Tag Archives: Domestic Violence

The Pixel Project Selection 2018: 16 Striking Campaigns for the Cause to End Violence Against Women

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Every year, we at The Pixel Project come across a wide variety of innovative and powerful campaigns tackling Violence Against Women (VAW) by our fellow activists and non-profits from around the globe, and 2018 is no exception. While some campaigns worked to shine a light on violence against the most marginalised groups of women, others took forward the Me Too movement in their own unique way.

We acknowledge that anti-VAW campaigners put themselves in perilous situations to advocate for the safety of others and we are immeasurably grateful for their bravery. From women marching the streets to women combating harassment online, each and every action, large or small, counts.

So today, in honour of all VAW activists, non-profits and grassroots groups who toil in such thankless situations to bring about positive change to the lives of women and girls facing violence, we present 16 of the most striking campaigns/programmes we have come across in the last year of our work.

What these campaigns have in common are:

  • The built-in “water-cooler” factor that gets the community buzzing about the campaign and, by extension, the issue of VAW.
  • A good sense of what works in and for the culture and community where the activist/nonprofit/grassroots group is trying to effect change.

We hope that these campaigns and initiatives inspire you to take action and get on board the cause to end VAW.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

Introduction by Regina Yau. Written and compiled by Rubina Singh

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Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #1: #Abaya_Insideout – Saudi Arabia

Women in Saudi Arabia have been protesting against the fact that they are expected to wear an abaya and hijab in public. After the relaxation of driving rules a while ago, women were campaigning for reform of the forceful dress code as well. A recent Twitter campaign using the hashtag “#Abaya_Insideout” became a form of peaceful protest against this regulation where women are photographing themselves wearing inside out abayas.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #2: All-Women Cycle Rallies – Pakistan

In an effort to protest against street harassment and exercise their right to occupy public spaces, some women in Pakistan carried out women-only cycle rallies across various cities in the country. “Our strategy is simply to be visible in public spaces,” said Meher Bano of Girls at Dhabas, a feminist group that organised the races after a woman from Lahore was pushed off her bicycle by a group of men last year for not responding to catcalls. 

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #3: Be Frank – The Netherlands

Two Dutch filmmakers have created a video campaign highlighting the high instances of VAW in mainstream pornography. Damayanti Dipayana and Camilla Borel-Rinkes shared a summary of a sexual encounter and asked men if it was a porn scene or a personal story about sexual assault. In their film, Be Frank, they showthe how much of the porn available online showcases aggression and violence towards women and how men learn to normalise abusive experiences through these films.

 Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #4: Campaign against Hidden Camera Pornography – South Korea

Many women are unknowingly filmed in public spaces in South Korea by hidden or spy cameras.Porn films showcase footage of women on toilets, on escalators or stairs, hotel rooms and various other seemingly private spaces. Tired of living in constant fear of being filmed, more than 20,000 women came together in Seoul to protest against this practice and urge the government to take stringent action.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #5: Campaign to end ‘sexual cleansing’ of widows – Kenya

A custom in Kenya and some other African nations believes that widows are impure and they must be cleansed after their husbands’ death. The ‘cleansing’ involves having sex with a male relative or stranger among other humiliating practices such as shaving the widow’s head and burning her clothes. Widow abuse is hardly talked about but organisations such as the Rona Foundation are working to change that with many international agencies covering their struggles.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #6: Counting Dead Women – Australia

Counting Dead Women is an initiative of the organisation Destroy the Joint which aims to research, record and publish every reported incident of a woman’s death due to VAW. Through this campaign, they are bringing many cases of femicide to light in Australia as well as providing helpful resources to women who are facing VAW. As of November 2018, they have recorded 62 women’s deaths as being a direct cause of VAW.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #7: I Will End FGM – Across Africa

The Girl Generation along with many other organisations and youth groups from various African nations initiated a campaign against FGM across the continent. Using the hashtags “#EndFGM” and “#IHaveSpoken”, the campaign hopes to spark a million conversations around FGM to break the silence about this heinous practice.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #8: Let Her Work – Brazil

Using the hashtag “#LetHerWork” or “#DeixaElaTrabalhar”, Brazilian sports journalists ran a campaign to bring attention to the sexual harassment and abuse they deal with during work. The campaign demands respect and a harassment-free work experience for women sports journalists.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #9: List of Known Sexual Harassers in Academia – United States of America

Julie Libarkin, a professor at Michigan State University, has compiled a list of more than 700 cases of sexual misconduct in academia. Talking about why she started the database, Libarking said, “I think one of the biggest problems with sexual misconduct is that there’s no way to know if anyone experienced that before you…There’s really no way to find out this information. I want people to be able to look at these names”.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #10: Me Too India – India

What started last year with Raya Sarkar’s list of sexual harassment accused became an even bigger movement across India this year. Stories have emerged from the worlds of film, journalism, academics, politics, advertising, design, art and many others. The impact of these stories has led to some positive change where many influential men accused of sexual harassment have stepped down from their professional posts, including former Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #11: #Mitu – China

Despite strict internet censorship, women in China led their own version of the Me Too movement. Using the hashtag “#Mitu” which means ‘rice bunny’ and “#Woyeshi”, which means ‘me too’, Chinese women shared their stories about VAW without garnering the wrath of the censors. The stories have already managed to bring about some change with new policies being introduced to curb sexual harassment in university campuses.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #12: The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Database – Canada and United States of America

Annita Lucchesi, a descendant of the Cheyenne Tribe, has started a database that collates information about missing and murdered indigenous girls, women and two spirit people in Canada and the USA from 1900 to the present. Talking about the need for such a database, Lucchesi said, “I found that there really wasn’t any comprehensive information on this issue. And there was no number that we could all agree on. There was no research bringing together both countries or doing a longer historical look. There were lists online and projects that had been put together, but none of them matched.”

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #13: The Not-So-Beautiful Game – United Kingdom

In a hard-hitting campaign, UK’s National Centre of Domestic Violence wanted to highlight the increase in incidents of domestic violence during sporting events. Their reports show that domestic violence increases irrespective of whether England wins or loses. There is a 38% increase in domestic violence reports when England loses a match and a 26% increase when England wins or draws. Their campaign depicted the flags of countries, such as England, Japan and Switzerland, on the faces of battered women, and released the visuals on the day of the country’s match during the World Cup.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #14: This is Not Consent – Ireland

In the rape trial of a 27-year-old man in Ireland, the 17-year-old victim’s lacy underwear was cited as proof of consent  , leading to the acquittal of the accused. Protests erupted across the nation using the hashtag “#Thisisnotconsent”, where women brought thongs and lacy undergarments to the streets and social media to protest against persistent victim blaming in cases of VAW. Even the Irish MP Ruth Coppinger joined the protests and brought a thong to Parliament.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #15: Warning systems in airport toilets to curb FGM – United Kingdom

To provide support to possible victims of forced marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), child sexual abuse, and other forms of VAW, the Birmingham Airport authorities in the UK have installed a colour coded sticker system in women’s toilet cubicles. Women who enter the cubicle can call the number mentioned on the sticker and get help. The colour of the sticker in each cubicle is different, allowing authorities to identify the correct cubicle and offer support.

Striking Anti-VAW Campaign #16: Women’s Day Strike – Spain

More than 5 million women gathered to protest against gender inequality, discrimination, and VAW on International Women’s Day 2018 in Spain. The protest involved a 24-hour strike where women abstained from doing any work under the slogan, “If we stop, the world stops”. Many prominent women supported the strike, including the Mayors of Madrid and Barcelona.

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

16 Pieces of Positive News in the Global Battle to End Violence Against Women

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Violence against women (VAW) is one of the most widespread and toxic pandemics of human rights violations in the world. It takes a wide variety of forms, from domestic violence to rape to female genital mutilation. Domestic violence alone costs the world 9.5 trillion dollars each year in economic loss. As eradicating VAW means dismantling the stubbornly entrenched patriarchal system that maintains the toxic masculinity, sexism, misogyny, and male pattern violence that perpetuate gender-based violence, progress in eradicating VAW is invariably difficult, painfully slow, and frequently endangers changemakers (usually women) themselves. With the 2016 U.S. elections that ushered in Donald Trump – self-confessed sexual harasser – into the White House, it appeared that decades of efforts to combat VAW was dealt a crushing setback.

However, hot on the heels of the election of Trump, the #MeToo campaign gathered a major burst of momentum with the fall of disgraced former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein after decades of raping, assaulting, harassing, and destroying the careers of women in the movie industry. It demonstrated that there is a fighting chance to end VAW.

The fresh injection of optimism and hope that came with the re-energised #MeToo movement that had been quietly chugging along for a decade before Weinstein’s downfall, gave women and girls in other industries (including sports and publishing) a much-needed dose of encouragement to stand up to name and shame the men who abused them. And #TimesUp – the sister movement to #MeToo – was born to provide funding and support to victims and survivors taking their abusers to court.

In the spirit of the tremendous acceleration of global awareness and action against the rape, sexual assault and harassment of women brought on by #MeToo, we bring you 16 pieces of good news and significant progress in the fight against VAW in 2018. The road to ending VAW permanently may be a long and winding one, but these milestones show that we’re on the right track. We just have to remember that it takes all of us to get it done.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

Written by Regina Yau and Denishia Rajendran. List compiled by Regina Yau.

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Positive Tidings #1: Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege jointly win the Nobel Peace Prize

Nadia Murad and Dr. Denis Mukwege were both awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize this year for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Known as “The man who mends women”, Dr Mukwege is a world renowned gynecologist and human rights activist who has tirelessly been fighting to defend victims of wartime sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The second Laureate, Nadia Murad, is herself a survivor of wartime sexual violence. As a Yazidi captured by ISIS militants as a sex slave, Murad eventually escaped the abuse that plagued her and many other Yazidi women and girls. Now she campaigns to bring attention to the brutality faced by Yazidi women and girls.

Positive Tidings #2: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) rates in east Africa drop from 71% to 8% in 20 years

According to a recent study conducted by BMJ Global Health, the rate of FGM cases among girls has decreased drastically in parts of Africa, particularly in East Africa, which recorded the highest drop in FGM cases from 71.4% in 1995 to 8% in 2016. It is speculated that the decrease could be attributed to policy changes and national laws that have banned FGM practices in 22 out of 28 countries in Africa. However, the customary age for FGM practices varies between ethnic groups, which means that it is possible that the girls included in the study may undergo FGM at different stages of their teens. This steep decline in FGM cases is promising as efforts continue to be made to end FGM once and for all.

Positive Tidings #3: New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to pass a Bill for paid domestic violence leave

New Zealand has one of the world’s highest developed rates of domestic violence and in order for survivors in violent relationships to escape their abusive partners, the New Zealand Parliament has voted to pass the Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill, a piece of legislation that allows victims of domestic violence 10 days of paid leave from work to help facilitate their escape from their abuser. The Bill is expected to be come into force starting 1 April 2019 and is seen as a landmark piece of legislation that will transform how domestic violence survivors are supported in the workplace.

Positive Tidings #4: War rape survivors in Kosovo can now receive reparations

It has been almost 20 years since Kosovo saw the end of the war in 1999, but war rape survivors are still struggling to cope with their emotional scars. As speaking openly about their experiences of rape continues to be heavily stigmatised in their culture, Kosovan women often keep silent about the atrocities that they had to endure. After years of intense campaigning by activists, Kosovan war rape survivors are now eligible for monthly compensation from the government for the rest of their lives. Although the reparations do not end the nightmare and trauma for them, many war rape survivors believe that the money will be helpful in supporting their families and that it is a major step towards ending the stigma of surviving rape.

