What are the 16 Days of Activism?
The 16 Days of Activism. Have you heard of these? They began this week on Monday 25 November, the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based violence, run annually by UN Women, ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day.
Tragically, we constantly see horrific news stories about the violent deaths of women at the hands of an intimate partner or family member. We know the outrageous statistics around the nation and globally that show how many women and girls experience different forms of violence.
Last financial year, The Salvation Army Australia assisted more than 11,000 women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. While the Salvos, and others, respond with tailored services, strong policies and advocacy, no one organisation can do it all. It is up to every one of us, from every walk of life, to take a stand against violence in all its forms.
The Salvation Army Policy, and Advocacy team have focused on four key themes during this week – themes that are common, key and integral to all their current submissions to Federal Parliament – and pressing the need for immediate and significant investment into these areas.
Increasing the stock of crisis and transitional accommodation and addressing housing bottlenecks. Currently, there is insufficient safe accommodation options for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, and social housing waitlists in metropolitan, regional and rural areas are at an all-time high. A lack of long-term housing exit options creates bottlenecks in crisis and transitional accommodation, meaning there is limited space for other victim-survivors in need to enter crisis services. There is also an increased risk that, due to a lack of stable long-term options, that victim-survivors will feel they have no option but to return to the person using violence.
Primary prevention to stop violence before it starts. We believe that primary prevention remains the most effective way to address family and domestic violence. We press the need for primary-prevention efforts that act across a range of settings – such as homes, schools and workplaces – and for multifaceted, long-term funding to address the underlying drivers of family and domestic violence.
Diversifying modalities of intervention for persons using violence. No single program will meet the needs of all persons who use violence. We believe that the development of a broad range of serious-risk programs and responses, not limited by time or jurisdiction, must be made available to engage persons using violence, hold them accountable, reduce the risk of re-offending, and promote long-term outcomes.
Specialist services for children and young people. Currently, access to specialist services for children and young people who are victim-survivors of family violence, or who choose to use violence, are limited and difficult to access.
Funding for this cohort also tends to be limited and short-term. This is deeply problematic, considering that a lack of appropriate and timely intervention can result in long-term harms including psychological and behavioural impacts, health and socio-economic impacts, and increased risk of intergenerational violence and re-victimisation. Children need to be able to access timely case management and therapeutic responses that promote their participation and are tailored according to age and development.
For more information on Salvation Army family and domestic violence services, click here.
To read more submissions on family violence from the Policy and Advocacy team, click here.
For information on UN Women Australia and the 16 Days of Activism, click here
For more information on the UN 16 Days of Activism, click here.
