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SI Bangsar, Malaysia

Over 1,900 complaints of domestic violence since Malaysia's MCO began. (Source Bernama 8th November 2020)
What about the unrecorded cases happening on a daily basis?

Discover how together, we can Ignite the Warrior Within Us to win the war of violence against women and children.
Join us on 29th November 2020 at 2 pm in our free Webinar where Soroptimist International Club of Bangsar presents our esteemed speakers and moderator who will share how collectively as a nation, we can Stop Violence against Women & Children
Sign up now at:
https://forms.gle/KjERMUiXr1szzYHj7

SI Karratha, Western Australia

SI Karratha will be showing the film I Am Woman (the story of the late Helen Reddy) at the Karratha International Hotel on the 29th November to acknowledge the 16 days of activism commencing on the 25th November and finishing on the 10th December International Human Rights Day.

Following the movie, they will embark on a candlelight walk to Walgu Park where our three purple chairs are situated and will hold a Silent Vigil to remember those women who have suffered due to Domestic Violence. There will be guest speakers from the Police and also the Karratha Women's Refuge.

SI Southern Districts of Adelaide, South Australia

A member of SI Southern Districts of Adelaide Club has prepared orange ribbons for members to wear as conversation starters and has distributed them with a printed summary of the reason for the 16 days campaign and the importance of SISWP involvement and advocacy for the campaign.

SI Beenleigh, South Queensland

The City of Logan will tomorrow unveil its first 'purple bench' ' a landmark tribute to victims of domestic violence.
Purple bench seats were first installed in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2015 to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of local woman Barb Baillie, who was murdered by her violent husband.
Since then, purple benches have appeared across America, and more recently in Australia, to honour the victims of domestic and family violence and to increase awareness of the issues faced every day by some women and children.
Logan City Council has painted and installed the city's first purple bench in Beenleigh Town Square.
It will be unveiled by Logan City Council Division 12 Councillor Karen Murphy, in conjunction with members of Soroptimist International Beenleigh.Cr Murphy said the unveiling of the purple bench would coincide with the beginning the United Nations' 16 Days of Activism against domestic violence. вЂњThis is a small addition to Beenleigh Town Square that will send a huge and powerful message,” Cr Murphy said.
“When anyone sees this purple bench, or sits on it, I hope they take the time to remember the victims of domestic violence and to reach out and assist anyone they think may be in a vulnerable situation.”
The purple bench, and an accompanying plaque, will be unveiled in Beenleigh Town Square at 4pm on Wednesday, November 25. It will be followed by a 'silent vigil' walk along the nearby footpaths of City Road and George and Main Streets. 

SI Helena, Western Australia

The Midland March that Matters (MMTM) is always a well attended event. The 7th Annual March was held today. Nearly 500 community members supported by the Police Pipe Band marched around the streets of Midland to take a stand against Domestic Violence. Statistics have shown the COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences for families. Attendees included Minister for Police, Michelle Roberts (State MP for Midland) and City of Swan Mayor, Kevin Bailey. A harrowing first-hand account was related by DV survivor Azelene Williams. We were entertained by NAIDOC Week Award winning singer, Natasha Eldridge and children from Moorditj Noongar Community College.
Members from SI Helena also attended to march and “Walk the Talk”.

SI Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Day 2 of the 16 Days Campaign. SI Ulaanbaatar club members organised a donation event at Shelter house of National Center Against Violence, Mongolia.The club members delivered warm clothes, utensils, food and toiletries to those women staying at shelter and donated some money to NCAV.The staff and those women expressed their sincere gratitude to the SI UB club members. The club members also thanked Mrs. Gantsetseg, the club member, and her friend from National Emergency Management Agency for delivering our donations to the right place at the right time. #swp16daysorangetheworld #swpinspiringwomen#swp16days #swpSTOPgenderviolence