Positive Tidings #5: It’s #TimesUp for the tech industry

On 1st November 2018, thousands of Google employees walked out of their offices across the world to protest sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism in Google’s corporate and work culture. This mass protest was swiftly organised following a New York Times report that Android co-founder Andy Rubin was awarded a $90 million severance package after allegedly sexually assaulting a fellow employee at Google. Following the walkout and the publicly published demands of the organisers, Google hastily overhauled its sexual assault and harassment guidelines. The effects of the walkout not only put Google on notice but other tech giants – Facebook, eBay, and Airbnb – also revised their forced arbitration policy for sexual assault cases after watching what happened to Google.

Positive Tidings #6: Somalia prosecutes a FGM case for the first time in the country’s history

In one of the 28 countries in Africa that has yet to ban female genital mutilation (FGM), the attorney general of Somalia made a groundbreaking decision in July 2018 to prosecute an FGM case in the country for the first time ever. The victim was a 10-year-old girl who bled to death due to the customary cutting performed by a traditional cutter. The decision to prosecute is a defining moment in Somalia as a country with one of the highest rates of FGM cases in the world and can be regarded as a major advancement in possibly ending this abhorrent practice.

Positive Tidings #7: The biggest feminist fund (that you’ve probably never heard of) raises $1 billion to boost the health of women and children worldwide

The Global Financing Facility (GFF) has raised $1 billion to improve the lives of women in low and middle income countries. Jointly set up by the United Nations and the World Bank, the GFF aims to invest in women and children, making it the biggest feminist fund in the world. The objective behind the setting up of the fund is two-fold in that it aids in the betterment of the health of women and children and also with the betterment of the country at large. One of the main issues that the fund seeks to improve is the sexual reproductive health of women as it has been recorded that too many women and children die from conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth.

Positive Tidings #8: Scotland introduces the game-changing Domestic Abuse Act to criminalise psychological abuse

Psychological abuse arising from domestic violence has a lasting impact on survivors of domestic violence but is rarely taken seriously by law enforcement and the judicial system in most countries. In an attempt to make the perpetrator responsible for every form of domestic violence (and not just physical abuse), the Scottish government has introduced a law that criminalises psychological abuse. Unlike other crimes, the Domestic Abuse Act does not require the victim to prove that the abuse occurred but rather to question whether a reasonable person would react in the same manner as the perpetrator. The law received wide backing and was enacted on 9th March 2018, signalling a huge step towards combating violence against women in the country.

Positive Tidings #9: France bans street harassment and approves hefty fines for catcallers

Catcalling and passing lewd and degrading comments are just some of forms of street harassment that women worldwide have to deal with when out in public spaces. However, this may well be starting to come to an end in France thanks to a high-profile street harassment case when CCTV footage in Paris recorded a woman being slapped in public after pushing back at the man who catcalled her went viral, shocking the French public. The video led to the passing of a piece of legislation that outlaws street harassment in France. The law was enacted in September 2018 and authorises law enforcement to take concrete punitive steps, including imposing an on-the-spot fine on street harassers. This is a significant step forward in tackling street harassment in France, and should hopefully also serve as a role model to other countries.

Positive Tidings #10: Nepal incorporates support services for domestic violence victims in hospitals… and it works

Nepal, which has some of the highest levels of domestic abuse in the world, is one of an increasing number of countries that are establishing support services inside hospitals and training healthcare providers to identify and to refer abused patients to experts for help. One example is the hospital in Ghorari that has set up a one-stop-crisis centre for women who have experienced domestic abuse. The victims of domestic violence can meet with counselors and a female police officer to assist them in providing options  in dealing with the abuse. Experts at the hospital in Ghorahi believe this multi-faceted approach has helped increase the number of women reporting abuse: in 2013, 74 women reported abuse to the hospital; by 2017 that figure jumped approximately nine-fold to 493 women.

Positive Tidings #10: Body-worn cameras are changing how family violence is handled by the justice system in Australia

In Tasmania, Australia, body-worn cameras are being used by the police to capture possible evidence of domestic violence. While footage recorded by the body-worn cameras still needs to comply with the rules of evidence to be admissible in court, those that have already done so are giving the court a new insight into the dynamics of abusive relationships. In addition, the video may be used as a tool to corroborate the victim’s account without requiring the victim to relive their trauma in court and in front of the perpetrator. While there is still some way to go with refining this new approach to gathering evidence and trying domestic violence cases, it is seen by experts as progress in the right direction. As of now, the body-worn cameras are being rolled out to the Tasmanian police in stages, starting with Hobart and Launceston, then Burnie and Devonport before more regional areas.

Positive Tidings #11: Sweden tightens laws to combat child marriage

While underaged marriage remains a widespread human rights violation affecting girls in particular, in recent years incremental progress continues to be made as more countries tighten laws to ban child marriage. Marriage under the age of 18 is illegal in Sweden but foreign underage marriages are recognised if they are legal in the countries where they were carried out. To close this loophole, Sweden announced in October 2018 that all underaged marriages, no matter where they are carried out, will be considered invalid should the couple move to Sweden. This new law will come into effect starting January 2019.

Positive Tidings #12: Bill Cosby found guilty of sexual assault and jailed

It took two trials and three years but in 2018 the disgraced ex-comedian Bill Cosby was finally found guilty and sentenced to three to ten years in a state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand 14 years ago. Ms Constand was one of 60 women who came forward to accuse him of sexually assaulting, harassing, and/or raping them over several decades. Cosby’s case is the first high-profile celebrity criminal trial of the #MeToo era and one of the first to be successfully convicted.

Positive Tidings #13: The #MeToo movement reaches Asia

The #MeToo movement was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke and got a huge boost in 2017 with the downfall of disgraced sexual predator (and former Hollywood mogul) Harvey Weinstein. Its influence prompted many survivors of sexual assault and rape to come forward, leading to the ousting of many prominent and powerful men in entertainment, sports, politics, and the arts across Western countries. In 2018, #MeToo’s effects finally reached Asia as it shook up the entertainment and political establishments in India, Japan, and South Korea – all staunchly patriarchal cultures – with a vengeance, leading to the disgrace (and in some cases, downfall) of high-profile politicians, actors, and journalists.

Positive Tidings #14: In a groundbreaking case, a woman is awarded $6.4 million in one of the largest revenge porn cases ever

Revenge porn is the term for the sharing of explicit or sexual, images or videos, without the consent of the person in the image. In today’s world of social media, it has become one of the tactics that abusive men use to seek revenge on women who reject them or leave them. Law enforcement and the justice systems worldwide have been behind the curve with regards to tackling this issue but there are signs that they are catching up: in April 2018, in a landmark case in California, one of the largest ever judgments in a revenge porn case saw the United States District Court awarding $6.4 million to a Los Angeles County woman whose former partner, David K. Elam II, mounted a revenge porn campaign designed to destroy her.

Positive Tidings #16: The Philippines approves bill outlawing street harassment and stalking

In October 2018, the Senate of The Philippines approved Senate Bill 1326 – also known as the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act of 2017 – that seeks to penalise the street harassment of women and girls. This bill covers the gamut of ways street harassment manifests including catcalling, wolf-whistling, cursing, leering, groping, persistent requests for name and contact details after clear refusal, public masturbation, and stalking. The bill isn’t law yet but it is a step in the right direction for combating violence against women and girls in the country.

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The picture used is a Creative Commons image:

16 Ways to Stay Safe When You Can’t Leave An Abusive Relationship Yet

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One of the most notorious misconceptions about domestic violence is encapsulated in the inevitable question that bystanders and victim-blamers often ask victims: “Why didn’t you leave?”

Leaving an abusive relationship is an extremely difficult and fraught process for many women for many reasons, some of which include: if they have dependents (children and pets); if they lack the financial resources; and if their isolation by their abuser is so absolute that they are almost completely cut off from family, friends, and community. Domestic violence advocates have also repeatedly pointed out that victims are most at risk of being killed when they are trying to leave. Add that to the tendency of many cultures and communities to victim-blame women who leave their husbands, the idea of escaping an abusive relationship becomes a remote prospect at best.

While staying in an abusive relationship seems counter-intuitive and self-destructive to those on the outside, a victim must be ready to leave before she will do so and there’s nothing anyone can do to change that. All friends, family, and communities can do is to hope that that she will be ready to leave before the violence maims her or takes her life.

This starter list offers 16 ideas to help keep a woman as safe as possible if she isn’t ready to leave or while she is getting an escape plan together. While not all of the suggestions in this article are applicable to every domestic abuse victim and her situation, we hope that this will be a useful starting point. If you have any other suggestions and tips, please do share them in the comments section.

Written by Regina Yau.

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Tip For Staying Safe #1: Get Informed About Your Situation

Domestic violence is complicated and many victims may not even realise that they are in an abusive relationship. They are unaware of red flag behaviour exhibited by their spouse/partner simply because their abuser may not use physical violence against them. If you suspect that you are being abused or if someone to whom you have mentioned your spouse/partner’s behaviour points out that such behaviour is abusive, start getting informed about domestic violence – how to track the patterns in your relationship to recognise abusive and controlling behaviour. At the very least, knowing what gaslighting means, for example, would confirm that you’re not crazy – he is. Then start recording it all as best you can.

Tip For Staying Safe #2: Protect Your Self Mentally and Psychologically

Not every domestic violence victim experiences physical violence but virtually all victims will experience psychological, mental, and emotional abuse including (and not limited to) gaslighting, belittling, and verbal threats. This wears down at your self-worth by creating insecurity and fear – ideal conditions in a victim for coercive control. One of your first steps in protecting yourself is to develop simple ways of reminding yourself of who you are and your worth so you can eventually gather enough inner strength to leave. It could be telling yourself daily that you are a worthy human being or (if you are able to) going to the library to read your favourite books when your abuser is at work or secretly continuing with a hobby that you may have given up when he came into your life. Take back your own self bit by bit.

Tip For Staying Safe #3: Cover Your Digital Tracks

If you are allowed internet access at home or can have it at work or via your phone’s data package, be sure to be careful to cover your tracks whether you are doing research about your situation, looking up help (e.g. visiting a domestic violence organisation’s website), or searching for information for items and services you’ll need in your escape plan. The most basic include:

  • Clearing your browser history on your computer at the end of every session.
  • Clearing your phone or tablet’s browser history at the end of every session. If you use an Android device, go here for tips. If you use an iPhone, go here for tips.
  • If you visit the website of a domestic violence organisation, be sure to familiarise yourself with where their safety button is – this is an icon that you can click which will immediately take you to an innocuous website in case your abuser ambushes you.

Tip For Staying Safe #4: Use The Right Apps

If you have a smart phone, consider downloading a safety app for women which has been designed to help victims in various ways ranging from automatically alert your support network if you are in danger to helping you find shelter should you have to leave in a hurry and have nowhere to go. Virtually all of them are free and most are compatible with both iPhones and Android phones. However, if you are a parent, do NOT download apps that allows you to track your children as abusers have been known to use these apps to track their victim’s movements.

