I met Barbara at one of my 60s Meet Up groups, a woman who worked with conviction and has the facts as she has witnessed and worked within the realm of domestic violence and bullying in the workplace. So I asked her to share with us some facts and here they are.

Precise Bio Details of Barbara

1974-1985 with some secondments factored in. 

Ran Team of professional staff working with disruptive students in schools. The program engaged with teachers and families and used a Family Therapy intervention model. 

1982-1983 Seconded to Crisis Care as relieving mobile Crisis Care Worker. Counseling, Child Protection, homelessness and DV

1985- 1986 Worked in Premiers Department South Australia as a writer on South Australian Domestic Violence to the Premier and Government.

1987- Appointed by Department of Community Welfare as Interim Administrator of new Shelter for Women and Children escaping Domestic Violence.

1991 Moved to Qld.

1991- 1992 Worked in QLD Domestic Violence Policy Unit.

1994 x 2 trips. Consultancies (8 Speeches and workshop training) sponsored by the Government of Taiwan for Government, academics and practitioners for first Taiwanese Domestic Violence Conference. 

1997  Organised with Daughter, local dignitaries, PM, a large Anti Gun Rally following the Port Arthur massacre 

1992- 2000 Various Policy roles. Treasury, Premiers and other Government Departments.

2012- present Committee Member and President of Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Viloence. This Agency works with the survivors of sexual assault and other sexual crimes.

Discussion follows the Courier Mail column

‘Seven Days, six dead women.

When will we wake Up?’

The incidence of Domestic Violence (DV) and all violence against women is in my opinion a national crisis especially when compared to all other crimes. DV calls are considered the most urgent and dangerous for police attendance. Violence against women ties up front line services, police, courts, legal and counseling services and expends millions and millions of dollars which don't come close to meeting the need especially housing. The long term effects of exposure to violence by children is shockingly only now being meaningfully researched. The effects are life changing, impact on health, relationships, attainment, employment, and potentially attachment to others. The list is only a start.

Sexual assault is one of the highest crimes reported to police and the statistics continue to grow. Sexual assault and DV are crimes. Only 2-3% of perpetrators are incarcerated for sexual crimes against women.

My personal view is that DV parallels domestic terrorism as a descriptor and kills well over 1 woman per week in Australia, currently early Oct 2018, 54 women in 9 months. As a parallel to terrorism some women routinely have bones broken, are in great danger in their own homes, flee, or stay for the children, get left in danger by various Agencis and suffer real targeted torture.  If we compare community responses to other crimes, for example crimes against children, One Punch Can Kill, violent crimes against strangers, the Lindt Cafe attack, etc there is no equivalent horror or outrage by the community. Only Rosie Battie's Austrlian of the Year award put DV on the national agenda.

In this week, first week of October 2018, 5 women have been murdered in 3 days. Surely that figure alone constitutes a national crisis. In a previous similar cluster of murdered women 11 children were made motherless.

A brief discourse such as this doesn't in any way explore the issues in any depth at all or remotely do justice to the topic. Women and a small number of men have been working to eliminate  violence against women since the 60's and although raising awareness is being achieved it's beginning's only. This discourse does not condemn as abusive, most of the men women love and respect. Husbands, fathers, partners, brothers and sons, but it is clear to me after nearly 40 years in the area that men must fix and stop violence against women. Although there are abusive women, the figures are very low some say 2% but women DO NOT KILL men or anyone at the rate men do. 

All violence against women is based on lack of respect.

If you require help please contact www.lifeline.org.au or www.salvationarmy.org.au

If you have a comment or some information to add, please email me here.