SI Albany, Western Australia

2nd December 2020 Tree planting at Eyre Park, Middleton Beach
These trees and accompanying plaque, completes the 2018 Purple Bench concept by SI Albany and the City of Albany to honour and commemorate victims of domestic homicide in WA.
Planting trees and installing a plaque and providing extra shade in the vicinity of the bench will encourage local residents to use the space for connecting to available resources on domestic violence issues (by using the telephone contact numbers provided).
The area selected for the bench not only encourages reflection in a beautiful setting but also, the planting of these trees will assist with the City of Albany program of increasing the tree canopy across the park. This will provide a safer trail for possums traversing the Park from Mount Clarence to Lake Seppings.
Soroptimist International acknowledges the support of the City of Albany and Rio Tinto through Neighbourhood Grants 2020, and the Parks and Reserves Team of the City of Albany.

SI Nelson, New Zealand

SI Nelson had a Shoe Board on display at the Nelson Market during 16 Days of Activism. Partnering with White Ribbon Ambassadors and Nelson Women's Refuge. Each pair of shoes represents each woman and child who died in NZ in 2019 due to violence. Very interesting chats with many who stopped to view our display. Nelson's Mayor Rachel Reese and our first Nelson Women MP, Rachel Boyack-Mayer, also visited. with Joy Oakly.

SI Sigatoka, Fiji

SI Sigatoka, Fiji in support of 16 Days of Activism held talks with Fiji Police Department and Ministry of Women. Also a Stop violence WALK event was held in CBD of Sigatoka and witnessed by 100's.

SI Darkhan, Mongolia

On the 10th of December, the last day of the campaign titled “Orange the World “against the violence. SI Darkhan Soroptimists closed the campaign with the Essays of the 9th-grade girls on “Violence ' by my eyes”. One thing that our girls have pointed out is that Girls should be well educated because this is a powerful TOOL to be strong to prevent and stop the violence. Educate young women and men to empower them to make informed choices.

SI Lae - Papua New Guinea Region

We live in an increasingly challenging world and we need to focus on innovative ways to advance gender equality and inspire approaches that can remove cultural barriers that leave no women and girls behind.

As part of the Global Safe City Programme, UN Women PNG has worked closely with local stakeholders to improve safety across the city in making markets and public transport safe and accessible for women and girls. As an extension of the program in Lae, Soroptimist International of Lae is the leading partner on the ground to mobilize resources and stakeholders in implementing the programme.

In this process, a day was selected for training on Women's Safety's Audit in public space with a practical session at the main market in the city.

Food markets in rural and urban areas are essential links in the food chain, yet that is the link that people take the least interest in and know least about. Markets constitute the link where women dominate most, but also where they are vulnerable to exploitation, harassment, and victimisation.

With Soroptimist International of Lae leading the team of various women in civil societies, NGO, Churches, Government sectors and business communities, an audit of the market was conducted and this included a visit to the market in the evening to map out the lighting around the market at nights. From the particular task, 22 recommendations were identified and of these 7 were noted as needing immediate attention and it can be done by the team of the women. This included the painting of the zebra crossing in the evening of 23rd November and securing proper signs and notice boards; utilizing the PA system in the market to conduct awareness ranging from traffic to human rights and health and hygiene.

A meeting was held with the authorities advising them of the partnership we have foster to support the government in providing such need services. Also, a meeting was held with PMV bus owners and the safety of women and girls who rides on buses each day were raised with them.

Soroptimist International of Lae was again taking leadership in organsing to celebrate and observation of November 25. We have taken a different approach in promoting and encouraging to get the residents of the city, the business communities and schools and sporting codes involved in participating by wearing orange on the day or putting signs up in their business premises saying NO TO VIOLENCE.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that starts on the 25th November, International Day of Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, and runs until 10th December, International Human Rights Day. In Papua New Guinea, we celebrate 20 Days of Activism beginning with International Children's Day on the 20th of November.

This year, we are celebrating International Day of Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAW Day) in Lae City in collaboration with Partners and Stakeholders from all sectors. This includes Morobe Family Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC), Soroptimist International of Lae, UN Women, Lae Metropolitan Police and Lae City Authority, Civil Society organizations including faith-based organizations and other government agencies.

