Violence against women in time of disaster

Violence against women in time of disaster webinar Date: Wednesday 16th December 2015 Location: Online, at your computer! Presenters: Dr Debra Parkinson, Adjunct Research Fellow, Women’s Health in the North (WHIN), Rachael Mackay, Bsafe Coordinator and Family Violence Training, Women’s Health Goulburn North East (WHGNE) and Steve O’Malley, AFSM Leading Fire-fighter, Central District | North West Metro Region, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Service Board. Time: 1:00pm to 1:45pm You can register here. As Australians prepare for the natural disaster season women at risk of or experiencing gendered violence, along with frontline workers who support these women, are being urged to prepare. Australians have a 1 in 6 estimated lifetime exposure to natural disaster. In the traumatic aftermath of a natural disaster, research indicates the risk of violence against women increases. Research conducted after Victoria’s deadly Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, showed that before, during and after the disaster, sexual assault, domestic and family violence increased. Some women experienced violence for the first time, while other women experienced an increase in violence or ongoing violence. The findings have been supported by international studies. Many women experiencing gendered violence in rural and remote areas also face challenges in accessing limited local support services. 1800RESPECT in collaboration with the Gender and Disaster Pod (www.genderanddisaster.com.au), experts in the field of violence in times of disaster, have developed resources to assist frontline workers to increase the safety and support of women in times of disaster. Join this webinar to find out more about this important issue and how to respond. The webinar will include an insight into research conducted by Women’s Health Goulburn North East (WHGNE) and Monash University’s Injury Research Institute (MIRI), with funding from the National Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme (NDRGS). It will also include an overview of the new 1800RESPECT resources available to assist frontline workers to support women.