Tip For Staying Safe #5: Keep Help on Speed-Dial… and Stealthy

If you have a mobile/cell phone, make sure to put the following numbers of speed-dial/in your address book:

  • The national domestic violence helpline (if your country has it)
  • The local domestic violence shelter helpline
  • The local police helpline number
  • The number of a close friend, co-worker or family member who would be willing to come get you when you decide to leave or to intervene when the abuse escalates.

As abusers frequently monitor their victims’ technology usage, list those numbers under innocuous names such as “hairdresser”, “bank”, “Boss’ Back-up Number”.

For those who fear that their phone may be taken away from them, memorise all important numbers.

Tip For Staying Safe #6: Keep Your Phone on You at All Times

Also remember to keep it fully charged at all times. You will never know when a situation will erupt, so it is crucial to have it on hand, especially if you recognise the signs of escalation leading to another episode of physical abuse. If you can, keep a cheap, spare, burner phone hidden as your back-up in case your abuser takes away from main phone. Have all important numbers programmed into it and make sure that it is fully charged. Check it from time to time to ensure that it works.

Tip For Staying Safe #7: Identify Your Allies and Get Back-Up

Even if you think that no one would ever believe you about your abuse, much less give you support, there is almost always at least one friend, family member, co-worker, service provider, or neighbour who has noticed (and recognised) the signs and is waiting for you to finally ask for help. Find out who that person is and ask them for support and intervention should a situation turn violent. Depending on your ally, their support could range from calling 999/911 for you to being on standby to come get you to providing you with a temporary place to stay. This option may not be available for all victims/survivors but it would be a feasible one for many.

Tip For Staying Safe #8: Have a ‘Safe’ Word/Phrase

In violent or emergency situations, you may not be able to text or say much. Have an agreed ‘safe’ word or phrase with your close friend/co-worker or family member who agrees to have their phone on standby to receive any emergency calls/texts. Keep it short and simple.

Tip For Staying Safe #9: Call Your Local Domestic Violence Hotline

Even if you are not ready to leave, find out the number of your local domestic violence organisation and call them to talk about your situation from time to time. Three (3) good reasons to do this:

  • If you need help identifying whether you are suffering from domestic violence, they can help you do that.
  • If you need someone to listen to you after another bout of abuse, most helplines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Calling them will get you on their radar and they will be able to act more quickly when you finally call them for help with escaping or seeking temporary shelter.

If you can, make that call using a phone your abuser is not aware of using a prepaid phone card.

Tip For Staying Safe #10: Map Your Escape Routes

Check out all possible escape routes in your house or apartment. Better yet, take time to set up a plan of escape including the numbers of people willing to help you get away if worse comes to worst. If there is a good chance that your abuser will be away from home at some point, it may be your chance to escape with your kids and/or pets should you decide to do so.

Tip For Staying Safe #11: Identify “Safe Zones”

While your abuser is at work or away, take a bit time to mentally list out the safest spaces in your home. These would be rooms where no weapons or potential weapons are kept including guns and knives and these “safe zones” would also be as far away from rooms like kitchens and the garage where weapons are available. There should also a physical escape route via a door or a window that can be opened and climbed out (this applies to ground/first floor rooms). The door should be lockable from the inside in case you need to keep your abuser out.

Tip For Staying Safe #12: Practice, Practice, Practice

When your abuser is not at home, start practising getting out of your house/apartment and getting to your “safety zones”. If you have kids and pets, get them to practise too so all of you will know what to do when the time comes for you to escape. If you have younger kids who can already talk, play it like a game. If you have older kids, impress on them the importance of keep this all a secret. If you feel that you cannot run the risk of your kids accidentally telling your abuser about the practice sessions, then practice alone while they are at school so that you can shepherd them through the routes when the time comes.

Tip For Staying Safe #13: Pack A “Leaving Bag”

Yes, you aren’t ready to leave yet but it doesn’t hurt to pack a “Leaving Bag” – basically a small sports bag or suitcase with a couple of changes of clothes for you (and your kids if you have them), spare burner phone, driver’s license, passport, birth certificates, medication for chronic health conditions, toiletries, and other small essentials. This bag should be small and, after packing, light enough for you to move quickly. Check out this page for a more comprehensive list of what to pack.

Tip For Staying Safe #14: Save Some Emergency Cash

Abusers often financially control their victims in various ways including refusing to let them have a job and/or bank account and controlling the household expenses. If this is happening to you, work on hiding away whatever cash you can, preferably in the emergency “leaving bag” that you’ve packed to just up and go when you’re finally ready to leave. Having some cash means you can pay for travel and temporary accommodation at the very least. If you trust a family member or friend to keep funds for you, you can also stash some cash with them.

Tip For Staying Safe #15: Create Plausible Reasons For Leaving The House

Figure out reasons for leaving the house at different times of the day and night that your abuser will accept. For example: Leaving the house at 8.00pm for a grocery run or heading out at 7am for your morning run or taking the kids to a play-date at 11am on a Saturday. This way, if you need to leave while he is home, you can do so without him being too suspicious.

Tip For Staying Safe #16: Log Evidence

Documenting your abuse is extremely important, not just because it will help you realise that you are not in the wrong and neither are you going crazy, but also as evidence in case you need to show the police and the court. If possible, keep a journal of all violent incidences, noting dates, events and threats made. You can also start a file containing pictures you’ve taken of your bruises and wounds after beating, your medical records, and every incident of violence. Keep multiple copies of that file in different places (e.g. different thumb drives stashed in different places with different people).

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

16 Tips For Journalists Reporting On Violence Against Women

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Thanks to the rise of the internet and the rapid proliferation of an ever-growing range of communication channels and platforms over the past half-century, the human rights issue of Violence Against Women (VAW) which was previously surrounded by a wall of silence is now being increasingly brought to the attention of the wider public through the media, including newspapers, television, films and online and social media. This means that there is great potential for media to play a role in reinforcing or transforming not just public opinion of, but also public policy on VAW. And with this great potential comes great responsibility to report ethically and ensure negative and dangerous stereotypes and narratives are not perpetuated.

In many societies, it is inevitable that media reporting is done within a gendered landscape where culture and tradition dictate patriarchal norms of perspective and even language. Even journalists who strive to report on VAW from a neutral or feminist perspective may be influenced by unconscious gender biases or be unsure of how to approach the subject.

Here, we have compiled some tips for journalists working in this area to help you create more balanced articles. This is by no means a comprehensive resource but it is a good starting point for any journalist whose beat includes reporting about VAW cases.

For more resources on starter guidelines and ethics for reporting about VAW, visit The Ethical Journalism Initiative.

Written by Anushia Kandasivam. Additional content by Regina Yau.

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Tip #1: Treat the Survivor with Respect

First and foremost: treat survivors with respect and compassion. If you are granted an interview with the survivor (or survivors), here are a few best practices to keep in mind: Prior to starting the interview, provide them with complete information about the topics that you will be covering with them, and how the interview will be reported. Survivors have the right to refuse to answer any questions or not to divulge more than they are comfortable with because interviews are stressful and it can be triggering for them to talk about what happened. Don’t pressure them even if you may not be able to cover everything in one sitting. Instead, make sure they know that you are available for subsequent contact so that they can reach you to continue the conversation if they need or wish to do so.

Tip #2: Remember Duty of Care

Ethical reporting of VAW means taking measures to avoid further compromising the safety and security of survivors or witnesses. This may include: selecting an interview venue that is private and secure; and protecting the identity of the survivor and/or witness by not publishing or broadcasting names or any other piece of information that may out them to the public. This is particularly important if the (alleged) perpetrator(s) wield a disproportionate amount of power and influence in the community and culture. For example: agents of law enforcement, celebrities with a fan base with a history of victim-blaming, political power players, or people connected with powerful organisations including multinational corporations or organised crime.

Tip #3: Use the Correct Term

The person whom the crime was perpetrated against is the ‘survivor’ and not a ‘victim’. Using ‘victim’ diminishes the woman’s agency and implies that she is now (and perhaps forever will be) only identifiable by what has happened to her.

Tip #4: Avoid Victim-Blaming

Stick to factual, ethical reporting and avoid victim blaming. This is related to the way you frame your article, the language you use and the details you put into it. Detailing what the survivor wore at the time of the crime or writing that she usually ‘dresses provocatively’, adding that she was out late at night, had been drinking or bar hopping, or was consistently seen out and about with men, all imply that the woman was ‘asking for it’ and also tells the reader that the perpetrator of the crime was not really at fault for what he did. Focus on the perpetrator’s behaviour instead.

Tip #5: Avoid ‘Othering’

‘Othering’ is blaming the survivor and suggesting the perpetrator was ‘abnormal’. This gives the impression that people involved in domestic violence, for example, are ‘not like us’ or that ‘this kind of thing does not happen in our society’. The fact is that VAW happens everywhere in the world all the time. As a journalist, part of your job is to shed light on what is happening in your society so that members of that society and the authorities have the opportunity to work to solve the problem.

Tip #6: Quote with Tact

When getting the perspective of witnesses, the authorities, friends and family, be discerning about what you end up quoting in your article. Unsubstantiated comments about the survivor can be harmful, especially those that are intended to assassinate her character. A neighbour’s anecdote about how the survivor comes home late every day is not only unrelated to the crime but also smacks of misogynistic victim-blaming.

Tip #7: Back Up Your Article with Real Facts

This may be an obvious tip – every journalist knows to use solid facts to back up their points. But a surprising amount of articles about VAW use only anecdotal evidence or no data at all. Use a range of resources, including interviews, data and opinion from relevant NGOs, public statistics and expert opinion. Try as much as possible to use official data and statistics. Or, if these are unavailable, keep asking for them and asking why they are unavailable. In other words: do your homework.

Tip #8: Describe the Crime Using Factual Language

When writing about any form of VAW, you are writing an article or a report of a crime that has been committed, so describe it as such. If you wouldn’t describe a robbery as ‘the jewels were procured by the gang…’ then approach any case of VAW with the same direct and factual reporting. For example: write ‘a man was arrested under domestic violence charges…’ instead of ‘a lover’s spat got out of hand…’ and rape is not a ‘sex scandal’ or a ‘misunderstanding’.

Tip #9: Framing is Crucial

Do not inadvertently shift the blame from the perpetrator to the survivor through inaccurate framing of your story. One of the ways avoiding this is by paying attention to the language you use to report on the case. For example: The sentence “Helen was allegedly raped by John” uses the passive voice and attaches the label of “victim” on Helen by implication instead of acknowledging that John is the perpetrator. The active sentence “John allegedly raped Helen” would be a more accurate one – Helen is still acknowledged, but John, the perpetrator of the rape, is now in the spotlight, as he should be because he committed the crime. Another reason to avoid passive sentences is that they run the risk of implying that the survivor contributed in some way to the crime. Also avoid writing ‘the victim admits’ or ‘the victim confesses’ as this implicates the survivor as a responsible party.

Tip #10: Ask Yourself – What is “The Big Picture”?

Journalists are able to shape public conversation with their articles. Think about the bigger picture – sometimes VAW is part of a long-standing social problem or part of a community’s history. Bear this in mind when reporting on individual incidences, as it will help contextualise your article, identify which facts are newsworthy, and add salient points that may engender a discussion on the long-term causes and effects of gendered violence.

Tip #11: Avoid Irrelevant Details

When writing about the survivor, be careful about adding in details that are irrelevant to the crime you are reporting on. For example, the hometown of the survivor or what her parents do for a living may not actually be related to the crime but can unfairly colour the reader’s perception of her.

