Resources

Resources on Violence Against Women

Up-to-date toolkits, New Zealand and international legislation, statistics, and relevant research on violence against women. This page provides our pick of the quality resources useful to those working to end violence against women.

Statistics

An average of 14 women are murdered every year in family violence incidents (NZ Police statistics)

Between 2000 and 2004, 56 women were murdered in family violence incidents - 45 of these women were murdered by their partner or ex-partner (compared to 26 men murdered in total, with 3 of those who were murdered by their female partner or ex partner) (NZ Police statistics)

33-39% of women experience intimate partner violence (physical and sexual) in their lifetime (Janet Fanslow & Elizabeth Robinson, Violence against Women in New Zealand; Prevalence and health consequences. New Zealand Medical Journal. 117(1206) 2004)

19-23% of women experience severe physical violence from a partner (Janet Fanslow & Elizabeth Robinson 2004- as above)

9-12% of women experience sexual violence (including rape) by non-partners during their lifetime (Janet Fanslow & Elizabeth Robinson 2004- as above)

14-20% of women experience sexual violence from their partners in their lifetime (Janet Fanslow & Elizabeth Robinson 2004- as above)

4% of women have experienced sexual violence in the previous year (Mayhew & Reilly, 2007)

24-28% of women said they experienced some form of sexual abuse in their childhood (Janet Fanslow, Elizabeth Robinson, Sue Crengle & Lana Perese, Child Abuse and Neglect, 2007)

Compared with non-victims, victims of child sexual abuse were twice as likely to violence from partners and non-partners as adults (Janet Fanslow, Elizabeth Robinson, et al, as above)

92% of those who apply for a Protection Order under the Domestic Violence Act are women (Ministry of Justice statistics)

14.3% of girls (and 2.9% of boys) have experienced child sexual abuse before the age of 17 (Alison Morris et al. The New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001, Ministry of Justice, 2003)

70% of those experiencing elder abuse are women (Age Concern, 2006)

19% of women (and 5% of men) say they have experienced sexual violence at some time in their lives (Alison Morris et al, as above)

Young women and Maori women are at an even greater risk of becoming victims of sexual violence (Alison Morris et al, as above)

26% of female high school students reported having unwanted sexual contact (Terry Fleming, Peter Watson, Elizabeth Robinson et al., Violence and New Zealand Young People: Findings of Youth2000 – a national secondary school youth health and wellbeing survey, 2007)

40% of female high school students report being hit or physically hurt by others, on purpose, in the last year. Female students were most likely to be hurt at home by family members. 10% of females report being hit more 3 times or more in the last year (Terry Fleming, Peter Watson, Elizabeth Robinson et al, as above)

91% of sexual offences are not reported to Police (New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey, 2006)

The conviction rate for all sexual offences in 2004-2006 was 46% compared with 55% of all violent crimes and 70% for total crime (Ministry of Justice statistics)

Each murder costs New Zealand $3.9 million, each sexual violation offence costs $304,370 and each grievous assault costs the country $30,430 (Tim Roper & Andrew Thompson, Estimating the costs of crime in New Zealand in 2003/04, 2006)

International law

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Full Text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The Declaration:

Sets out a consensus decision on the human rights of all people in relation to such matters as security of person, slavery, torture, protection of the law, freedom of movement & speech, religion, and assembly, and rights to social security, work, health, education, culture, and citizenship

Says that human rights apply to all people equally without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language…or any other status

Guarantees the set of rights and holds governments accountable for protecting those rights.

CEDAW
Full text of CEDAW

While women are clearly covered by the Universal Declaration, issues specific to women were not included in human rights law until 1979.

In that year, the Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) became the first international document to comprehensively address a range of women’s rights.

Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Full text of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women

CEDAW did not specifically address the issue of violence against women.

The 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) explicitly set out ways in which governments should act to prevent violence, and to protect and defend women’s rights.

DEVAW says that:

Violence against women comes from historically unequal power relations in society

Violence will only end by addressing both the acts of violence, and the social conditions, institutions and norms that allow violence to continue

Governments are responsible for “exercising due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the state or by private persons”.