Our focus will be around making Lae city safe for women and girls. The day will include floats with women's groups and organizations marching from Scouts Oval to Niall Reserve (Eriku Oval) demanding their rights to access safe public space, including markets and bus stops. The theme is “Community Safety is Everyone's Responsibility' with the following hashtags; # SanapWantaim #EndViolence #ForAbetterLae.

Women and girls continue to face sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in public spaces every day in urban and rural areas of Papua New Guinea. Women and girls experience and fear various types of sexual violence in public spaces, from unwanted sexual remarks and touching to rape. It happens on streets, in and around public transportation, schools, and workplaces, in public markets sites and public parks.

This reality reduces women's and girls' freedom of movement and their ability to participate in school, work and public life. It limits their access to essential services and their enjoyment of cultural and recreational opportunities. It also negatively impacts their health and well-being.

SI Nelson & SI Waimea ' New Zealand Aotearoa South Region

SI Nelson and SI Waimea Clubs have joined this year to advocate for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Special signs were made to highlight the deaths of women and infants in New Zealand in 2018. One pair of shoes = one life. Total 15 women and 5 infants. Murder trials for two of the victims are currently in progress and are in the media constantly. The boards have Christian names and ages of the victims above each pair of shoes. These signs are being displayed around Nelson Tasman over the month of November, also participating in the Nelson Saturday Market helping to promote the White Ribbon Campaign and 18 x bikers who are riding around the South Island of New Zealand advocating White Ribbon Day.

Image - Wet day at the Market with Waimea Soroptimists, White ribbon Riders and Women's Refuge
Link to Bikers White Ribbon Article Here

SI Griffith ' New South Wales, Australia Region

SI Griffith has created a series of 16 short videos with the goal to draw attention to the reality that women often do not feel safe in their local community. These videos focus on and document how women feel about their personal safety and the actions they take in their day-to-day life to feel safe. The target audience to promote these videos is men and teenage boys (16+), and through education and awareness, we hope this will be part of the solution.
Videos will be shared on the SI Griffith and SISWP Facebook pages, starting on 25 November.
Griffith local newspaper is supporting the campaign, and they will also share the videos on their Facebook page. A launch event is scheduled at Griffith Library on 28 November, and local high schools in our area have been approached and asked if they will show the video series to their senior students at a special assembly.

SI Griffith Facebook Page

SI North Shore ' New Zealand Aotearoa North Region

SI North Shore Club participated in the local area annual Santa Parade which brings many locals together to celebrate the upcoming festive season. SI North Shore participated in the parade by holding a walk dressed in the colour orange to symbolising a brighter future free from violence.
Orange balloons and lollies were handed out along with brochures that identify the resources available for any women who requires assistance from a violent situation.

SI Mackay ' North Queensland, Australia Region

SI Mackay have continued with their successful "Walk the Talk" campaign of 2018. Producing posters for distribution to local businesses along with a letter explaining the campaign and what businesses can do to help.

For the month of November club members will be visiting local businesses encouraging them to display the poster and post to social media as a way to demonstrate their commitment to eliminating violence within our community.

SI Bayside - South Queensland, Australia Region

SI Bayside will be holding a Walk the Talk: Redlands Coast Unites Against Gender Based Violence on Thursday 5th December 2019.

After the walk from Kyling Corner (named after Leona Kyling who was a poet, writer, dress-maker, designer, historian and sculptress who did extensive work for charities in the local area. There is a statue of her at Kyling Corner.) to Raby Bay Harbour Park where there will be a program featuring messages of support and hope, music, the local Mayor Karen Williams will speak and stories of survival. The event will finish with the opportunity to write messages of support to be passed onto the local women's refuge.

