Q.3: Discrimination, harassment & violence
Freedom from discrimination, harrassment and violence
- Can you relate to Nadine’s story?
- Do you think women or men are treated unfairly on the basis of sex in the workplace? What are some examples?
- Have you ever been denied an opportunity based on your gender, or can you point of examples that you know of?
- Do you think sexual harassment is an issue?
- Do you know of any examples where workplaces have addressed these things well?
- Have you been affected by domestic violence or sexual assault? What has been positive about the responses and support you have received?
- If you have been affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, what could have made a difference for you to be better supported?
Anonymous Said,
November 26, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
I think violence against women is one of the most pervasive and hidden human rights abuses in the Australian community. The stats on this website only tell so much of the story - I can’t imagine what we don’t know about this daily injustice that women endure.
I would love to see the Sex Discrimination Commissioner make some strong statements about violence against women and attempt to revive the public debate on this issue. I see violence against women as a very potent signal that we are far from equality.
Andrew Said,
December 6, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
Many thanks to HREOC for its wide ranging report on removing discrimination against gay and lesbian Australians in existing legislation. Now that we have a new government and the Coalition appears to be in favour of enacting the proposed changes into law, what is HREOC proposing to do to move this issue along with both major parties so there is a bipartisan approach? Also, the one area of discrimination not covered in the federal Work Choices legislation is sexual orientation. Will HREOC be advising the new governemnt to include this as part of its proposed amendments to industrial relations legislation? Thanks for the opportunity to comment - this blog and your Listening Tour are a great idea and a really effective way of connecting with grass roots opinion.
Anonymous Said,
December 21, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
I think violence against men is one of the most hidden human rights abuses in the Australian community. The stats on this website don’t tell the true story - I can’t imagine what we don’t know about this daily injustice that men endure in silence and shame.
I would love to see the Sex Discrimination Commissioner make some strong statements about violence against men and attempt to revive the public debate on this issue. I see the recent advertising on violence against men as a very potent signal that we are far from equality.
While ever men are chosen as the scapegoats for all society’s problems and domestic violence is treated as solely violence of men against women, ignoring all violence against men as if it never happens and demonising all men for political and propaganda purposes, most men will treat with rightful suspicion anything that comes out of departments such as this.
Edith Said,
December 26, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
I believe sexual harassment in the workplace is still very prevalent but its victims remain silent . Most women have experienced some form of harassment in their jobs. However most women will refuse to report it or speak out against their bosses for fear of retribution. I have just been through 6 years of trying to seek some justice in my male dominated place of work. The sexual harassment that I was subjected to was nothing compared to the victimisation that took place after I rejected my boss and eventually complained about him to higher management. Whereas I had hoped to stop this happening to someone else, I have served as an example to others that if you speak out you will be persecuted. My harasser and victimisers are part of a powerful system. In their view, I should’ve been a good woman and put up with it.
Neil Said,
January 11, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
20 years ago I was involved, as a respondent, in a sexual harassment case.
A woman, slightly older than me, had resumed work in our group after a severe bout of mental illness. She would cry on my shoulder at length, all day, every day.
This would include intimate detail of her life.
I found this very hard to deal with. I had had no experience of this sort of behaviour and I reacted sympathetically to her.
Some time later her attitude to me soured for reasons I found out about much later, and she wished me to stand further back, which made me feel more comfortable dealing with her.
Nevertheless she continued to use me as a sounding board which I found very demanding. She would also comment that people abandoned her and no one from work cares and all men from work want is sex.
There was no point in a small and very coherent workspace ignoring her, so I continued to be pleasant to her.
Some time after we finished working together she lodged a sexual harassment complaint against me.
The story she told bore no relation to the story I told, nor mine to hers.
She presented letters I was alleged to have sent her which were handwritten and not in my handwriting.
Still this complaint lasted for nearly 18 months in the South Australian EOC.
I felt there was too much emphasis put on the “a woman has no reason to lie” argument, and I felt I was not being believed because I was a man.
I have never had such a traumatic experience in my life.
I felt betrayed by the woman and raped by the system.
I am not convinced her motives were pure: she had left the workforce for reasons unconnected with this complaint, and had no long service leave nor super entitlements to tide her over. I suspect she was after compensation in its place. At the same time I believe that it is entirely possible she believed her version of events. From subsequent experience I believe she may have been suffering schizophrenia which is a terrible illness which can cause tis victims to take an overly dark view of life.
