Having analysed both, Women’s Experience of Male Violence: Findings from the Australian Component of the International Violence Against Women Survery (IVAWS) by Jenny Mouzos and Toni Makkai and Gender Equality and Empowerment 2016 written by the Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade by the Commonwealth of Australia I was able to gain differing perspectives of the one issue. The first being factually driven and the second being transformational. By gaining multiple understandings of the one issue I was able to, in turn, shape and advance my own perspective of women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Jenny Mouzos & Toni Makkai’s report, Women’s Experience of Male Violence: Findings from the Australian Component of the International Violence Against Women Survery (IVAWS), offers a detailed account of global incidents of violence against women, with reference to facts and statistics. Mouzos reports for the Australian Institute of Criminology, typically cases surrounding femicide, while Toni Makkai is an Emeritus Professor in Arts and Social Sciences at the Australian National University, specialising in criminology. Both authors are experts in criminology and have provided legitimate findings revolving around violence against women within Australia. The report describes numerous types of violence performed by male partners, known males and strangers; while also examining reported experiences of childhood violence; and the reactions and perceptions to the violence experienced. The authors provide an impartial factual position, relaying current statistical evidence from their surveys and reported incident findings. The report exhibits an in-depth analysis of multiple variations of violence against women, “younger women reported higher levels of physical and sexual violence than older women; Indigenous women reported higher levels of physical violence during the lifetime compared to non-Indigenous women; and women who were not in current relationship reported higher levels of physical and sexual violence during the last 12 months compared to women who were in a current relationship.” (Mouzos & Makkai, 2004) In summary, the report provided extensive statistical data surrounding all types of violence against women, developing my factual knowledge of violence against women.
The Commonwealth of Australia explores the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment within Australia through a concerned and hopeful position. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, believes that “empowering women is one of the best ways to promote economic growth and to achieve peace and security”. (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016) The strategy is committed to integrating gender equality into Australia’s foreign policy, aid for trade investments and economic diplomacy, invest in gender equality through Australia’s development program and promote gender equality in our corporate and human resource policies and practices. The strategy report is a bias factual account and was motivated to improve standards of contemporary issues revolving around gender equality and women’s empowerment within Australia and globally.
Mouzos and Makkai’s report provides a much greater statistically driven piece, focusing on facts and figures to provide an impartial position of the topic of violence against women. While, Commonwealth of Australia’s strategy communicates still a very factual report, however, a passionate bias toward the issue at hand. I agree with both authors, although believed that the Gender Equality and Empowerment strategy evoked a passion for progression and development offering a much more enlightening tone.
Written by Zara Hartwig
Reference list
Jenny Mouzos & Toni Makkai , 2004, Women’s Experience of Male Violence: Findings from the Australian Component of the International Violence Against Women Survery (IVAWS), Date Viewed: 07.08.2016 <http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/56/rpp056.pdf>
Commonwealth of Australia, Feb 2016, DFAT, Gender equality and women’s empowerment strategy, pp. 1-45
Emergent Practices 