SI Region of Fiji

Soroptimist International Fiji launched the 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender Violence on Saturday 23rd November in Ba.
The seven clubs under the Fiji Region banner launched this campaign at the SI Fiji Awards Nights at the Ba Town Council Hall in the presence of SI members, well wishers and the Business community in Ba.
The launch was initiated by SWP President Elect Suman Lal who indicated that the awards function is a great opportunity to Launch this campaign which starts on 25th November.
SI Fiji is calling on all civil society stakeholders to intensify activities against gender based violence during the activism period.
All the respective SI clubs will carry out projects and activities in their respective communities to advocate against Gender violence.
Meanwhile, Fiji's rates of violence against women are "among the very highest in the world". The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre reports that 64% of women who have been in intimate relationships have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner, including 61% who were physically attacked and 34% who were sexually abused.
Violence against women and girls takes many different forms in the Pacific. These include intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence, non-partner sexual assault, sexual exploitation and trafficking, and harmful practices such as bride price and accusations of sorcery. Prevalence of these types of violence is high in the region; in most countries, it is much higher than the global average of 35 percent.
(Source: https://pacificwomen.org/our-work/focus-areas/ending-violence-against-women/)

This report on Domestic Violence and the importance of shelters by Immediate Past President of the South West Pacific ' Theresa Lyford.
Theresa is the Project Liaison for the Federation Project ' Sanctuary: Shelter for Women, Fiji.

Fiji has one of the highest statistics in the world on domestic violence” according to the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation ' Mereseini Vuniwaqa ' who warned the island nation's General Practitioners at their annual Conference in June 2018.

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre reports that 64% of women who have been in intimate relationships have faced some form of violence in their lifetime. It is statistics like this that prompted the Fijian Clubs to propose to Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific at the Biennial Conference of Clubs in 2016 to have as the Federation Project for 2016-2018 a project to address these alarming statistics as well as advocating for change in this country.

In 2017 the Fijian Government established a national helpline on domestic violence to combat the high rate of violence against women which still remains one of the biggest human rights issues in Fiji.

Recent reports also state that sadly, most Domestic Violence and Sexual violence cases happen within the family unit where the victim and perpetrator are related,. In Fijian society in the past, such cases were kept under wraps as it was settled through traditional means of seeking forgiveness either with a tabua (whale's tooth) or yagona roots. The matter was settled and the victims were left to carry that nightmare throughout their lives because the request for forgiveness was accepted by the parents.

New laws have now been put in place where such traditional means of settling these incidents does not carry any weight in the courtroom.
The critical data and circumstances outlined brings into sharp perspective the need for the Government, Non-governmental organizations and all other stakeholders to work together to combat this worrying trend.

Project Sanctuary: Shelter for Women aims to provide shelter to the most vulnerable, to the victims of violence and natural disasters who have no place to go and no one to turn to.
It will be an emergency shelter where women and children can find peace, security and refuge while facing a difficult situation in their lives, away from the perpetrators. The shelters will provide professional help of counsellors, psychologists, medical personnel, caregivers, skills trainers and other necessary services as the need arises.

The project has been a long time in coming to fruition and on Friday, 24th August 2018, saw the official Opening Ceremony and Ground-Breaking held at the proposed site for the building. The Prime Minister, The Hon. Josaia Vorege Bainmarama, along with Fijian Government officials, joined Anusha Santhirasthipam, President of SISWP, to officially recognise the collaboration of the Social Public-Private Partnership (SPPP) and the Joint-Venture to build our first Soroptimist Sanctuary: Shelter for Women in Lautoka, Fiji.

The project meets one of the important objectives of Soroptimist International where our Clubs and Countries are linked in their efforts to improve the lives for women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities. The project also meets the United Nations blueprint on the Sustainable Development Goals that are designed to address the global challenges we face and in particular Goal 5: Gender Equality ' to enable progress towards gender equality and women's empowerment as not only a fundamental human right but the necessary foundation for peace, prosperity and sustainability around the world. Where our project, Sanctuary: Shelter for Women sits in these priorities is around working towards the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, including that of sexual and other types of violence.

