16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence

The annual 16 Days campaign runs from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November to 10 December, International Human Rights Day – because women’s rights are human rights.

Respect@Work laws

During this year’s 16 Days of Activism, the Senate voted to pass Respect at Work Bill 2022 which became law on 28 November 2022. This new law implements recommendations from the Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, and introduces a positive duty on employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate unlawful sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, as far as possible.

Read more

Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022

Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces

Dr Anne Summers presents The Choice

Dr Anne Summers AO, well-known author, columnist and feminist and now a Professor at the University of Technology Business School, presented her latest research at the 16 Days launch on 24 November.

“People say the choice is between staying with violence or leaving,” Dr Summers said. “But the real choice is between violence or enduring grinding poverty as a single mother. A stroke of the Treasurer’s pen could change this.”

Read more: The Choice: Violence or Poverty

Seven calls to action

The CEO of Domestic Violence NSW, Delia Donovan, enunciated clear calls to action to end gendered violence:

A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence

Commitment to primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality

Support for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence

Safe housing for everyone experiencing or recovering from sexual, domestic or family violence

Reform of legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic or family violence

Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic and family violence in their communities

Develop and implement a workforce plan for this specialist sector.

Read more: Action to end gendered violence

Monica Crouch
Journalist