It costs $21.7 billion a year in Australia - isn't this an emergency
It is time that every person in our community realised that the long-held belief that what happens within the home should not be spoken about or confronted. Where did this come from? Many of our religions saw that the home was a place where the man ruled and any women who was abused must have deserved it. Women who complained were in most cases given a simple message stay and be a ‘better wife and mother’.
This has led to our community being hesitant to call out domestic violence. With more than one woman a week being killed by a partner or previous partner and over 700 police callouts each day it is time to change! This can’t continue as the cost to our community is too high – estimated at over $22 billion a year. It would be cheaper to put all perpetrators in gaol but of course that would not solve the problem at the society level.
This cost goes far beyond the woman affected. Children growing up within a violent household are emotionally affected or become victims themselves. This is a long-term affect that they carry with them throughout their lives.
The issue of domestic violence is about power and anger and over 90% of the time the perpetrator is a male. The power to demand obedience, the power to control money, the power to limit friendships, the power that the woman must stay with them, simply the power that 'this woman' is theirs! When men get angry they are often not skilled in the use of words and resort to yelling or violence. Our current view of masculinity means many men arrive at adulthood lacking the skills to communicate effectively.
Our current AVO system does not afford sufficient protection to the women and children. Almost half of the women are affected by violence even though there is an AVO in place. When perpetrators break their
It pains me that our federal government is silent on the issue. They appear more concerned to raise our fear of terrorism or a fear of those who look different. Their mantra appears to be 'fear and division'. By focussing on building fear, they feel that they can continue to encourage us to look to them as ‘saviours’. This is simply a continuation of ‘patriarchy’.
Our society cannot afford the ongoing costs of continuing to ignore domestic violence. It is about respect and this respect needs to become a mainstay value of our society. A start would be demanding respect between our politicians and in our workplaces. It is not sufficient to turn the other way. We all need to be prepared to stand up to a lack of respect regardless of our gender.
Some key facts:
· Intimate partner violence is a leading contributor to illness, disability and premature death for women aged 18-44.
· Children of mothers experiencing domestic violence have higher rates of social and emotional problems than other children.
· Almost 40% of women continued to experience violence from their partner while temporarily separated.
I would ask have you turned away? Have you spoken out?
What have you DONE personally?
B2B Tech Marketer for Scale Ups & WordPress Products
6 年Even if it cost $21.70 a year it would still be an emergency.
Social Impact Advisor for infrastructure, energy & development | Australia & Asia Pacific | LinkedIn Top Voice
6 年Agree Di - change is still needed, and respect and safety (in all forms and in all places) must be at the heart. I recall attending stakeholder consultations to inform the development of a cross-government women's safety strategy when I was a young policy officer working for the Victorian Department of Justice 18 years ago. While much has been achieved since (and Victoria has indeed demonstrated some successes), unfortunately many of the issues now in Australia were evident then.... showing how much more we need to do.?
Consultant, Communications and Intelligence, Co-founder Honour a Woman
6 年Good question Diana! While many of us would feel powerless, we're not! It's in our communities. It is about power and we may not see any obvious wounds but we can see the signs within our own family, friends, workplace. Controlling behaviours, anxious looks, deflecting eye contact, put-downs, all subtle but they can be seen and heard. If we see the signs, its so important not to pass judgement as we can all find ourselves in these relationships, they slowly build over time. We can make a difference, let her know that she's supported, not judged, not told what she should do, not criticised because she has not left...listen and support. It makes me so angry that our governments focus so many resources on terrorism when women and children are being terrorised in their own homes and far too many are being killed. It is our problem and sadly statistically there would be some politicians too who are abusers and others who have been or are being abused. It doesn't discriminate, covering all occupations and socio-economic classes.
International Keynote Speaker | Workplace Psychological Safety & DFV Expert | Author | Advocate
6 年The Government is silent because this is a long term issue and they want short term election winning sound bites.