 It is hoped that our project will not only be seen as an enabler in the community towards providing a safe place for women to go to in times of need, but also reflecting the voice of Soroptimist International and its goals and objectives towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 5.

Theresa Lyford ' Immediate Past President Soroptimist International South West Pacific
Zareena Ba ' South West Pacific Assistant Programme Director 2

1 in 3 women are killed by a partner, statistics which never seem to improve, a cultural shift in gender attitudes around the world will be required before we see a shift in these figures

1 in 3 women are killed by a partner, statistics which never seem to improve, a cultural shift in gender attitudes around the world will be required before we see a shift in these figures even though we do not seem to see an improvement in the figures women will never cease the fight to make a difference. Women continue to invite men to the table to speak up and speak out against gender violence. What we have seen is the use of technology in gender based violence both as a means of control and also as a prevention method.
Governments, the private section and health and technology organizations around the world are looking at ways to harness computers and smart phones as a means of violence prevention and protection.

• Through the use of computers, search engines are able to link victims with service providers and support groups, the creators of the website have provided built in” Exit” routes, to enable the quick exit from these sites.
• People living in remote areas are able to use technology to link to services, isolation is now not a hindrance to protection and advice, with the introduction of skype, chat lines, and online meetings, women can obtain the advice required, this technology also enables women in isolation to stay connected to friends and family.
• CCTV cameras and tracking devices assist victims in knowing where the abuser may be located.
• Smart phones and other devices allow victims to record abuse.

Women whether in a domestic violence situation or not need to know how they can best use their phone to help secure their safety.

Listed below are Apps which you may want to explore:

Australia
Australia is very well positioned in terms of availability of apps to assist women.  To see what other apps are available in Australia visit the 1800RESPECT website /
iMatter : The iMatter app includes information to help young women understand the signs of abusive and controlling behaviour in relationships. The aim of the app is to build resilience and promote healthy relationships among young women. Users can share and save content as well as offer support to others who are experiencing violence.
Companies such as Telstra join the Australian Federal Government and Women's Services Network (WESNET) providing up to 20,000 safe smartphones over three years for women experiencing domestic violence for the Safe Connections program.

New Zealand
The 1 in 3 app: visit the website
OnDuty Family Harm Investigation' app, developed by New Zealand Police to assist them to respond more effectively to domestic violence call-outs

Malaysia:
My Distress: Developed by the Malaysian Police visit the website, whilst this is a safety app, I am sure that there are other apps available to Malaysian women.

Take the time to explore what is available in your country to assist you

Listening, Respect and Creating positive conversations. SI Mackay 16 Days of Activism campaign.

SI Mackay have worked with retail, commercial business and organisations to promote Respectful Relationships.  The members of SI Mackay extended and invitation to participate in a Respectful Relationships campaign.  Respect signs were made, each branded with Soroptimist branding, these signs each had a different message.  These are displayed in shop front windows, publicity campaigns around why they are on display, requests to the public to get their photo taken near a sign and post to social media, and share with SI Mackay.  This activity is aimed at education and awareness, as well as requesting the community to keep the conversations active throughtout the 16 days.  Many business have joined in partnership with the club to make this promotion a success.  You can take a Journey through their Photo Video with members of Soroptimist International of Mackay promoting “Respect” as part of the 16 Days of Activism advocacy programme Orange the World #Hear Me Too, #swpinspiringwomen, #swpENDGenderviolence.
Here is the link: https://vimeo.com/user82108772/walkthetalkmackay

Visit our facebook page, or tag us in on your photos of each of the signs. @SIMackayNQ

Many SISWP Club's have worked on projects which focus on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls.

Here we showcase two Club's recent activities.

Club Projects

New South Wales

SI Griffith have held the event "Walk A Mile in Her Shoes" to coincide with White Ribbon Day and the start of the UN 16 Days of Activism for the past five years. This year in 2018 SI Griffith used two large displays- one at Griffith Central Shopping Centre and the other at the City Library, both focusing on pairs of shoes strategically placed over and around them. Striking graphics were used and information on domestic violence and how help can be obtained.