Tip #12: Avoid Perpetuating Myths and Misogyny

As a journalist, you are perfectly positioned to break down myths about rape, societal perceptions about ‘appropriate’ female sexuality and start the discussion about toxic masculinity. When writing about VAW, avoid language and framing that buys into tired and misogynistic stereotypes about women, men and sexual assault. Research has shown that newspaper coverage of sexual assault has a direct influence on readers’ attitudes to rape, domestic violence, and other forms of VAW. For example, perpetuating the myth that husbands cannot rape wives or that women lie about being raped.

Tip #13: Avoid Sensationalist Reporting

A sensational article with a click-bait headline may get more views but it not only perpetuates negative stereotypes and a misogynistic culture, it is harmful to the survivor and those working to bring justice. Avoid graphic details of the crime. Again, stick to factual and ethical reporting. This tip extends to the visuals used when the article is published. A crime has been committed and eroticising or sensationalising it is not the way to go.

Tip #14: Avoid Creating Your Own Scale of Justice

Avoid writing that endorses the idea that different forms of sexual violence have a hierarchy. Calling for a death sentence for the attackers in a gang-rape but opining that it is not a big deal if a perpetrator of domestic violence is not brought to justice is unbalanced and dangerous reporting.  All forms of VAW are equally reprehensible and deserve justice.

Tip #15: Be Aware of the Legalities

The usual applies – do not name an underage survivor or an underage perpetrator. Also remember that the crime you are reporting on will probably be part of an ongoing court case. Be aware of what details you are legally able to publish, and be careful of how you frame the article to avoid accusations of defamation. More importantly, avoid doxxing anyone involved in the case.

Tip #16: Provide Resources

VAW affects communities and cultures across the world. Anyone reading your article could be a survivor or know one, or have been a witness to a crime. Leave a link to resources that offer advice and support for survivors, families and anyone else who wants to learn or help.

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

16 Ways Clinicians Can Advocate for Stopping Gender-based Violence in Their Communities

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The Pixel Project is pleased to welcome our 2nd guest “16 For 16” article from RANZCOG – the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand. RANZCOG provides consultative leadership and advocacy in #WomensHealth to ensure excellence in #obstetrics and #gynaecology training.

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In Australia, doctors along with nurses and pharmacists are viewed as the most trusted professionals according to social research. This long standing community view supported by the relationship clinicians build with their patients creates a unique position of influence. What is really great about being a clinician who is interested in advocating for stopping gender-based violence is that it is likely that your voice carries weight in the community by the nature of your role. This means that there are lots of different ways that you can be a proactive advocate in your community.

As the old adage goes, ‘if you can’t change the situation, change your perspective’. While changed perspective is definitely the goal of prevention, assessing your views about gender-based violence is a really important and often undervalued step. In this article we outline 16 ways that clinicians can advocate for stopping gender-based violence in the communities where they live, work and socialise.

Written by Nastashjia Katu and Lisa Westhaven from RANZCOG.

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Start With Yourself

Recommendation #1: Self-Check – Asses Your Own Attitudes About Males and Females

Asking yourself whether you treat or view women and men differently because of their sex can be a confronting exercise but a good place to start. It may be that in some circumstances you may be contributing to, or uncomfortable in, calling out attitudes that condone Violence Against Women (VAW). Identifying these situations can be challenging for some people and Male Champions of Change have developed the We Set The Tone resource that highlights how everyday sexism contributes to attitudes that accept violence. While sexism is only one driver that condones violent attitudes, it is a useful tool to identify commonly experienced situations and how you might approach them.

Recommendation #2: Be Aware of the Underlying Social Conditions that Promote VAW

VAW is prevalent in all communities and is primarily driven by gender inequality, and reinforced by a number of other factors. When men and women do not have equal power, equal access to resources and opportunities, or their work, ideas and voices are not equally valued, an environment that fosters violence against women is maintained. Being aware of the drivers of violence enables clinicians to recognise or seek out the tools they need to respond appropriately in different situations.

Recommendation #3: Recognise the Gendered Nature of Violence against Women

There are characteristics of women’s experiences of violence that make it a distinctly gendered problem: Women are more likely to be victimised by men known to them while men are more likely to experience violence by other men; Women are also more likely to be physically assaulted in familiar spaces such as in their homes while men are more likely to be assaulted in public places. The rate of hospitalisation and death by intimate partner violence is also disparate and women are more likely than men to experience these consequences. Recognising that there are gender-specific dynamics when addressing VAW is crucial while advocating for and seeking appropriate solutions that address root issues.

Recommendation #4: Acknowledge that Attitudes that Condone VAW Exist in All Communities

VAW is a a global epidemic. It impacts all communities at all levels and in all spaces both public and private. There is no one community group, religious group or geographic area that either represents violence or is void from violence. When advocating for ending VAW it is important to lay aside any held biases and recognise that VAW will occur in any place where gender inequality exists.

Speaking Up and Using Your Voice

Recommendation #5: Communicate that Violence Against Women is Preventable

Ending VAW requires a cultural shift and a redressing of entrenched historical attitudes. Changing hearts and minds is long-term work and advocating for this change can be perceived as more achievable if the message of success is in the front of mind. This is why communicating that VAW as being preventable is so important. Responding to violence is important, and many clinicians will experience caring for women and their families in a response setting. However, eradicating VAW requires preventative work. Voicing this and knowing what actions challenge the drivers of violence is a meaningful way to advocate for women and their families. This community toolkit provides a practical framework for practitioners addressing VAW.

Recommendation #6: Get Comfortable with Speaking out about Things that are Sexist or Degrading to Women

Sexist language devalues and robs individuals of the respect they deserve. Getting comfortable speaking out in these situations may require some practice. The Line have produced a how-to guide on how to combat this behaviour. Some of the tips include: addressing the comment and not the person or using a ‘we’ statement to gain the support of people around you.

Recommendation #7: Challenge Gender Inequity in Everyday Experiences

Promoting gender equity is an action or response that can be applied in any setting. Challenging gender stereotypes is one way to break down negative attitudes. In situations where women are disrespected or unfairly treated because of their gender, calling the comment or behaviour out is a good way to prompt conversations. By simply questioning or asking for clarification about a behaviour or comment, it’s a strategy that flags the action as an issue while signalling to those around you that this behaviour is not okay.

Recommendation #8: Talk to the People in your Life about your Commitment to Ending Violence Against Women

Letting people know that you are committed to pursuing gender equity by supporting equal opportunities in your workplace, working with your community board to advocate for better-lit carparks, doing a fun run raise to raise awareness for VAW – any action really is a simple yet effective form of advocacy. However, taking action is sometimes not enough – to boost the signal for the message that VAW must end, you need to let other people know that you are doing something about it because sometimes, telling other people about it may be just the incentive they need to start doing something too.

Recommendation #9: Call Out Victim-Blaming

A report analysing young Australian attitudes towards VAW found that 1 in 5 young Australians believe that there are times when women can be blamed for sexual assault. The percentage of young people who believe when women say no they actually mean yes has risen from 13% in their parents’ generation to 20%. Making the message clear that Violence against Women is never acceptable, whether in a consulting situation, in the workplace or in the community is important.

What You Can Do in Your Workplace

Recommendation #10: Advocate for Accountability in Workplace or Member Organisations

For Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) specialists in Australia and New Zealand, there are many opportunities through membership organisations like RANZCOG to engage with colleagues and other professionals in the field. Calling for membership organisations to have VAW as an issue that is present and visible on the agenda is a great way to advocate for prevention and highlight the issue. Calling for accountability and action on things like Family Violence Leave, equal representation of leadership and participation in awareness raising campaigns are good places to start. This webpage is an example of how RANZCOG is being active in this space.

Recommendation #11: Advocate for Workforce Training and Upskilling

Most local government councils in Australia will either deliver or have connections to a provider that can deliver workforce training in areas such as gender equity. If advocating for VAW is a relatively new area of focus (or an area with little focus), suggesting gender equity training or even connecting with organisations who deliver this training is a good start. The state of Victoria in Australia recently established a gender equality strategy and has links to organisations that specialise in workforce upskilling in this space.

Proactive Actions You Can Take.

Recommendation #12: Look for Opportunities to Keep Learning

Engaging with organisations who advocate for VAW as their core business is a good way to keep learning and connect with experts in the space. In Australia, Our Watch is the peak Prevention of Violence against Women (PVAW) body and there are a range of opportunities for members of the public to become to become in programs or events that are happening in their local areas. Our Watch also have a library of resources and links to partner organisations who have programs across the country.

Recommendation #13: Educate Yourself about the Warning Signs of Violence

Knowing what warning signs to look for in your personal relationships, but also in a patient situation will help you plan how you can help or respond. Abuse in most cases does not happen instantly and there are subtle signs to look out for, such as forced isolation from support networks, aggressive language and behaviour and excessive possessiveness of time and whereabouts. Read more about warning signs of abuse at this Safe Steps page.

Recommendation #14: Talk about Women or Female Colleagues who are Doing Great Things

A non-confrontational way to advocate for PVAW is to publically recognise women. Whether it is shouting out a friend for their work on social media, acknowledging their achievements in the workplace or raising awareness in the community; giving women equal airspace to be recognised is a step towards breaking down the barriers of gender inequality.

Recommendation #15: Recognise that Resistance is Inevitable

Any big change will always be met with resistance and being prepared for this is wise. Managing and dealing with backlash to gender equality initiatives can be confronting but there are resources and information available to help. Vic Health developed 13 steps to tackle gender discrimination.

Recommendation #16: Get your Friends, Colleagues and Family on Board

If you are committed to the PVAW, use your influence and get your networks on board too. There are lots of tips and resources in this article that provide a good starting point as to how you can be an advocate in your family, workplace and community. The most important thing to remember is you don’t have to do it alone. Find a group of people who are just as passionate as you (or get them there) and put some of these tips into action!

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

The Pixel Project Selection 2017: 16 Books About Violence Against Women

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Far from being merely a source of entertainment, it is through storytelling that culture and beliefs are framed, reinforced, and transmitted. More than that, stories have the power to fire the imagination and inspire new thoughts and ideas and thus shape – or reshape – the perspective of individuals, communities and cultures about everything from tradition to gender.

In recognition of the power of storytelling to inspire change, The Pixel Project has put together our 2017 selection of 16 books or book series that depict violence against women and girls. Some of these stories are popular fiction while others are strictly non-fiction. Nevertheless, all of them will educate the reader in some way about violence, rape culture, cultural mores and misogyny.

The books and book series in this list have been selected from a wide range of genres including thrillers, fantasy, science fiction, and investigative journalism. They all show a common trend of depicting entrenched and pervasive violence against women and sexism in the diverse societies and worlds that they portray while offering threads of hope as people and characters fight for a world where women and girls are free from abuse.

This list is by no means complete as there are hundreds of books out there that deal with violence against women in its various forms. However, we hope that these 16 books and series will be a starting point for you, as they have for others over the years, to push for change in your community and culture.

Introduction by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau; Written and compiled by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau

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Book Selection #1: A Safe Place (1997) by Maxine Trottier

​This children’s book is about a little girl Emily who, together with her mother, goes to live in a shelter to escape her abusive father. At first Emily is scared of the new place and people but soon finds that the adults are kind and the children are friendly. Told from the child’s perspective, this book is for five-to seven-year-olds who may be experiencing similar circumstances and aims to teach them that there are places that are safe and that there are people, both adults and children, who understand what they have been and are going through and are ready to offer support.

