NZFVC Quick Reads: 24 April 2024

NZFVC Quick Reads: 24 April 2024

Welcome to our Quick Reads format. Each week we share selected news bites relevant to family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa. See all past NZFVC Quick reads.

Changemaker fund open for applications

The Changemakers Fund, launched by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) last year, has opened for a 2nd round of applications. The deadline for submissions is 1 May 2024. Funding is available for initiatives that promote positive forms of masculinity, challenge harmful gender and social norms, and engage men in healing. 

Submissions open on 2nd Law Commission issues paper on adult decision making capacity

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is seeking feedback on their Second Issues Paper from their review of the law relating to adult decision-making. Information on how to submit, alongside plain language explainers of the 4 key topics raised in the Second Issues Paper, can be found at Ngā Huarahi Whakatau Review of Adult Decision-Making Capacity Law. Submissions close 21 June 2024. For more information see our previous news story on the first round of submissions.  

New documentary examines the Grace Millane case and use of ‘rough-sex’ defence 

The Lie, a new documentary from British director, Helena Coan, produced with permission from the Millane family, explores Grace Millane’s murder, the investigation and trial, and examines the ‘rough-sex’ defence. Rape Prevention Education Whakatau Mauri Trust (RPE) have arranged a screening at Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket on Monday 29 April 2024 at 6:30pm. The film will be followed by a question and answer segment with lead investigator on the Grace Milland case, Detective Inspector Scott Beard and moderated by RPE. See RNZ’s story for more on the documentary. HELP Auckland is also planning a screening with a Q&A panel - watch our calendar of events for details.

Research on harassment and gendered abuse towards politicians in Aotearoa

New research has highlighted the increasing levels of abuse faced by parlimentarians since the beginning of COVID 19. The article Stalking, harassment, gendered abuse, and violence towards politicians in the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery era (2024) shares findings from a survey of MPs in Aotearoa about their experiences of harassment and abuse. The authors report an increase in all forms of harrassment, with women being at higher risk for gendered abuse including misogyny and threats of violence. For more on this, listen to one of the authors in an interview on Waatea news. In related news, human rights legal academic Cassandra Mudgway is giving a talk at University of Canterbury, Tolerate Online Abuse or Resign: How the Law Fails Women MPs, on 24 April 2024.

Privacy Commissioner report from the Children and Young People’s Privacy project

Te Mana Mātāpono Matatapu | Privacy Commissioner has released the report Safeguarding children and young people’s privacy in New Zealand (2024). One of the report’s key findings highlighted in the Privacy Commissioner’s media release was that “Social media is a major concern, and a combination of guidance and regulatory changes are needed to manage this risk to children’s privacy.”

Prevention resources from the Australian PreventX 2024 conference 

Australia based Safe+Equal has released all the resources shared at PreventX 2024, the Australian national conference on prevention of gender-based violence. The resources aim to support community organisations and are cover the following topics: managing resistance and backlash; ethical storytelling with victim survivors; and working with communities in primary prevention.