50 White Ribbon Street Banners purchased by SI Griffith were erected by the Griffith City Council in the main street along with a large "Say NO to Violence Against Women" banner put outside Council Chambers.

Local media coverage was excellent with articles in the local newspaper.

Western Australia

Region of Western Australia

As President for the Region of Western Australia, Anne Allen was invited to attend Government House on Wednesday 28th of November. The invitation from the Honourable Kim Beasley, Governor of Western Australia and Ms Susie Annus saw the Premier of the State, Government Ministers, Business Leaders and key not for profit and other agencies join together for the formal launch of the WA Government's 16 Days of Activism. This is the second year that the state Government has taken such a public position on this. The statistics tell a shocking story:
 Every week in Australia, at least one woman is killed by a current or former partner.5
 Western Australia has the second highest rate of reported physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women.6
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are nearly 11 times more likely to die due to assault than non-Indigenous women.7
 Less than 20 per cent of women who experience violence from an intimate partner reported the most recent incident to the police.8
 Sixty five per cent of women who experienced violence from a previous partner reported having never called the police to report the violence.9
 46,886 family and domestic violence incidents were triaged by the WA Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams in 2017/18.10
 The number of sexual harassment complaints received by WA's Equal Opportunity Commission doubled in the past year.11
 A 2017 survey by Safer Venues WA found that 80 per cent of female respondents had experienced harassment at Perth entertainment venues.12
 The total annual cost of violence against women and their children in Western Australia was estimated to be $2.2 billion in 2015 ' 16.13

Attendees had been asked to wear Orange and an Official photograph was taken at the end of proceedings. This was certainly a significant awareness raiser for WA and people were urged to keep the conversation going and to remain alert to ways that they can eliminate violence against women.
(Photo credit: Greg Lewis)

References:
5. Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. Research in Practice: Domestic/Family Homicide in Australia, Australian Government.
6. Personal Safety Survey 2016, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
7. Based on available national and state and territory datasets: Olsen & Lovett (2016) p.13, citing Al-Yaman et al (2006).
8. Personal Safety Survey 2016, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
9. Personal Safety Survey 2016, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
10.Department of Communities Annual Report 2017/18.
11.Equal Opportunity Commission Annual Report 2017-18.
12.WA Venue Safety Stats Infogram.
13.The cost of violence against women and their children Final Report 2016, KPMG.

SI Karratha and Districts Inc

Women's Council of Western Australia launched Purple Bench Project which is a project which aims to honour all victims killed as a result of domestic and family violence.

SI Karratha and Districs Club President Elect, Viv Kamen, wrote to the Local Council about painting an existing local park bench to promote the Purple Bench Project. The council came back with the offer to include a powder-coat Purple Bench in each of the City parks that they will be refurbishing along with a new park also being created. As this refurbishment is yet to begin SI Karratha decided to do some knitting and yarn bomb the bench seats in time for 25th November (the start of UN 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence). SI Karratha and Districts were given an “un-official” nod from the Council, with the proviso that the knitting be taken down as soon as it starts to deteriorate. 

SI Region of Western Australia

Friday 23rd November saw members from SI Fremantle, South Perth and Rockingham join hundreds of people representing support groups and agencies and individuals affected by domestic violence, attend the 28th Annual Silent Domestic Violence Memorial March. Prior to the March we heard from the Minister for Child Protection; Women's Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services, the Hon Simone McGurk and the Commissioner of Police, WA Police Force Chris Dawson.

In the last 12 months 28 people have lost their lives in WA though domestic violence, 9 of these being children. Some 47,000 reports of domestic violence have been investigated by Police in WA. How many have not been reported?
Members of the WA Police Pipe Band along with the Commissioner and the Minister led the March though the City.

Mongolia

SI Ulaanbaatar

16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls Campaign 2018 in Mongolia.

This campaign was launched on November 25, 2018 by “Walk the Talk” event organized by SI Ulaanbaatar Club jointly with National Center Against Violence NGO.