Book Selection #2:​ ​ The “Cincinnati” series (2014 – ) by Karen Rose

The Cincinnati thriller series, comprising Alone in the Dark, Closer Than You Think and Every Dark Corner, follows two FBI special agents as they work to find young women and children who have gone missing as victims of a human trafficking ring. The series explores the dark and frightening underbelly of society, bringing to light some horrible truths about child pornography, human trafficking, and drug abuse and dependence. It also showcases characters who refuse to give up and who fight to reclaim their agency and freedom, recover from trauma, and help others in similar situations.

Book Selection #3: The “Courtyard of The Others” series (2013 – 2017)  by Anne Bishop

The Courtyard of The Others series revolves around Meg Corbyn, a young woman who is a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet who can see the future when her skin is cut. Meg’s Controller keeps her and other cassandra sangue enslaved so he can have full access to their visions in order to sell them to the highest bidder. When Meg escapes her owner and seeks refuge with the Others (including vampires and werewolves) who rule the earth, she sets in motion a tsunami of social change in the world. Through Meg’s story, Bishop deals with gender-based violence head on, including rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, slavery, and human trafficking; and she does so in powerful and thoughtful ways that make no bones of the fact that male violence and misogyny perpetuate violence against women.

Book Selection #4: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club (2014) by Genevieve Valentine

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club is award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Genevieve Valentine’s vivid reimagining of the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses as flappers during the Roaring Twenties in Manhattan. In this story, the main character Jo and her eleven sisters are controlled by their distant father who subjects them to financial and emotional abuse – aspects of domestic violence that are seldom addressed, much less explored, in books. Valentine’s deft depiction of the relationships between Jo, her sisters and her father show just how complex and damaging domestic violence can be, no matter what form it takes.

Book Selection #5: Hominids (2002) by Robert J. Sawyer

Hominids is the first book in award-winning Canadian science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer’s Neanderthal Parallax series, which centers around Ponter Boddit, a Neanderthal physicist from a parallel earth where Neanderthals were not subsumed by homo sapiens and have gone on to develop a radically different civilisation in which sexuality is fluid, gender equality is the norm and there is no rape. When he accidentally crosses into present-day earth, he ends up being accused of murder. Through this book, Sawyer does not just offer a vision of what a more equitable and less violent world might be like but also explores the issue of rape with respect and compassion through the main female character, Mary Vaughn, who survived a rape and continues to deal with the consequences of the attack throughout the book.

Book Selection #6: How to Run With a Naked Werewolf (2013) by Molly Harper

How to Run with a Naked Werewolf is the third book in Molly Harper’s Naked Werewolf series. The story opens with Tina Campbell, lately the human pack doctor for a community of werewolves, on the run from her abusive husband who has been relentlessly tracking her down since she fled their home. With the help of an anonymous code-named benefactor from a safety network specialising in relocating domestic violence survivors as well as a werewolf detective and the werewolf community she serves, her husband meets his comeuppance in the most satisfying way. Harper does not sugarcoat the danger and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by survivors and while the story seems fluffy, it treats domestic violence and its consequences seriously.

Book Selection #7: The “Lily Bard” series (1996 – 2007)  by Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris is a prolific urban fantasy and mystery author who is perhaps best known as the author of the Southern Vampire Mystery series upon which the HBO vampire series True Blood is based. However, perhaps the most harrowing and absorbing of all her works is the Lily Bard series where the titular heroine is a rape survivor who solves grisly murder mysteries in her adopted hometown of Shakespeare, Arkansas while rebuilding her life and grappling with her PTSD. Harris – herself a rape survivor – captures the ever-reverberating echoes of pain caused by the trauma of sexual violence while showing just how much grit and strength are needed to function and move forward after the attack.

Books Selection #8: ​Lucky (1999) by Alice Sebold

In this memoir, Alice Sebold looks back at the brutal rape she experienced while in university, its aftermath, and how it transformed her life forever. The memoir reads somewhat like detective fiction because Sebold, on the advice of one of her professors, strived to remember everything about the incident, her interactions with authorities, friends and family after the incident, and her feelings throughout. She explains how she was told she was ‘lucky’ because she was not killed and her attacker left evidence on her by beating her. This story provides invaluable insights into a survivor’s world and chronicles her long and arduous journey to recovery and saving herself from her trauma.

Book Selection #9: The “Mercy Thompson” series (20016 – ) by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs’ werewolf-driven urban fantasy follows the adventures of Mercy Thompson, a coyote Shifter who was adopted into and raised by a werewolf pack but was sent away at sixteen when her foster father realised that his centuries-old son intended to marry her solely for breeding purposes. Throughout the books, Mercy battles against sexism and patriarchy as she educates her adoptive werewolf father and her werewolf husband about treating women with respect and as equals. Briggs also deals with the aftermath of rape with sensitivity when Mercy is raped, not just by tackling Mercy’s struggle with PTSD but also showing how family and community should ideally treat rape survivors.

Book Selection #10: Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town (2015) by Jon Krakauer

Between January 2008 and May 2012, hundreds of students in the highly-regarded state university in the college town of Missoula, Montana, USA, reported sexual assaults to the local police. Few of the cases were properly handled by the university and local authorities. In this dispassionate and meticulously researched book, acclaimed journalist Jon Krakauer investigates and studies acquaintance rape and the prevalent rape culture in the university, town and country, making it clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault.

Book Selection #11: ​ The “Orphan X” series (2016 – ) by Gregg Hurwitz

Bestselling high-octane thriller writer Gregg Hurwitz’s latest series features Evan Smoak who is a 21st century feminist James Bond complete with a mentor who instills respect for women in him as part of his education and training as a second-to-none spy. Although the series only has two books so far, Smoak has come up against – and dismantled – human trafficking rings and violent pimps. Also commendable is Hurwitz’s inclusion of a wide range of well-rounded female characters in both the civilian and lone spy parts of Smoak’s double life, including a single mother who is also a district attorney, a sociopathic female spy and female clients who are tougher than they look.

Book Selection #12: “Push” (1996) by Sapphire

Push is told from the perspective of 16-year-old Precious Jones, who lives in Harlem, New York with her abusive mother and is functionally illiterate, obese and pregnant with her second child, the result of rape by her father. The novel details Precious’ journey from seemingly hopeless circumstances to learning how to read and write – as the book progresses, there is an improvement in the spelling and grammar – and her struggles through the welfare system, homelessness and escaping abuse. It also shows her growth in confidence and the realisation that despite what she has been told, her colour – Precious is African American – and her socioeconomic background are not necessarily the cause of her abuse. The 2009 film Precious was based on this novel.

Book Selection #13: The “Shifters” series (2007 – 2009)  by Rachel Vincent

Rachel Vincent’s five-book Shifters series is about Faythe, a rare female werecat who rebels against the extreme and violent patriarchy of werecat culture to rise to become the first female leader of her pride. For new readers, the first book in the series may be off-putting because Vincent uses the book to establish just how misogynistic the werecat culture and community is and why Faythe was initially attempting to leave it. However, readers who persevere are rewarded with a powerful story that tackles everything from casual sexism and forced marriage to bride kidnapping and attempted rape – everything that Faythe has to deal with as she battles to stop other prides from taking over her own.

Book Selection #14:​ The “Soulwood” series (2016 – )  by Faith Hunter

Bestselling urban fantasy author Faith Hunter is best-known for her Jane Yellowrock series. However, it is with Soulwood, her latest series and a spinoff from the Jane Yellowrock series that she tackles everything from misogyny to church cult polygamy to violence against women. The not-quite-human lead protagonist Nell Nicholson Ingram was raised in a church cult for which underage – and even forced – marriage was the norm with men in their thirties and beyond taking multiple teenage wives and concubines. Nell rebelled against her fate and the series follows her progress as she helps her family and women modernise the church while working as a special agent on cases involving paranormal creatures.

Book Selection #15: The Female of the Species (2016) by Mindy McGinnis

While this young adult (YA) novel may seem like a revenge thriller on the surface – it is about a girl whose older sister was raped and murdered and who has hunted down the perpetrator who went free – the majority of the story is about how the protagonist Alex deals with the darkness inside her and the violence she experiences and delivers. The story has the standard YA fare of high school drama, jealousies, gossip and underage drinking, but it also features quite a bit of violence and examines the pervasiveness of rape culture among young people and learned misogyny in a straightforward manner, calling out double standards and toxic masculinity.

Book Selection #16: The “World of the Lupi” series (2003 – ) by Eileen Wilks

The werewolves in Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi series have some very unusual traits that set them apart from most werewolf-driven urban fantasy works. Firstly, their guiding deity is a woman. Secondly, their culture abhors and outlaws violence against women of any form even as their traditions are otherwise very patriarchal. Add in the main protagonist Lily Yu, a Chinese American detective who solves mysteries while dealing with episodes of PTSD from a traumatic childhood kidnapping and attempted rape, and you have a series that is as feminist as they come.

 

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Book Cover Credits:

  1. A Safe Place – From “A Safe Place” (Amazon.com)
  2. Every Dark Corner – Courtesy of Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  3. Etched in Bone – Courtesy of Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  4. The Girls At The Kingfisher Club – From “The Girls At The Kingfisher Club” (Goodreads)
  5. Hominids – Courtesy of Robert J. Sawyer
  6. How To Run With A Naked Werewolf – From “How To Run With A Naked Werewolf” (Goodreads)
  7. Shakespeare’s Counselor – Courtesy of Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  8. Lucky – From Wikipedia
  9. Silence Fallen – Courtesy of Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  10. Missoula: Rape And The Justice System In A College Town – From “Missoula: Rape And The Justice System In A College Town” (Amazon.com)
  11. Orphan X – Courtesy of Gregg Hurwitz
  12. Push – From Wikipedia
  13. Alpha – From “Alpha” (Goodreads)
  14. Flame In The Dark – Courtesy of Faith Hunter
  15. The Female Of The Species – From “The Female Of The Species” (HarperCollins.com)
  16. Dragon Blood – Courtesy of Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House

16 Ways Healthcare Professionals Can Help Prevent Violence against Women

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This year, The Pixel Project is pleased to welcome a guest “16 For 16” article from RANZCOG – the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand. RANZCOG provides consultative leadership and advocacy in #WomensHealth to ensure excellence in #obstetrics and #gynaecology training.

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In Australia and around the world, violence against women is widespread, but it is also preventable. Intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 15 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor.

As trusted leaders in the community who are on the frontlines of patient care, healthcare professionals are in a unique position to both respond to, and help prevent violence before it occurs.

Knowing where to start or what to do can be overwhelming. However, there are many opportunities to initiate change at any stage of your career, regardless of whether you are in training or are currently practicing.

Through awareness raising and education, by addressing attitudes that enable violence, and by working with support organisations, health professionals can make a major difference to the lives of women and girls experiencing violence.

Here are our 16 ways that health professionals can help prevent violence against women.

