domestic violence 2020-2030

All Paths Lead to a Home: 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030.

11 2019 ABS Recorded Crime12 AIHW (2019)13 The PIPA project: Positive interventions for perpetrators of adolescent violence in the home (AVITH) (Research

report, 04/2020). Sydney, NSW: ANROWS

https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/strategies/stronger-together-was-plan-for-gender-equality/https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/strategies/family-and-domestic-violence-reduction-strategy/https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/media/2156/homelessness-strategy-final.pdf

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16 Ways to Take Action

1. Host or participate in an event or activity to raise awareness. Check out page 8 for some ideas.

2. Share campaign messages on social media. See page 8 for more suggestions.

3. Wear something orange throughout the duration of the campaign and visit the 16 Days in WA campaign webpage.

4. Get informed: What is gender-based violence and why is it important to take a stand? To find out more, visit these websites:

• eSafety Commissioner• Our Watch• Partners in Prevention• White Ribbon Australia.

5. Volunteer your time and professional experience to community organisations, services and groups that are supporting people impacted by family and domestic violence and sexual violence. Also visit the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services WA website to see how you can support their work.

6. Talk to your school, sporting club or organisation about what they are doing to support the campaign, or work they are doing to address broader gender-based violence issues and encourage action if it’s not being addressed. Check out the Our Watch website for more information.

7. Donate: support organisations that assist women, children and young people escaping family and domestic violence by putting together care packs.

8. Be an active bystander:• If someone is acting inappropriately towards a woman, call it out – intervene.

Say something like “that’s not ok – you’re scaring her”.

• Don’t ignore locker room banter, jokes and sexism – challenge it.• If you are concerned about a family member or friend, be confident to ask if

everything is okay and if they are safe at home.

• Believe reports of violence – offer support not suspicion.• Don’t ask “Why doesn’t she leave?” ask, “Why is he violent?”. Be conscious not

to put the blame on the woman. Importantly, be safe. Calling out inappropriate language and behaviour can be hard and uncomfortable, but it should not come at the expense of your safety and dignity.

https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/projects/16-days-in-wa/https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/domestic-family-violence/technology-facilitated-abusehttps://www.ourwatch.org.au/https://www.partnersinprevention.org.au/https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/https://www.womenscouncil.com.au/https://www.womenscouncil.com.au/https://education.ourwatch.org.au/

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9. Talk to your children and other young people in your life about respectful relationships and check out the Respect Checklist.

10. Think about how you would deal with a disclosure of family and domestic violence from a family member, friend or work colleague:

• Avoid blaming her for the violence.• Avoid blaming alcohol, other drugs or mental health issues for his domestic

violence behaviour.

• Avoid telling her what to do.• Avoid making negative comments about her partner.

Make sure you have helpline numbers to hand.

11. Get to know more about financial abuse and the resources and services available to assist people in these circumstances. Your toolkit is a good starting point.

12. Take the Is it love or control quiz or develop your own.

13. Think about what your workplace could do to support survivors of family and domestic violence to stay safe and connected to work. A good starting point could be developing a workplace policy that provides additional leave for staff experiencing family and domestic violence.

14. Develop or get involved in a local awareness raising campaign to make it clear that sexism and disrespecting women will not be accepted in your community. These are some great WA examples: Geraldton’s Community Respect & Equality; Peel Says No to Violence; and Albany Family & Domestic Violence Action Group.

15. Support a local sports club to develop policies and procedures that ensure women and children have equal access to resources and facilities to support their participation in sport.

16. Remember that respect starts with you – think about how you can make the campaign theme a reality all year round.

https://www.respect.gov.au/resources/the-respect-checklist/https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/contact/family-and-domestic-violence-help/https://yourtoolkit.com.au/http://lovegoodbadugly.com/quiz-is-it-love-or-control/https://communityrespectandequality.com.au/#:~:text=The%20Community%2C%20Respect%20%26%20Equality%20initiative%20aims%20to,Geraldton.%20Let%E2%80%99s%20put%20an%20end%20to%20family%20violence.http://peelsaysnotoviolence.org.au/http://peelsaysnotoviolence.org.au/https://www.facebook.com/AFDVAGhttps://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/funding/sport-and-recreation-funding/community-sporting-and-recreation-facilities-fund

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Social Media Tools

Show your support on social media.

A selection of infographics and other social media tools, to be shared on your social media feeds, will be available on the 16 Days in WA webpage.

Set up your profile picture frame and use any of the campaign hashtags.

#16DaysInWA #StopTheViolence #RespectStartsWithMe

To set up a social media profile picture frame:

• Hover over your Facebook profile picture

• Click on ‘Update’ and click on ‘Add Frame’

• Type ‘16 Days in WA’ in the search bar

• Select the ‘16 Days in WA’ option, by the Department of Communities

• Click on ‘Use the Profile Picture’

Host an Event

• Hold a morning tea, roundtable discussion or ‘lunch and learn’ session to raise awareness of the issues of gender-based violence.

• Host a fundraising activity with money raised going to a non-profit organisation that supports women and children to be safe and recover from family and domestic violence.

• Establish a pledge wall at your workplace, sporting club or within your organisation, encouraging staff and members to show their support to stop violence against women.

• Dedicated sporting game – ask your local sporting club to dedicate a game to raising awareness of the issues of gender-based violence.

• Have a book club session focussed on works dealing with issues of gender-based violence. Our 16 Days in WA Book Club List will be available on the 16 Days in WA webpage.

• Respect challenge – find a contemporary film, song, image or famous icon that rejects gender-based violence and share the message with peers.

https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/projects/16-days-in-wa/https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/projects/16-days-in-wa/

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This is how Western Australians acknowledged 16 Days in WA last year.

How will YOU show your support in 2020?

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Resources

A range of resources are being created for the 16 Days in WA campaign.

This includes infographics, an email signature block, posters to share on display boards and video content.

Check in with our 16 Days in WA webpage closer to the campaign launch to find out more.

Information, Services and Supports

If you or anyone you know is experiencing family and domestic violence there is help available.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.

For a comprehensive list of State and national helplines, please visit the State Government’s Family and Domestic Violence Help page.

EveryoneThe National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Service is a free and confidential telephone and online counselling service for any person regardless of age or gender, who has experienced or is at risk of domestic and family violence and/or sexual assault, and their family and friends.

1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or www.1800RESPECT.org.au

Women seeking supportThe Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline is a 24-hour helpline – telephone 9223 1188 or free call 1800 007 339.

Sexual violenceThe Sexual Assault Resource Centre is a 24-hour emergency line – telephone (08) 6458 1828 or free call 1800 199 888.

Young peopleKids Helpline is Australia’s free private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years – telephone 1800 551 800.

Men seeking supportMensLine Australia is a 24/7 support for men and boys dealing with family and relationship difficulties. Support for men who are concerned that their behaviour is hurting the people they care about. Telephone 1300 78 99 78 or visit www.mensline.org.au.

https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/projects/16-days-in-wa/https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/contact/family-and-domestic-violence-help/http://www.1800respect.org.au/http://www.mensline.org.au/

Minister’s MessageBackground Taking ActionFacts and Statistics16 Ways to Take ActionSocial Media ToolsHost an EventResources Information, Services and Supports