Personally I ended extremely traumatised and thoroughly confused about sexual harassment.
What exactly is “behaviour of a sexual nature”? In whose eyes?
What is the position on interpretation? I can not accept that someone else’s mistaken interpretation of my actions can be put before mine.
If sexual harassment is about power what was the power relationship I had to exploit? (None really - influence perhaps but not power).
There was a double standard applied: I was told, and this will stay with me until the day I die, “It does not matter what she did to you if you responded and she didn’t like it then that was sexual harassment”. Really? If I apply what was said to me then this woman sexually harassed me.
Relationships between people can be complex, the more so if a mental illness is involved. This complicates matters no end, for what is caused by the other party and what is caused by the illness?
It can be easier to see offence from the outside looking in, but no one ever commented to me on the way I interacted with this woman except one person who said I was one of the people she hung around with.
I couldn’t help but get the feeling after the event that the law was about a level playing field but leveling down to the lowest common demoninator, the misfit, rather than leveling upwards.
For the record she was one of a number of women in the group, a number of which I continue to work with and who have never expressed any problem with my behaviour.
I’m not saying sexual harassment can’t be a problem for it can. What I am saying is that each case should be dealt with pragmatically on its merits.
Anonymous Said,
January 22, 2008 @ 5:34 pm
I am convinced that in many instances, in the workplace, staff do not know how to deal with issues of harrasment. In my experience I have found that HR and Workplace relations are not adequately trained in conflict resolution and/or are sometimes biased in favour of the organisation.
I think it would be great if we could have training in advocacy and conflict resolution and there was a bank of indpendent advisors who can come into the situation and deal with issues promptly and confidentially.
I have looked into training in this area and there is generally very little available and it is extremely expensive.
I have worked on contracts for the last 10 years and found myself extremely vulnerable to harassment and bullying. There are no support structures or networks to protect me and I have found myself extremely vulnerable.
Anonymous Said,
January 25, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
I have lived in a violent relationship for 25 years. The violence takes many forms - physical abuse, emotional abuse and financial abuse. In all these years I have struggled to financially support my family with little assistance from this man. He refuses to earn more money than is necessary to support his drug and alcohol addictions. After watching him starting to physically abuse our youngest child (now that he is a teenager), I feel I must finally find the strength to leave. I have discovered that although we are not married and he has never contributed to the purchase or upkeep of our homes (the homes have always been only in my name) the law will allow him to take away a large percentage of the only asset I own. I feel as though I am being punished twice - I have been financially abused by him and now the law allows him to financially abuse me again. I know I am not the only woman in this position.
Anonymous Said,
January 30, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Males have much higher illness, injury, accident and death rates and die 5 years earlier than females, yet research funding for male health is less than one-third of that for female health
- Estimates show that 9 times as many men suicide as females (including drug OD, and other ‘accidents’ that are probably suicides. Even the official figures show that males suicide at almost four times the rate of females. More males kill themselves each year than the entire Australian road toll
- More than twice as many males as females experience work-related injuries and illnesses, and over ninety percent of work-related deaths are males
- Young men are three times as likely as young women to be victims of violence, however, there are no public health campaigns to address this very serious issue
- Men are also victims of intimate partner abuse, however, there are no support services for these men, nor treatment services for abusive women
- Boys in Australia are much more likely to drop out of school than girls. In NSW, the difference between boys’ and girls’ average Tertiary Entrance Rank is almost 20%.
- Males currently make up just 37% of university graduates
- In Australia today, only women have reproductive rights. Upon becoming pregnant, a woman can choose to have the baby, or have an abortion, or put the baby up for adoption. A man has no choice whether to become a father or even to be notified that he has become a father. Unlike women, he can’t opt-out of CSA payments.
- Men are more likely to be convicted and receive longer sentences for the same crimes, compared to their female counterparts
- Following family court proceedings, children are far more likely to be given little or no time with their father than they are with their mother
- The current inequitable parental leave schemes, favouring mothers, reinforce fathers in the traditional ‘breadwinner’ role rather than supporting them as being ‘hands-on’ dads (which all the research shows gives better outcomes for children and their parents)
- Australian women are responsible for spending 90 cents in every household dollar
- Men earn LESS than women do (for the same years of full-time experience). This is after adjusting for the industry - miners and garbage collectors get paid more than receptionists, and so they should - they are dirty, dangerous and lonely jobs.