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Idea for Healthcare Professionals #1: Integrate Awareness-Raising Through Learning

One of the best ways learning institutions can equip health professionals with the knowledge they need to help prevent violence against women, is to ensure that they are aware of the issues and drivers that enable violence. Raising awareness through the inclusion of modules or exam questions in the curriculum not only develops competency, but highlights violence against women as a very real problem.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #2: Provide Opportunities to Level Up Skills

Ensuring that health professionals have access to skill building opportunities and resources is crucial to promoting best practices. Beyond knowing how to identify, respond and refer patients appropriately, it is also equally important that health professionals are skilled in handling these interactions sensitively and respectfully.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #3: Support Research

By supporting, providing expertise to, and investing in research initiatives, health professionals across disciplines can contribute to understanding why these issues persist, and contribute to finding ways to prevent violence before it happens. For example, Melbourne University has some great partnerships and resources as part of the Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against women and their children. Click here for more information.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #4: Acknowledge That Stereotyping of Violence Exists

A common trap that we fall into is the idea that violence is only perpetrated by, and to, a certain kind of person. While statistics tell us that there is a gendered nature to violence, it is important for health professionals to remember that violence occurs across all cultures, communities and religions regardless of wealth and education. There is no stereotypical victim of violence, but acknowledging that these attitudes exist is important.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #5: Be A Leader, Speak Up

Recent research by the Medical Board of Australia found that doctors are among the most trusted professions. As leaders in the communities, health professionals are well placed to promote respect as part of a holistic approach to good health and well-being. By calling out behaviours that contribute to negative attitudes towards women, health professionals are able to set standards in their clinical practice, and amongst their colleagues, that violence is not acceptable.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #6: Call Out Sexism

There is an opportunity for health professionals to prevent violence against women at an individual level by understanding the attitudes that drive violence. Sexist language, comments and behaviours are enablers that allow negative attitudes towards women to persist. By calling out these actions and making it very clear that this is not tolerated or accepted in the workplace, clinic or medical institution, it’s a step that all health professionals can make to help address damaging attitudes.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #7: Set the Example

Behave in a way that signals to everyone that you take these issues very seriously. Everyone enjoys and is productive in a fun work environment, but sexist jokes, comments, and conversations set a poor example. Calling out sexist comments, allowing women to speak without interruption, and being respectful of physical boundaries are simple ways that you can show those around you how it’s possible to be a person people enjoy being around without demonstrating or encouraging poor behaviour.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #8: Make Resources and Messaging Visible To Patients

Placing support resources around the workplace may seem like an insignificant measure, but it capitalises on an opportunity to reinforce a safe space without any formal exchange of words. Regardless of how friendly a workplace may be, there are many women who do not report violence for a number of reasons. Where possible, having these resources in both highly visible, and more discreet areas of the office, may allow a woman the opportunity she needs to access this information.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #9: Create a ‘Cone of Trust’

Often times it is in a clinical or medical setting where evidence of violence is either identified and/or disclosed. For such reasons, the relationship between a health professional and patient is of significant importance. Ensuring patients feel safe, heard, and have confidence in the practitioner’s ability to provide the right support, enables a culture of trust where help can be sought.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #10: Ask the Right Questions

Utilising a domestic violence screening tool can assist health professionals in identifying and responding to patients who are at risk of, or experiencing violence. Checking in with patients by asking general questions about their well-being is a good way to keep the communication pathways open. When violence is suspected, remaining sensitive to the reasons why a woman may have chosen not to disclose this information, and by asking the right questions can prompt opportunities for discussion.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #11: Be Mindful Of Creating Unintentionally Unsafe Spaces

In circumstances where a woman has separated herself from a violent situation, it is useful for health professionals to be mindful that creating an unintended unsafe space is a possibility. Personal documentation and health records pertaining to a child or dependent from a previous violent relationship may allow a perpetrator unknown to health professionals, access to personal information, potentially compromising the safety of the woman. Ensuring that all staff that care for the patient are aware of such circumstances will ensure that confidentiality is upheld.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #12: Know How, And Where, To Refer

Building relationships with legal centres, domestic violence crisis centres and community organisations that support women experiencing violence will ensure that the referral process is smooth and efficient. Maintaining these connections not only supports a collaborative approach, it also ensures the patient receives the right mental, social and medical supports necessary.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #13: Understand Legal and Administrative Pathways

Having some basic knowledge of legal rights is extremely useful. Where it is not possible for a staff member on-site to have this knowledge, at the very least having access to legal support services or legal professionals will assist health professionals in providing an appropriate response. There are some great resources and initiatives out there, In Australia, 1800RESPECT has resources for support workers and professionals responding to women experiencing violence. Health Justice Partnerships in Victoria are also implementing a new legal welfare model into hospitals to make legal advice more accessible to women.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #14: Take Good Notes

In the instance where a disclosure has been made, and a woman chooses to take legal action, patient notes can sometimes be called on as evidence to support her case. Doctors can assist in these circumstances by keeping detailed patient notes.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #15: Recognise Your Unique Position

Healthcare professionals who care for women during pregnancy occupy a unique position in society. Demonstrate that you understand this by being a champion for women of all ages. Establish an environment of respect, challenge behaviours that cultivate negative attitudes towards women and don’t hesitate to let people know that violence or disrespect is not tolerated.

Idea for Healthcare Professionals #16: Use Your Influence

Never miss an opportunity to advocate for women’s safety. Your role in women’s health sets you apart and delivers unique opportunities for you to influence policy. Look for opportunities to have these discussions with your colleagues and professional networks. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions as to how your workplace could be more equitable. Get involved in initiatives that support prevention initiatives and tell your friends about it. Make the point. Deliver the message. Argue for change.

16 Things You Can Donate to Women’s Shelters to Help Change Lives

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Women’s shelters are often the first-stop safe location for women who are seeking refuge from abusive relationships. Shelters are halfway houses where many women and children get their first reprieve from a life filled with fear and pain; where they get their uninterrupted night’s sleep in days, months, or even years; and where they can take their first steps in their journey towards healing from their trauma and rebuilding their lives.

While shelters do provide a roof over the women and children’s heads, they are also chronically underfunded and always overstretched, relying on the surrounding communities and generous donors to provide some of the basic necessities needed to help get survivors back on their feet again. Whether it’s providing items to meet a baby’s needs, or sponsoring gas or a public transport pass to get a survivor to a job interview on time, we can all give a little something to support the efforts of shelters to help victims survive and thrive.

Here are 16 items that you can donate to help women in women’s shelters, for when they first arrive and when they are starting to rebuild their lives.

This is by no means a comprehensive list but it’s a start. When in doubt as to what necessities your nearest women’s shelter would welcome, always call to ask. And finally, if you can’t decide what to give, consider giving a cash donation instead so the shelter can buy what they need.

Introduction by Regina Yau and Samantha Joseph; List compiled by Samantha Joseph; Additional content by Regina Yau.

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When they first arrive at the shelter

Recommendation for Donation 1: Bras and Underwear

We may take the basics for granted, but because of the circumstances of most women when they leave an abusive home – no time to pack, plan or prepare – even necessities have to be left behind. Bras and underwear will always be appreciated by women in shelters who may have left their abusive home with just the clothes on their backs.

Note: For hygiene reasons, please always donate new bras and underwear, not second-hand ones.

Recommendation for Donation 2: Gift Cards for Clothes

While donated clothes are always welcome, not everyone at the women’s shelter will be able to find clothes that fit right. It may seem small – after all, some might say, at least they have clothes – but when you have little to nothing of your own and you’re trying to start over, clothes that fit and fit the occasion can make a huge difference. It will enable them to buy something simple like pyjamas which play a practical role in providing comfort and giving them back some dignity by giving them something to sleep in aside from their day clothes.

Recommendation for Donation 3: Bed Linens and Blankets

A good night’s sleep is a rare commodity for many victims and survivors. Survivors newly arrived at shelters are often exhausted and sleep deprived. You can help shelters provide a comfortable, clean sleeping environment for survivors by donating clean bedsheets, linens, pillows, pillowcases, blankets, and even mattresses.

Recommendation for Donation 4: Laundry Detergent

Keeping clothes clean and fresh gives a boost of confidence and self-respect to women at the shelter and doing laundry (a very run-of-the-mill task) may help some survivors feel more normal again. So when you’re packing clothes, bed linens and other washable items to take to the shelter, don’t forget to include a few jumbo bottles of laundry detergents (including at least one type for sensitive or allergy-prone skin) with them.

Recommendation for Donation 5: Toiletries

There’s nothing like the feeling of cleanliness that comes with a good shower. Every shelter houses women with different hair types, skin types and hygiene requirements. So make a small but thoughtful donation by providing them with choices of hair care products, dental hygiene products, deodorant, body wash, and soap for something as basic as bath time.

Recommendation for Donation 6: Pads and Tampons

Even among women, we rarely talk about the need for sanitary products at shelters, but they are very necessary and often in short supply. Imagine not being able to access these things when you need them. It’s an easy and affordable thing to do to pick up a few boxes for donation the next time you’re at a pharmacy or supermarket.

Recommendation for Donation 7: Baby Supplies

Infants and toddlers who come in to shelters with their mothers are at a vulnerable age and need certain things – baby formula, baby blankets, age-appropriate toys like small stuffies, clothes for little ones that fast outgrow what they have would make a big difference in providing a little hope and easing a mother’s concern. So why not put together a nice box of all these necessities to donate to your nearest women’s shelter? At the very least, consider adding a few new packs of diapers and baby wipes to the list of items you plan on donating.

Recommendation for Donation 8: Kids’ Games, Crafts And Books

Children at women’s shelters are going through a confusing and often traumatic time in their lives but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given the opportunity to still be children. Games, crafts, and books will help both children and mothers find moments of peace and creativity. So if you have board games and video games that your children have outgrown, add them to the stash of things you plan to donate to the shelter. Pick up some extra sets of craft supplies the next time you’re shopping for your craft hobby or your kids. Get children’s books that your children have outgrown. Then box them all up and take them to the nearest women’s shelter.

Recommendation for Donation 9: School Supplies

Older children and teenagers at the women’s shelter should not have their schooling disrupted. Whether they will resume going to school or will be home-schooled for their safety, they will need school supplies. Ease the worries of both mother and child by donating stationery, text books, learning aids, used tablets and laptops, and even bus passes to help the kids get to school.

Recommendation for Donation 10: Pet Supplies

In homes riddled by domestic abuse, pets are often held hostage or tortured as part of the abuser’s modus operandi for controlling his partner and children. In many cases, women and children are reluctant to leave their home because they are unable to bring their beloved pet with them. Some women’s shelters are now recognising the need to house pets as part of helping survivors escape. If your nearest women’s shelter does so, consider donating jumbo packs of dog and cat food, pet shampoo, pet toys, cat litter, and other pet basics to help keep the shelter’s kennel residents clean, fed, and comfortable while they provide comfort to their human family.

When they are rebuilding their lives

Recommendation for Donation 11: Second-hand Work Clothes and Shoes

Do you have work attire like suits, formal button-down shirts, tailored skirts, and pairs of nearly-new work heels that no longer fit you or which you just haven’t worn in months? Donate your gently-used work clothes and shoes to your nearest women’s shelter – this will give the women something suitable to wear when they go for interviews to start rebuilding their life, where potential employees are often judged first based on how they look. Remember to send them to the dry cleaners or launder them before donating them to the shelter so they are all fresh and ready to wear.

Recommendation for Donation 12: Personal Grooming Supplies

Seemingly inconsequential but incredibly impactful, nail polish and makeup provide an extra boost of confidence for survivors who are taking their first steps towards find work. Being well-groomed alongside being well-dressed will help them make a positive impression on potential employers.