During the event, to increase the public awareness on gender based violence the members provided the local community (over 150 people) with the fliers, brochures containing the information on Campaign and distributed the fliers with safety guidelines in emergency cases. 

During the event several women expressed their interest to become a member of our club and to work for women and girls. These women were invited to the club's next meeting.

Fiji

SI Ba

International Day for Women- Reclaim the Night March for Zero tolerance on rape and violence against women and girls.

Reclaim the Night March was a first for Club SI Ba. SI Ba members participated in this event to speak out against and raise awareness of violence against women and girls in the local community.

Banners focusing on a 'Violence Free Community' and T-shirts were made and printed. Candles were lit as many people marched through the town proclaiming a violence free society for women and children of Ba.

Local media were also invited to record and broadcast this march on National Television.

Thailand

SI Bangkok

Soroptimist International Bangkok's (SIB) Eliminate Gender-Based Violence committee hosted workshops at several universities in schools in Bangkok, Thailand, in partnership with Ruam Chuay. Ruam Chuay is a local non-profit organization focused on creating a safer world by running interpersonal violence prevention programs.

This project goes beyond awareness into education and prevention. Seeking to break the silence on sexual violence in Thailand and bring programs to help people learn how to have healthier relationships.

Since September 2018, SI Bangkok has conducted 11 workshops across 3 high schools and universities. Delivering our program to a total 228 students. Schools included the New International School of Thailand, Modern International School of Bangkok, and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.

This initiative is focused on eliminating gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is a multilayered social issue that is prevalent in Thailand. The workshops are designed to break down the concept of consent and bodily autonomy. These two concepts play a central role in creating healthy relationships and preventing gender-based violence. The workshops are interactive and engage students in a discussion on healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors and what causes gender-based violence to occur. We work with students to uncover myths and misconceptions of interpersonal, domestic, sexual violence, why, what and who is at risk, victim blaming, how to recognize the signs and types of abuse. We empower each student to recognize how they can practice consent to keep themselves and others safe.

Observations where made that many students had breakthroughs during our workshops. It's evident through the student's comments, questions, and responses to activities that they are gaining new understanding about healthy relationship dynamics. SI Bangkok have stated that it's been very rewarding to receive and hear positive feedback from both schools and students. SI Bangkok's partner organization, Ruam Chuay, continually designs and develops new prevention workshops enabling the Club to stay up to date on this issue. SI Bangkok's collaboration has allowed the Club to make a greater impact together. The feedback received motivates the Club to continue to provide this type of programming and validates the need for sexual violence education. SI Bangkok look forward to continuing our work and reaching more students across the country.

SDG 5 is concerned that the development agenda guarantees gender equality in every arena. Ensuring that public transport is safe for women should be regarded as a step towards achieving gender equality.

Article by Dr Theresa W. Devasahayam, SI UN Representative & Secretary Soroptimist International of Singapore

SDG 5 is concerned that the development agenda guarantees gender equality in every arena. Ensuring that public transport is safe for women should be regarded as a step towards achieving gender equality.

Violence against Women (VAW) comes in multiple forms. Sexual harassment or unwanted sexual advances in public spaces is an example of a VAW. Across the world, sexual assault on public transport continues to be prevalent. One report indicated that Jakarta was ranked as having the fifth most dangerous public transportation system in the world for female commuters. In another survey by Thomson Reuters Foundation conducted in 2016, New Delhi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Manila were listed among the 10 cities in the world with the most unsafe public transport systems for women. In Singapore, it was found that two out of five young women using public transport had been subjected to sexual harassment. Similar figures were gathered in a survey by the Safe Cities for Women Network (SCWN) which found that one in three female commuters of public transport in Thailand were victims of sexual harassment.

Sexual assault on public transport can take various forms from someone touching a part of another person's body in a sexual way to fondling and kissing without the consent of the person. In this regard, ensuring that public transport is safe for women serves to encourage them to stay in waged work. Safe public transport means that women can travel to and from the workplace at any time of the day without fearing for their security.