- Young women in general earn MORE than young men. Average incomes forget that women CHOOSE to have kids and take a work-life balance while the father suffers the expectation to work overtime.
I challenge the Sex Discrimination Commissioner to find even ONE STATISTICALLY VALID MEASURE of discrimination against women that is not a result of women’s biology, choices and freedoms.
Anonymous Said,
January 31, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
I’d like to comment on a few issues- particularly equal pay, and domestic violence.
As a tradesman who has had the experience of working with women equally qualified in the same job, I have noticed that when unsavory working conditions such as overtime, overnight shifts, or remote placements were offered the women regularly declined these offers even though the harder work conditions attracted more pay. Of interest I noticed that when i had worked shift-work in difficult conditions my female co-workers complained that they were being discriminated against because they had worked the same quantity of weekly hours and received the cliche’d “less pay for the same qualifications and weekly hours”. Unfortunately these women seemed to deny the obvious- that I had worked the same hours under more difficult circumstances in order to gain higher wages. So I’m wonder if this scenario can in fact explain the much hyped wage disparity between genders?
The second topic which concerns me is the lack of services and funding for men’s issues. If it is true that men experience as much or more violence than women then is it not discrimination to provide millions of dollars for an advertizing campaign aimed to protect only women from violence? Moreover, is it not a tragedy that ‘violence against children’ is not considered more important for funding that violence against women, especially considering that women are the main (substantiated) perpetrators of violence against children? (I have stats from child safety departments which i successfully applied for under FOI laws, and which I can supply you with if you contact me at the address above). Are we going back to a mythic era in which women were seen as incapable of violence against males or thier own children? I talk with a lot of people in the community who, although they see the obvious value in a campaign targetting violence against women, are also deeply concerned about the sexism being portrayed and funded by same.
I would like also to point to the blatent sexism by this country’s overindulgence of girl’s education needs, and the increasing underindulgence of boys learning aspirations, as reflected clearly in school marks and Uni placements.
Finally I’d like to note the much poorer funding for male health needs, and needs for those experiencing social distress. To give but one example, I once had to flee with my children from thier extremely violent mother, and desperately needed emergency accomodation. I telephoned several women’s shelters and staff dismissed my cries for assistance because (it was made clear to me) these were women’s initiatives designed to help women in need only. I might add this was a few years ago and I am now the full time carer of two children who were remeved permanently from their mother’s care via a court order…. so my above concerns are not those of the cliche’d “angry father”. I personally know several fathers who could do with similar assistance.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our concerns.
Paul Said,
February 1, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
As the husband of a violent ex-wife I am concerned very much about the seeming refusal for public anti-violence campaigns to cater for male victims.
As a poster above remarked males experience MORE violence than women at the hands of both male and female violent abusers. The highlighting of women victims at the expense of male victims strikes as blatant sexism, publicly funded.
Whilst I have no problem with women victims being highlighted, the descimination against including men and children victims needs urgent addressing.
Services also need to be extended to father and child victims of domestic violence. To give but one example, I once had to flee with my two young children from their violent mother who had violently assaulted both me and our two children. I sought emergency accommodation and emotional assistance from several “women’s shelters” only to be told that they were women’s initiatives designed for female clientele only. After the violent ordeal we had suffered I was astonished at the gender discrimination against fathers. I guess this severe absence of services applies also to males without children who also suffer violence.
I am not your cliche’d “angry father” who is looking for redress. I am in fact a sole parent of two children who were forcibly removed from their mother’s care due to violent abuse. We are a happy family now that we have escaped the violence, but it breaks my heart to see Australia neglect male, and child victims of abuse.
Please work toward making shelters and social-help services non-discriminatory regarding whom they serve.
Sincerely,
Paul
Anonymous Said,
February 1, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
Two of my kids (year 4 & 6) have never had a male teacher during their school lives. Is sexual discrimination against males driving most men away from a teaching career ? And the curriculum in secondary school seems to be female orientated. WHATS GOING ON !???
Then there is the so called Family Court that also feeds the Child Support Agency. If you want to see sexual discrimination against men first hand, then just go along to the Family(?) Court.
Not only are men suffering (many dying !!) because so are the children. And a lot of the time its not until later in life that they (kids) realise this.
