Violence against women is unacceptable, anywhere, anytime, and it is sobering and distressing that no country is free from it. The figures are shocking: globally, around one in three women has experienced some form of physical violence and almost one in five has experienced sexual violence.
Ending violence against women is a priority for Australia both domestically and in our international development efforts.
Australia has developed a model across the community, supported at all levels of government, which seeks to stop violence before it happens; to support women who have experienced violence; and to increase men’s involvement as influencers and role models.
Some of the initiatives in Australia are confronting. A national campaign includes TV advertisements‚ which make for uncomfortable but thought-provoking viewing.
The campaign challenges beliefs around relationships. It points to the early seeds which are sown if bad behaviour, such as a young boy slamming a door on a girl, is allowed to go unchallenged. Other initiatives suggest ways to ‘start a conversation’ among parents, family members, teachers, community leaders and others to call out disrespectful attitudes towards women and girls.
The early seeds are sown if bad behaviour, such as a young boy slamming a door on a girl, is allowed to go unchallenged
Nearly all of us agree that violence is wrong. Physical violence is the most extreme and visible manifestation. But psychological bullying, intense criticism, denying a woman contact with family and friends or access to a phone – can’t these also add up to another type of violence?
Part of the problem, I think, is the stigma of addressing a painful problem which may be seen as intervention in the “private” sphere, airing dirty laundry in public, so to speak. Social norms and a culture which holds women back from reporting serious abuses also need to change.
How are we to counter attitudes among some in society, who have ‒ perhaps almost unconsciously ‒ come to blame the victim, or at best to minimise the behaviour of aggressive males?
Harmful attitudes can be nipped in the bud. The campaign we developed in Australia focuses on primary prevention, addressing the attitudes of young people around respectful relationships and gender equality.
We have also provided resources for adolescents around safe sexual behaviour, highlighting different forms of violence that occur, and attitudes that lead toviolence – under a campaign slogan ‘You can’t undo violence’.
Beyond our own shores as well, Australia has given a strong voice to the goal of eradicating violence. We strongly support international efforts through the UN’s Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and to the joint UN Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls Subject to Violence.
Our bilateral aid programmes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cambodia and Pacific Island countries also support programmes aimed at ending violence.
Today marks a significant step in Malta too, when a ‘gender-based violence and domestic violence strategy’ will start to be implemented. I applaud this step and coordination efforts across agencies which, as in Australia, do make a difference.
Australia is determined to raise awareness of this insidious and complex problem, and to identify solutions. Prevention programmes in communities; funding for victim assistance; services such as rape hotlines; programmes for victims with disabilities; legal aid for survivors of violence; protection for victims evicted from their homes – all of these are helping.
You can view the Australian government’s public awareness campaign ‘Let’s stop it at the start’ at: www.respect.gov.au/
Julienne Hince is Australia’s High Commissioner to Malta.