New Zealand law

New Zealand's obligations under international law
New Zealand has signed the Universal Declaration and CEDAW. This means that our government has an international obligation to respect, protect and fulfil women’s human rights.

The New Zealand government must:

Recognise equality between women and men in all spheres and hold government agencies or officials accountable when they perpetrate violence against women

Prosecute private individuals who perpetrate violence against women

Take all necessary measures to prevent individuals or groups from violating the rights of individual women

Ensure there are opportunities for individuals to obtain what they need – everything from food, water, housing and education, to access to organisations that defend women’s rights (like Women’s Refuge).

New Zealand Action Plan on Human Rights from Human Rights Commission

New Zealand’s last governmental report to the CEDAW committee
(NB National Council of Women & Maori Women’s Welfare League developed a shadow report which was the NGO perspective- it’s not on the web but will be in libraries)

Local legislation
Many forms of violence against women are illegal in New Zealand and there are some legal protections available to women experiencing violence.

All assaults on women are illegal - whether the assault is by a stranger, known person, or partner (see the Crimes Act, 1961).

Sexual violence including sexual contact with under 16 year olds and unwanted sexual contact is a criminal act.

Physical and sexual abuse by a partner or family member is is illegal under the Crimes Act. Some forms of psychological abuse are also recognised as a crime – such as threats, stalking, harming pets, and smashing property.

Victims of domestic violence can apply to the Family Court for a Protection Order under the Domestic Violence Act 1995. Once a victim has a Protection Order, all forms of abuse, including psychological abuse, count as a breach of the Order and are criminal acts.

The Domestic Violence Act in New Zealand covers a wide range of relationships:

partners married or defacto
same-sex and different sex partners
ex-partners
boyfriends and girlfriends (dating relationships)
parent/child relationships
wider family/whanau relationships
flatting relationships (people living together in the same house)

Harassment by a known person can be dealt with through civil remedies, by obtaining a restraining order against the person in the Family Court. More serious forms of harassment, including sexual harassment, stalking and threats, are illegal and can be prosecuted by Police.

Sex work is legal in New Zealand. Exploitation in the sex industry is not.

Research portals

The following websites are useful places to search for research and evaluation related to violence against women:

National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women
A US online resource centre on violence against women (particularly sexual and domestic violence), which offers a range of research, full text articles, reports, evaluation tools, and training materials.

Mincava electronic clearing house
A Minnesota-based clearinghouse for quality full text articles and reports on sexual violence, domestic violence, stalking, trafficking, child abuse, workplace violence, youth violence and hate crimes.

XY: Men, Masculinities and gender politics
Guided by three principles: pro-feminism, a commitment to enhancing men's lives, and a recognition of diversities among men, the XY site hosts articles and research about men's role in our violent society.

Toolkits for advocates and activists

Toolkit to End Violence Against Women
Produced by the USA National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women, this range of fact sheets provides an overview of particular areas where communities, policy leaders, and individuals can take action to make a difference - much information is relevant to NZ.

The toolkit includes information on:

Community-Based Services and Advocacy for Victims
Health and Mental Health Care Systems' Responses
Response of the Justice System: Civil and Criminal
Women's Economic Security
Promoting Safety and Nonviolence on University Campuses
Promoting Safety and Nonviolence in the Workplace
Intervention and Prevention for Children and Youth
Educating and Mobilizing the Public About Violence Against Women
Engaging the Media, Advertising, and Entertainment Industries
Engaging Religious, Spiritual, and Faith-Based Groups and Organizations
Promoting Healthy, Nonviolent Attitudes and Behaviors Through Sports
Nation to Nation: Promoting the Safety of Native Women
The Role of the Military
Responding to Trafficking in Persons

16 days of Activism against Gender Violence
The Centre for Women's Global Leadership explains the 16 days, includes an activism kit, a calendar and a violence against women bibliography.

White Ribbon Day Nov 25
Australian website on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women that provides education kits, pamphlets, factsheets and information about how men can work to end violence against women.