Its GOT TO STOP.!!
Anonymous Said,
February 1, 2008 @ 10:30 pm
I would like to see the EOC actually do some work with men suffering domestic violence.
I spent 15 years with an abusive person, who also brutalised our now 15 year old son, since he was only an infant. She abuses our 3 younger children still and is given permission to do so by the system.
She lied to get a violence restraining order against me to get me out of the house and in Nov 07 the local magistrate cancelled the AVO because she considered my ex wife to be the perpetrator of the abuse and not me.
Why then did my ex wife not get done for perjury?
Or making a false Police report?
She has now committed the same perjury in the family court and I’ll bet no one will say a word to her about her lies.
Why did I have to suffer 15 years of physical, psychological and emotional abuse and watch my children suffer the same, suffer being called a criminal then have all the people working in all govt depts connected to family issues, also abuse me by insulting me or not talking to me or by fobbing me off just to get rid of me?
Where is the justice and equality in all this?
I even got the dept for child protection involved to stop my ex’s own abuser from abusing my second eldest child and the person from this dept paid little interest to the case, because this person felt I was just trying to get back at my ex wife.
Why is there so much discrimination in this Country called Australia the land of equal opportunity?
Why are women always believed and men called liars?
Why do you put those disgusting adds on TV that show only men abusing women, when there are as many men in Australia being abused by women, that is not even reported?
If this dept is supposed to do what it’s name implies, then I’m sorry to say, you are light years behind the eight ball already.
And if you want the respect of the men in this country, you will need to make some very big changes to the anti-discrimination laws and start to look after the rights of men and boys in Australia.
LIKE YESTERDAY!!!!!
Rubens Said,
February 2, 2008 @ 11:26 am
There is one area where men get a very raw deal on the basis of gender and outdated presumptions on gender. And it is largely because of this that a lot of violent behaviour occurs.
That area is family law, especially as it relates to children.
Usually, the mother of a child does get to spend a larger proportion of a child’s time with them simply by virtue of arrangements arrived at by both parents during a marriage. However, a father does get to interact everyday and on weekends, usually, with their children.
At the time of separation though, the law, mother, her associates and lawyers in particular all seem to think it is ok for a father to suddenly be wrenched from a child’s life. They seem to think that drip-feeding children contact with their father is somehow acceptable and should certainly be acceptable to all concerned.
Most counselling services, people that are supposed to understand human feelings also seem to be of a like mind. Of course, they are mostly staffed by women, not surprisingly. We men can certainly understand their motives.
We can also understand some lawyers’ motives. Family law is one of the biggest cash cows ever thought of.
But what of the motives driving law makers? Is it that they’re afraid of the 50+% of the population’s electoral powers? That would be weak to the extreme for people supposedly there to represent all.
Whilst it is never excusable, bad deeds do occur, and are committed by men who have for the most part reached the end of their tether.
Before we continue to just lump it all together into the basket of violence against women or domestic violence, it might pay to consider the emotions that some men go through.
Were we to consider what it would mean to have children legally ripped from you simply because you no longer got on with their mother, we might then be on the way to solving a lot of violence issues.
There is no better example to illustrate the emotions that children and fathers go through at times of forced separation than that portrayed in the movie Mrs Doubtfire. I recommend that if you’re fair dinkum about solving this area of human relations fairly, you should watch it again and to then remember that the tears you shed as you watch it are but a mere drop in the oceans of tears already shed by children and fathers in similar real life situations.
Again, if you are fair dinkum about equality, you need to understand that men have equally strong feelings about their attachment to their children as Robin Williams says in the movie.
In that movie Sally Fields’ character is portrayed as angry, unreasonable but she is never portrayed as being overly vengeful. In the end she is portrayed as a woman that came to her senses for her children’s well being. Alas, it is only a movie.
In real life, in a lot of cases there is violent emotional vengefulness displayed by all sides and that can take many forms. Rarely is there a Mrs Doubtfire involved though, we are mostly not that talented.
Lawyers make a motza out of it all, mothers mostly exact some form of revenge, and children are alienated from their fathers and suffer as a result, especially if that alienation involves denigration of their fathers as well, fathers suffer and some react.
Every time one does react violently, the usual chorus of women’s advocacy groups and counselling services point in unison and say, “See? Told you so, men are not to be trusted.”