Recommendation for Donation 13: Public Transport Passes and Gas Cards

Getting from one place to another in time for a job interview, meeting or just to get to work while staying at a shelter can be difficult, especially with the cost of transportation and gas going up year on year. Access to public transport for survivors at city-based shelters and helping survivors with cars to fill a tank with petrol will significantly ease this struggle. Depending on the location of the shelter, you could donate annual or monthly public transport passes to women at shelters in cities. For survivors with cars or doing car pools in suburban or rural areas, gas cards loaded with enough credit for several tanks of gas will help with up to a month of getting to work and back.

Recommendation for Donation 14: Cell Phones

When applying for jobs, cell phones are a crucial instrument of communication because it allows survivors to make follow-up calls and inquiries as well as provide potential employers with a way of reaching the survivor. If you have a few older models lying around at home, why not pass them to your nearby women’s shelter to be recycled and reused? Better yet, organise a cell phone drive to collect used – but still functioning – cell phones from your friends, family, and co-workers and deliver a box full of them (together with the right cell phone chargers) to your local women’s shelter.

Recommendation for Donation 15: New SIMs and Call/Data Plans

Some survivors do bring their cell phones with them when they escape. However, their source of income or access to their bank account may be cut off by their abusive partner or spouse who control the family finances. So donate a few prepaid SIMs for them to simultaneously obtain a new phone number that their abuser cannot reach them at while giving them a means to make calls to potential employers and landlords as they get ready to rebuild their lives. For those with smartphones, get them pre-paid data plans or make arrangements to pay for 1 – 3 months of a basic data package for them.

Recommendation for Donation 16: Laptops, Desktops, and Tablets

As part of applying for jobs, survivors will need access to computers to fill out online forms, write resumes, and email application letters. So if you have still-functional desktop computers, laptops, and tablets that you are no longer using or are thinking of replacing with a newer model, consider donating them to your nearest women’s shelter. Make sure to delete all your personal files but keep a word processing programme like Microsoft Word and a browser like Firefox or Google Chrome in the computer, laptop, or desktop you’re donating so that survivors have instant access to these basic tools.

16 Ideas for Using Technology to Prevent and Stop Violence against Women

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More than any other time in human history, the 21st century has seen a breakneck pace in the development of new technologies and the constant improvement and refinement of existing technologies. Almost half the world has internet access now with the rest catching, up as smartphones become increasingly cheap and ubiquitous in even the most remote areas of the world.

Technology cannot end violence against women (VAW) – only people can do that within their families, communities, and cultures. However, technology can be invaluable tools in the fight to end VAW in various ways:

  • It is a staple part of the anti-VAW activist’s toolkit to help stop VAW from happening, bring awareness to the issues surrounding VAW, and move society closer to ending it.
  • In today’s uber-connected world, technology functions as a magnifying glass for gender inequality and gender-based violence – the Internet, social media and mobile phones put a spotlight on stereotypes, misogyny and harassment.
  • Technology can also be a tool of empowerment for women, bringing them education and avenues through which they can tell their own stories. In this way, it can be life changing.

In this 16 for 16 article, we present 16 actionable ideas as a starting point to inspire you to use the technologies available to you to help stop VAW in your family, community, and culture. It is by no means a complete list but it’s a good place to begin.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

Introduction by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau; List curated, compiled, and written by Anushia Kandasivam; Additional content by Regina Yau.

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Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 1: Crowdsourcing Data

One of the most important tools in the fight to end VAW is accurate and comprehensive data about VAW. Data is essential to understand VAW and for education and policy making. There are initiatives and programmes around the world that enable women (and men) to contribute data in the form of testimonials on VAW. This data can be used to shape policy and efficient implementation and develop innovative strategies to build safe and inclusive public spaces. For example, HarrassMap in Egypt collects stories on street harassment, gang abuse, women being assaulted during the Arab Spring demonstrations and more, and also maps where these incidences occur. Global initiative Hollaback also gathers testimonials and maps where they occur.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 2: Education and Training via Digital Libraries

According to the United Nations, 31 million girls of primary school age are not in school and of these 17 million are expected never to enter school. There are 34 million female adolescents out of school. Lack of education keeps women in poverty and makes them even more vulnerable to gender-based violence including domestic violence, child marriage, and forced marriage. Lobbying your local government to provide community centres equipped with digital resources for self-learning and where locals can work together through peer-learning can be a first step to breaking down some socio-economic and gender barriers that challenge women.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 3: Educating Through Gaming

Though video games have a dark history of promoting misogyny and violence, there are a growing number of Facebook, computer and mobile games that were created to educate players about VAW, stimulate the experience of VAW, or just start the conversation about VAW. Some games to check out are the interactive Angry Brides, created by matrimonial website Shaadi.com that raises awareness about the tradition of dowry and the impact it has on women in India, and Hannah, where the gamer uses tools to assist Hannah, a victim of domestic violence.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 4: Wearable Tech

Wearable technology is becoming more mainstream now, but most people know it only for its ability to monitor health and fitness, and link you to your smartphone. There are, however wearable technologies that double up as tools to help women stay safe. For example: ROAR For Good’s wearable fashion accessory Athena is also a high-tech rape whistle linked to a mobile app that activates when a button is pressed for three seconds. The user can activate a loud alarm and flashing lights, and trigger Athena to alert local authorities and chosen contacts. The Safelet, which looks like a bracelet, has two buttons that when pressed sends a message to a contact, along with an alert that allows the contact to automatically call an emergency number.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 5: Empowering SMS Services

Not everyone in the world who has access to a mobile phone has a smartphone or access to the Internet, which is why having SMS services that help women stay safe is important. According to the World Bank, if a mobile phone exists in a household, then all members could theoretically use it. This extended access means better dissemination of information. Technologies that connect apps to SMS exist for those who do not always have access to the Internet. For example, you can ask Kitestring via SMS to check up on you in a set time after which Kitesting sends you a text. If you do not reply, it will send a message you created to your emergency contact.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 6: Social Media Awareness

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have been used for years to spread awareness, tell women’s stories and engage the public. On-going campaigns such as #RedMyLips, #YesAllWomen and #EverydaySexism reach millions of people, attract the attention of mainstream media and get people talking. You can share your stories, experiences and thoughts on VAW and feminism via these and various other campaigns on social media, including #WhyIStayed, #MasculinitySoFragile, #NotBuyingIt and #RapeCultureIsWhen.

 

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 7: Staying Safe with Apps

There are apps for everything nowadays, so it is not surprising that there are numerous safety apps for women as well as apps that educate users about VAW and what they can do to prevent it. For example, Watch Over Me, Circle of 6 and Safetipin are good safety apps that allow users to quickly contact trusted friends or emergency numbers, or instruct the app to contact them in certain situations. The Love is Not Abuse app is aimed at educating teenagers about dating violence.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 8: Helplines and Hotlines

Technology does not always have to be the latest to be effective. In rural areas around the world, phone technology is being used to provide national hotlines to provide counselling, support and advice to women and girls facing violence. In recent years, sophisticated computer systems linking phone networks has meant more efficient operations and more people assisted. In Palestine, the Women’s Protection Helpline and Child Protection Helpline also gather data on demographics of violence in the country. In Afghanistan, some cases handled by the first toll-free family support hotline, locally known as 6464, have seen legal action. You can help your local helpline by donating or volunteering your services.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 9: Connecting Rural Women

Traditional systems of communication and information dissemination, such as radio broadcasts, are still widely used around the world. However, women in rural areas are less likely to have time and space to sit and listen to the radio because of their domestic workload. Innovative digital communication networks can help bring awareness and education to women and girls very rural areas where the majority of them are illiterate and may live without consistent access to electricity, which limits their connectivity to information technology. For example, US-based non-profit Media Matters for Women has initiated a project in rural Sierra Leone that links special radio broadcasting programmes with mobile phones to distribute critical news and information to women and girls about their rights and available support services

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 10: Holding Governments Accountable

A lot of the time, evidence of VAW is difficult to impossible to produce, meaning that women and girls are unable to lodge proper reports, bring perpetrators to justice or even escape from violence. Information communications technology can help bridge this gap by enabling organisations to strengthen documentation, reporting and monitoring processes of gender-based violence and use the evidence to put pressure on governments to deliver on commitments to combat and eliminate VAW. The Women’s Rights Programme of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) partnered with local organisations in Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to do just this, using free and open source software to post information on an online interactive map.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 11: Stripping the Social Acceptability of VAW

In most places in the world, VAW is not seen as a big problem for various reasons. Street harassment for example, is not seen as a problem and instead seen as ‘harmless teasing’ or ‘something that always happens’. Women do not come forward to authorities because of fear and a lack of proper reporting avenues, making VAW an invisible problem. Technology can go a long way to help bring VAW into the spotlight, from social media campaigns to apps and other software that allows reporting and data collection. HarassMap is one such tech – once a month, trained volunteers forming Community Action Teams go to local communities to talk to leaders about what they can do to stop street harassment, using data collected from HarassMap to inform and assist planning.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 12: Hackathons Against VAW

The tech community plays an important role in developing tech tools to prevent and eventually end VAW. Hackathons, where the community gets together to raise awareness and develop new technology, are great ways to do this. In the past, hackathons have resulted in some innovative tech that have helped fight VAW. For example, in the World Health Organization’s Hackathon Against Domestic Violence, the winning team built an anonymous cyberspace forum for victims to learn from and share their experiences without having to give up their privacy. Other prototypes included a web and SMS-based app to alert trusted friends and family in the case of teenage girls being taken abroad and an SMS- and web-integrated hotline that provides information on gender-related violence and how to report an incident

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 13: Responsible Design

There are several ways responsible design can help in the fight against VAW: in the creative design of advertisement – educating the public about VAW or ensuring ads, packaging and other commercial items do not contain sexist or misogynistic messages – and in the design of apps and other tools women use to help them fight violence. One example of the former is the UN Women advertisement campaign that used real Google searches to show how widespread sexism and VAW is. As for the latter, responsible design is important to ensure vulnerable groups are not at risk from using apps and other tools. For instance, safety app Circle of 6 is designed to look like a social app so that you can use it in front of someone who is making you uncomfortable without them knowing what you are doing.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 14: Challenging Stereotypes, 21st Century Style

Software development and programming are among the biggest industries today, so it is no wonder that education in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are increasingly popular. These are traditionally seen as ‘masculine’ subjects and dominated by males in the workforce but more and more girls and women are challenging these stereotypes and breaking barriers. Organisations such as Girls Who Code bring education and awareness to the public about why it is important to provide equal opportunities in these areas for girls and provide avenues for that education. Global non-profit Girls In Tech focuses on girls and women who are passionate about technology and provides support and training for female entrepreneurs in the technology startup space.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 15: Easing Access to Healthcare

VAW is a burden on healthcare worldwide but at the same time women who suffer from violence generally have little access to healthcare either because they live in remote or rural areas, or they are prevented from seeking healthcare. Mobile healthcare technology has made healthcare access easier for some of these women, and governments are now starting to train healthcare professionals to use mobile health tech to detect domestic abuse. For example, India’s Mobilise! programme trains nurses to identify women at risk of violence and encourage them to disclose their experiences. And in Indonesia, the government mobilised 100,000 midwives by providing them with up-to-date healthcare practices through an SMS programme called Bidan.