There is no chorus, however, when men suicide or just let go and retreat into a very dark world of depression and despair.
With half the marriages failing, we need better than this.
Once again, if you are fair dinkum about what your name implies, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity, then you ought to contact me. I believe I have part of the solution. I have been working on it for sometime.
If you’re just window dressing and are only budgeted to tackle cases that will loudly demonstrate preconceived notions, please do not bother.
Anonymous Said,
February 2, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
I have never been into discrimination of any kind, but coming from South Australia, there is no escaping gender politics. While we’re being swamped with all these claims about women wanting equality, which is fair enough anyway, but you will find that those who scream equality and refer to themselves as feminists and working towards equality are the same “feminists” who openly promote gender discrimination and basically are oposed to gender neutrality.
Irrespective of being male or female, how would you like to be told by government authorities, that a blatant case of emotional abuse towards children is regarded as NOT being violence when the mother is the perpetrator, but every single brochure and documentation in regards to domestic violence or violence towards children regards emotional abuse as being violence.
Anonymous Said,
February 6, 2008 @ 11:25 pm
At school, as a woman, I was most often smarter, getting better grades and achieving amazing things.
In the workplace, I take the attitude ‘I can do anything’. In one case, after needing a job quick smart, I took one in hardware for a while (with a fine arts degree, mixing paint an easy skill).
I found management from the top down brilliant and respectful. I had offers to move up pretty quickly (though I was ‘headhunted’ by a previous employer).
Case in point to the negative, one man I worked with did have a problem with me. He was a former business owner. In the beginning, he was like a father figure, trying to help me. When we (ie I) began to instigate work activity (ie this needs doing, who shall do what?) he reacted badly. It happened over time.
eg ‘gee, why don’t you go get a cushy office job’ (x1000). ‘I love it when you take you hair out at the end of the day. Mmm-mm’. ‘You can’t lift the 10litre paint tins onto the bench, what good are you’.
He was totally threatened by a) a female b) a young female being equal to him.
I can see that relationships require both sides of the story, and that he didn’t like the good relationship I had with the big bosses, that he didn’t have.
Coupled with personal situation and the offer of a better opportunity, I couldn’t wait to get out of there, despite ever other male being great to work with, there is something to be said for women being in the workplace and middle management-it is more women friendly.
Having said that. again, I have since chosen to work in (many) women friendly environments to avoid the ‘coarse’ male environment, which is competitive and strives for success through the ‘earning’ of respect and put downs.
I dunno. After reading the above article, I’m noticing I DO like to know the people I work with, I do like to get out and work with different people in a closed environment,
I do want to be honoured for the time and effort I make but really see that I am worth more than money…and that I need a man if I want to have babies. I think we put too much emphasis on money, but life goes round easier because of it.
If this is how the systems works, and I have a man, I’m grateful if one of us earns a lot of money, to ensure our children are well looked after. But after all that education and brains, what’s the point if I just stay home? I’m a great contributor to our society and maybe earning an income isn’t the only way to do it…but I aim to have more balance in work and home.
The answer after all that womens liberation we thought was part time and casual….but do we get the pay, the respect and the flexibility? Work/life is still regimented (for many) and the answer is self employment.
Anonymous Said,
February 6, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Having a look at some of these stories, like Nadine’s, it sounds an ideal response to a ‘case’ (ie not a real one). A cause for triggers, inspiring responses? (ie the best way to handle an unpleasant incident)
Anyway. Interesting to note, as often is the case, the ‘victim’ is the one that has to move. What kind of ‘discipline’ did her work mates get? Why did they not get moved? They got to keep the relationships they had. The woman has to begin again, even though she’d probably want to.
As much as I like this to be taken seriously, I also like to think there’s room for more of a sense of humour-and winning. Win-win: you’re singles profile outed in the work place? For goodness sake, I hope she’d get a date! By someone who’d name and shame the other guy for being a creep.
Back to serious. There is an inherent, anti-intellectual, ‘not too bright’ culture in Australia, which celebrates being a lout , swearing and drinking. It’s a big thing.
In my own relationship, I constantly struggle with the notion that this is what ‘Australians do’ and particularly, as this partner came to Australia when he was 10, seems out to prove himself that he is one of them. Being born in Australia, I actually find it more difficult to relate to this macho culture.
I’m actually really happy that with the change in government, we have a prime minister who’ll say sorry, who listens to the public wanting something done for the environment and who is known for his diplomatic skills. It seems to reflect a maturing culture, one is which men and women will raise the bar about what is good and what is best.
This site is probably doing some great things, giving people a voice and an outlet, inspiration for change.
Anonymous Said,
February 10, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
I was recenty sexually harrased by the boss at a work xmas function and the company have since tried to sweep eveything under the carpet. I have been left feeling very vulnerable and anxious. Whilst also feeling isolated by the management and workers. I am not feeling as confident with HREOC at the moment as the process can take up to 8 weeks and I feel I am being forced to hand in my resignation. Also the process of interviewing witnesses of course they want to save their own jobs. I feel there are not enough services or counselling available for women who have experienced sexual harrasment. This is 2008 when will it be an “equal” society for women, when will it be finally stamped out.
Teresa Said,
February 10, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
I do not think the massive and rapid economic growth we have had in recent decades is in the national interest. It has damaged social capital in Australia.
Masssive and rapid immigration assaults the status of Australian women. In regions such as Sydney, immigrants from poor societies are the dominant group. Their values are becoming the status quo.
Defamation law in Australia, with its defences defeated by proof of maliciousness, discriminates against women as traditional values paint women as malicious if they raise issues in the public interest.
Our immigration policy discriminates against women because skilled or educated migrants from second or third world countries are going to be men. They bring their wife, who brings the ironing board. Their wives disappear behind closed doors.
A citizenship test should be an ethics test. It should test for an understanding of western government and the first class citizenship of women. There is no benefit of reproducing bad government and the second class citizenship of women here.
The idea that immigration is in the long term national interest of a nation, whilst it is acknowledged there are disadvantages during the first and second generation, is a neo-liberal premise. In the first and second generation of unsustainable rapid and massive immigration women are getting raped and immigrant men are putting restraining orders on women to get around the rule of law.
Anonymous Said,
February 13, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
Dear Elizabeth
The issue that has had the most significant impact on my life is having being bullied and harassed at work. While the form of harassment is probably not covered by the legislation you operate under, it has had a significant and lasting impact on my life.
I have been bullied at work by three separate managers. All three managers have been investigated and found to have bullied me. This probably begs the question: what did I do to attract this?. The thing that all of the bullies had in common was that they were women. As women we do not think of ourselves as bullies. We see ourselves as the more human side of the human race. I believe the skills and attributes which make us so good at interpersonal relationships are the same skills which make us so effective at bullying and harassment. As women we need to accept that we have many aspects to our personalities and the capacity to bully is one of those.
As I have slowly spoken to people about my experience nearly all have a story to tell about being bullied at work and the impact this has had on them. While the impact has been huge on the person being bullied it is also huge on our children. My youngest child is 9 and would have stomach aches every morning until I stopped work and was on sick leave. His stomach aches stopped and he told me it was because I was nicer when I was away from ‘that place’.
As work places change and women climb the ladder, we need to confront this part of our natures. Women can be bullies too.
Rad Dad Said,
February 19, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Hi Liz, all.
As a father I find the agendas of some of these comments from ‘Men’s groups’ to be disturbing.
Fair enough, there’s family law issues. But to try and say that it’s violence from women against men that’s the big issue is pretty far fetched.
And the agenda to wind back AVOs is a big worry.
I’d say to everyone - get some facts - sure you feel aggrieved but try and back them up with some research.
There doesn’t have to be a gender war. I don’t want my kid to grow up in a world that has as much violence in the world as now.
eg ABS is a good place to start - there’s shocking stuff in their stats -
Partner Violence -
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/ADE8C301B6BA85ABCA25732C00207E92?opendocument
“In 2005, an estimated 1.3 million women aged 18 years and over had ever experienced partner violence since the age of 15 years. This was 17% of all women aged 18 years and over in 2005.”
Anonymous Said,
February 21, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
Rad “Dad”,
Which posts were from “men’s groups”?
Anyway, I’m not certain that posters here (that I’ve read) are trying to wind back the DV issue. From what I read it seems people are trying to take the hysteria out of the discussion and, might I suggest, refrain from winding the issue “up”.
Anyway its not my business to be judging others posts.
All I can say is different people seem to use different data sources, and there’s little point in trying to silence people…. I’m sure Liz Broderick is capable of sorting the facts from the distortions without duress.