Anti-VAW Tech Use Technique 16: A Mobile Education

The mobile phone can be used as a standalone technology to enable girls in schools to improve their education and learning. According to UNESCO, which held its Mobile Learning Week in March, mobile learning can promote inclusion in education. Girls in some countries are unable to go to Internet cafes to access resources for school work, so a mobile phone becomes an essential tool for their education. Mobile learning is still a new concept, so it will take more research and definitely some government policy to develop local content and provide access to enable it to work where it is needed.

The Pixel Project Selection 2017: 16 Male Role Models Helping to Stop Violence against Women

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Violence Against Women (VAW) is largely deemed as a women’s issue to be tackled by women and for women. However, VAW has a negative impact on entire communities and societies and is therefore impossible to eradicate without having men and boys on board efforts to do so. For this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, we present our second edition of  ’16 Male Role Models Helping to Stop Violence Against Women’ which features a diverse list of men who are doing their bit towards a more gender-equal world.

The men in this list believe that ending VAW is a fight and issue that should involve everyone and not just women. Many of these men are activists who have recognised that toxic masculinity and patriarchy are harmful to young boys and men. They are working directly with boys and men to empower them in order to prevent VAW from the roots. The list also looks at men who have spoken up against VAW through various mediums like demonstrations and music, using their voice to show their solidarity and bring issues of gender-based violence to the forefront. In this post-Weinstein world where so many prominent men have been revealed as domestic abusers and sexual predators, we hope our second edition of 16 male role models against violence against women will provide living examples of positive masculinity that inspire and galvanise men and boys worldwide to become a part of the solution.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

Note: Information for all role model profiles is sourced via online research and is based on one or more news sources, articles and/or The Pixel Project’s own interviews with them. The main articles/reports from which these profiles have been sourced can be directly accessed via the hyperlinked titles. Please do click through to learn more about these remarkable men.

Written, researched, and compiled by Rubina Singh.

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Male Role Model #1: Ahmed Hegab – Egypt
After witnessing a young woman being assaulted by a mob of men on the street, Ahmed Hegab knew he had to do something. Speaking to USA Today, Ahmed shares, “I decided right there and then to quit my job and do everything I could to stop harassment.” Ahmed started volunteering with Harassmap and also started Men Engage, a program that trains men to stop gender-based violence and raise their voices for women’s empowerment.

Male Role Model #2: Ali Erkazan – Turkey
After the murder and attempted rape of a university student, Ali Erkazan, a Turkish actor, along with a number of other men expressed their anger through a public demonstration. The men dressed in mini-skirts to show their solidarity and demanded harsher punishment for VAW. Demanding stricter laws, Ali shares, “The absence of deterrent laws encourages them. Even the people in the government make incentive statements about the inequality of men and women under the name of Islam. We also condemn them.”

Male Role Model #3: Chris Green – United Kingdom
Chris Green is the Director of the White Ribbon Campaign in the UK. The White Ribbon Campaign encourages men and boys to speak up against VAW. Chris is also a member of the UK End Violence Against Women Expert Advisory Group and the End Violence against Women Prevention Working Party. For his notable efforts, Chris has been awarded one of the highest honours in the UK – Order of the British Empire.

Male Role Model #4: Dean Peacock – South Africa
Ashoka fellow Dean Peacock is challenging gender inequality in South Africa by engaging men and boys in the fight against VAW. Dean is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Sonke Gender Justice Network, which works to strengthen government, civil society and citizen capacity to support men and boys to take action to promote gender equality, prevent domestic and sexual violence, and reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS. Dean is also the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the MenEngage Alliance and a member of the UN Secretary General’s Network of Men Leaders.

Male Role Model #5: Dr. Ganesh Rakh – India
In a country where girls face GBV even before they are born, Dr. Ganesh Rakh is doing his part to ensure that girls at least get a fighting chance. Noting the high rate of female feticide and infanticide, Ganesh initiated a campaign “Mulgi Vachva Abhiyan” (Save the Girl Child) in his city. While most doctors increase their fees over time, Ganesh decided that he would not charge any fee from the family if a girl child was born. Not only that, his hospital also celebrates the birth of every girl child. His ultimate aim: “I want to change attitudes – of people, doctors. The day people start celebrating a daughter’s birth, I’ll start charging my fee again.”

Male Role Model #6: Edgar Ramirez – Venezuela
Edgar Ramirez is an actor, producer, and activist from Venezuela. As a HeForShe advocate, he spoke about the impact that gender inequality has on boys and men, “In the journey for equality, women and men are like two strands of DNA wrapped together in an embrace. Our burdens are as intertwined as our common destiny. The constraints that burden me will eventually burden you. And the same is true in reverse: as long as you are burdened, I am too. By recognizing this inter-dependence, I can work for your well-being and know that I am also working towards my own. I can know that whatever action I take to free you, also frees me. This is not just what makes us human. This is what makes us a human family.”

Male Role Model #7: Fang Gang – China
Fang Gang is the Director of the Institute of Sexuality and Gender Study at the Beijing Forestry University. He is also the Director of the China White Ribbon Volunteers Network. Through his work, Fang Gang is attempting to reduce the taboo around sexuality, and challenge accepted norms of masculinity in China. Sharing his views in an interview with Vice, Fang said, “I want to encourage men to be involved in promoting gender equality, including taking care of children, sharing housework, and fighting against job discrimination. In the past our work focused on people who committed violence and their victims, now we want to go back further and target regular people, asking what we should do to prevent men from committing violence in the first place.”

Male Role Model #8: Feđa Mehmedović – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Feđa Mehmedović is the Project Coordinator with the XY Association and winner of a competition promoting gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stories of Real Men. Hecworks with men and boys to change their attitude and behaviour towards VAW. He has trained more than 10,000 young people as part of his Young Men as Allies programme in preventing violence against women. Feđa is also an advocate for the UN HeForShe campaign.

Male Role Model #9: Gary Barker – Brazil
Involving men and boys in the fight against VAW is imperative and Gary Barker has been doing just that through his organisation, Promundo. His work has been recognised by organisations such as Ashoka and the United Nations. Explaining the philosophy behind Promundo, Gary shared the following insights in an interview: “We believed, from our direct experiences in working in violence prevention in favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that we would only end violence and achieve equality if we engaged men as allies, as voices for change, and as activists in the process. We were also inspired by young and adult men who wanted to be part of the movement and who were already living out equitable, non-violent ways of being men.”

Male Role Model #10: Jim C. Hines – USA
Jim C. Hines is a Hugo-award winning American Fantasy writer who has been doing his bit to end sexism in the science fiction/fantasy world. He noticed that many science-fiction and fantasy cover art overtly sexualies female characters. In an effort to bring attention to the issue, he decided to contort himself into the various poses that women are put into. But, his efforts go much beyond gender-flipped covers. After he found out about a friend’s rape, he decided to work towards ending VAW in different ways. He has previously worked as a crisis counsellor, written articles and a novel around VAW, and he is also one of the only authors whose website has an entire section dedicated to resources for survivors of rape and sexual assault. Jim has also actively supported The Pixel Project by being a part of our campaigns such as Read for Pixels.

Male Role Model #11: Michael Flood – Australia
Holding a PhD in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Michael Flood researches masculinity and violence prevention. His research indicates that a man’s understanding of masculinity can lead to VAW. In an interview with Huffington Post Australia, he says, “It’s very clear that if we compare the men that do use violence and the men that don’t, one key difference is in their ideas about being a man. Men (who) use violence are much more likely to be invested in the idea to be a man is to be in control, dominant and have power over women. Those ideas about masculinity link to broader patterns of gender inequality. And really, it’s gender inequality that shapes some men’s use of violence against women.”

Male Role Model #12: Noel Cabangon – The Philippines
Music has the power to reach any corner of the world. Noel Cabangon, a Filipino singer and songwriter, used the power of music through his song Men Move to encourage men to “bring all violence against women to an end”. The song was originally written for the Philippine Commission of Women and was later adapted for the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

Male Role Model #13: Nur Hasyim – Indonesia
While he has been working for women’s rights for many years, in 2006, Nur Hasyim started working towards engaging men and boys to end VAW. He is the founder and head of ‘Aliansi Laki-Laki Baru’ (New Men Alliance) in Indonesia, a national pro-feminist men’s movement. His research in the field has led to the development of a curriculum towards behaviour change for male abusive partners. Recognising his work, Nur has been included by the United Nations in the Secretary General’s Network of Men Leaders.

Male Role Model #14: Ravi Karkara – United States of America and Worldwide
Ravi Karkara is Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary General to the UN and Deputy Executive Director, UN Women. Ravi has been fighting to end violence against women since the beginning of his career. Not only is he working with women, he also believes in the importance of working with men to end VAW. Ravi shared his views on working with boys and men in a recent interview: “While we need to teach women and girls how to fight for their human rights, we also need to focus on boys and change their attitudes towards girls and women.”

Male Role Model #15: Salif Keita – Mali
Popularly known as the “Golden Voice of Africa”, Salif Keita has been using his art for activism. A vocal supporter of women’s rights, he has endorsed the UN HeforShe campaign as well. In a message for the campaign, Salif said, “The world is undergoing change and modernization in the right direction, and for every man who recognises the value and role of women, we must be sensitised to act for their well-being.”

Male Role Model #16: William Gay – United States of America
As a young boy, NFL Star William Gay lost his mother because of domestic violence. Having felt the impact of VAW so closely, William understands the need to end VAW. While William found professional success with NFL, he wanted to use his star power to shine a light on gender-based violence. Among many other initiatives, William supports the Women’s Center and Shelter in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He uses his time at the shelter to speak to the survivors and share his story. In an interview with People Magazine, he shared, “I want people out there to know that someone in the NFL has been that child who lost their mother and is willing to do anything to end domestic violence.”

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Photo Credits:

  1. Ahmed Hegab – from Linkedin.com
  2. Ali Erkazan – From Alticine.com
  3. Chris Green – From “Parliaments United In Combating Domestic Violence Against Women” (Council of Europe)
  4. Dean Peacock – From “Sonke Gender Justice”
  5. Dr. Ganesh Rakh – From “Ganesh Rakh: The doctor who delivers India’s girls for free” (Anushree Fadnavis/BBC News)
  6. Edgar Ramirez – From “Edgar Ramirez, Emma Watson use star power to push for gender equality at UN event” (Rob Kim/Fox News)
  7. Fang Gang – From “Fang Gang: Sex Education Should be Implemented Early” (Chinese Women’s Research Network)
  8. Feđa Mehmedović – From “Stories of Real Men – Feđa Mehmedović”
  9. Gary Barker – From “Network of Men Leaders” (UNiTE)
  10. Jim C. Hines – Courtesy of Jim C. Hines
  11. Michael Flood – From “Is ‘Engaging Men’ the Game Changer for Gender Equality” (Annual Diversity Debate)
  12. Noel Cabangon – From “Noel Cabangon ‘inspired’ by Pope Francis visit” (The Philippine Star)
  13. Nur Hasyim – From “World Press Freedom Day 2017” (UNESCO)
  14. Ravi Karkara – From “Meet the People Extraordinaire – Ravi Karkara” (Sayfty)
  15. Salif Keita – From “Salif Keita – The “Golden Voice of Africa”
  16. William Gay – From NFL star reveals heartbreaking moment he came home from school to discover his mother shot dead by his stepdad in murder-suicide