Paul Said,
February 25, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Recent news article:
THE number of women accused of domestic violence has increased by almost 25 per cent over the past five years.
Figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show police recorded 4918 women as persons of interest in domestic violence cases in the 12 months to September 2003, but by 2006-07 the number was 6056.
Of the women arrested in the five years to September, only 32 per cent of cases reached court, compared to 56 per cent of cases involving men.
BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn said the increase was likely to have been driven by more than one factor, including an increase in binge drinking or more men being willing to admit to being victims.
“It’s possible that people are becoming less tolerant of violence by women than they used to be,” he told Fairfax.
********************************************
Dear Elizabeth,
I note the rise in female perpetration of violence in the above data, but note that government funded anti-violence campaign overlooks this.
I trust this will be addressed at some stage, and that violence by women against men and children will be recognised?
Perhaps now a turn toward a less sexist approach, such as “Violence against anyone: Australia says no” is in order? I am certain that many children, males, and females who are victims of female perpetrated violence are waiting/suffering in silence for you to address this omission.
Sincerely
Paul
Anonymous Said,
February 26, 2008 @ 11:41 pm
Dear Elizabeth,
Of concern to me is the national advertising campaign targeting violence against women and children by men, a campaign that deliberately omits any images or mention of violence against children by women. I find this deeply concerning for child victims of female perpetrated violence and wonder if the gender-based advertising campaign is discouraging children from coming forward to share that they are suffering violence at the hands of their mother or some other female in their lives?
Whilst I have no data on intimate partner violence, I have received detailed information about the gender of perpetrators of violence against children in Western Australia, obtained under an Freedom Of Information request. The 2006 data I have received from the W.A. Department for Child Protection finds that substantiated cases of ‘physical abuse’ against children were perpetrated by males in 57.4% of all cases, and by females in 42.6% of all cases. I have this data on hand and can share it privately with you if you would like to verify the data and source, as it is not available in the public domain.
As you are soon to begin your Listening Tour in Western Australia I thought it might be timely to provide the above data, and to ask that you please consider the ramifications of the current sexist approach to portrayals of violence against children in Australia. If we continue the misleading portrayal of women as strictly victims and not as confirmed perpetrators, then we are placing Australia’s children back into the 1950’s dark ages where they simply were not believed when they came forth to report abuse by a woman.
Very concerned
Anonymous Said,
February 28, 2008 @ 11:51 am
In response to Rad Dad’s posting, I feel it is important to clarify that, of the estimated 1.3 million women aged 18 years and over that had ever experienced partner violence since the age of 15 years, 160,100 women (12%) experienced this violence from their current partner, while 1,135,500 women (88%) experienced it from a previous partner. At the same time, 68,100 men (16%) had experienced violence from their current partner and 367,300 men (84%) had experienced violence from a previous partner.
It is important for Australian men and women to know that the vast majority of partner violence comes from an ex-partner after separation, lest they develop an unwarranted sense of fear of violence from their current partner.
Equal opportunity, I think not! Said,
March 10, 2008 @ 9:33 am
I was a 24yr old with a masters degree in Information Managment, working in a contract position as a librarian. And I was getting paid less than the unqualified 21yr old office boy!
I considered the stress it would take to get the position reclassified and decided it would be too much of a struggle. First I would have to get ALIA (the librarians group) to change their recommended pay scales, then I would have to get an external body to evaluate all the positions in the organisation, and agree that most needed to be steped up the pay brackets. Despite all this I would probably not get the support of other experienced librarians, because most of them began work in the 1960’s and are in the higher pay brackets because they have stayed in the one job for so long.
Then I considered that my library has the wonderful habit of keeping more junior staff on contract for as long as possible. (one lady had been on contract for 3 years for no particular reason).
From all this, I decided to vote with my feet. Low pay and no prospect of permanancy, did not appeal to me.
I’m now in another librarian contract position, and it’s starting to shape up in a similar way.
In the long term I don’t think I can continue to utilise my training as a librarian, unless I can get into a better pay stream, because this is really a dead end. I’m considering going back to uni (Yet again!) to retrain in an area that has a garunteed salary and permanacy prospects at the end.
However if I do go back to uni, my Fee-help debt will be so huge, that I will either have to give up on the idea of home ownership. Or immigrate overseas, where I can make a fresh debt free start. (this would be sad because I would have to leave all my freinds and family behind.)