In a study of victims of sexual harassment on transport in Malaysia, women were found to be anxious to go about their daily routines; while their own families were reluctant that they leave their homes. Some even stopped work! In Pakistan, women openly spoke about the reasons for why they had stopped work, citing the lack of access to safe transportation.

Since unsafe transport has been identified as a barrier to women's participation in waged work, the lack of a safe public transportation system for women should be taken seriously by governments, the private sector and civil society. In fact there is a good reason for why governments should be concerned about providing safe transport to women.

It has been established that a women inclusive labour force actually grows the economy. In 2012, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that an additional $1.6 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) could be generated globally by reducing the employment-to-population gap. To put it differently, raising female participation could boost GDP. Indonesia is a case in point. ILO estimates that if women's labour force participation rates are raised by 8.2 percentage points (8.6 million women) by 2025, this would add US$ 216.2 billion) to the Indonesian economy. This would suggest that capitalizing on women's labour force participation is integral to the economic growth of the country.

There is another justification for why public transport should be made safe for women. A study found that women are more likely than men to use public transportation. In that same study, it was found that men were more likely to own private vehicles compared with women. In Australia, the Bureau of Statistics found that women of all ages were more likely than men to use public transportation to get to work, school, or university. In 2006, the rate of public transportation use among Australian women was 23 percent, compared with 16 percent for men.

On a more optimistic note, there have been laudable steps taken in the right direction in some countries in recent years to ensure women's safety in public transport. A range of interventions have been adopted. Recently in Malaysia, 'ladies' coaches' on commuter trains and 'ladies' buses' were introduced serving certain routes within and outside the urban complex of Klang Valley. Thailand saw CCTVs installed in some of their public buses. In Indonesia, the rising cases of sexual harassment on public transport prompted two college students to devise an app, Ojesy which allows potential female passengers to use women drivers. Based in Surabaya, the service is now available in 34 cities with over 800 female drivers to serve a growing clientele.

While such interventions may be seen in a positive light, it should be recognized that they are only 'band aid' solutions to the problem. Sexual assault in public transport is a form of violence against women with its roots in male dominance. In that case, campaigns to socialize men about women's rights and gender equality are equally imperative. And they should come hand in hand with treating sexual assault and harassment in public transport as a crime punishable by law.

In order to achieve gender equality in public spaces, this entails bolstering efforts to address the problem of sexual harassment on transport. But while much more needs to be done, efforts in this area need to be sped up as well enabling greater numbers of women to use public transport to engage in activities beyond the home.

ENDNOTES

CNN (2014) “Where are the world's most dangerous transit systems for women?” CNN Travel, 29 October. URL:<http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/worst-transport-for-women/index.html>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Taylor, Michael (2018) “After reports of sexual harassment and murder, ride-hailing apps from Grab to Didi turn to technology to improve safety.” South China Morning Post, 30 October.
URL:<https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2170848/indonesia-china-asian-ride-hailing-apps-put>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Chen Jingting (2009) “Sexually harassed but most did nothing.” Asia One, 13 March.
Chiangrai Times (2017) “One in three women sexually harassed while using public transport in Thailand,” 9 March. URL:<https://www.chiangraitimes.com/one-in-three-women-sexually-harassed-while-using-public-transport-in-thailand.html>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Datta, Namita (2018) “The invisible door: Three barriers limiting women's access to work.” The World Bank: Jobs and Development Blog, 3 August.
URL:<http://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/invisible-door-three-barriers-limiting-women-s-access-work>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Norashimah Bt Abdul Jalil and Tuan Muhammad Azhari Bin Abd Rahman (2011) “Women's rights regarding safety in public transport in the eye of Islam: An analysis.” IPEDR vol. 5: V2221-224.
ADB (2015) Women in the Workforce: An Unmet Potential in Asia and the Pacific.
International Labour Organization (2012) Global Employment Trends for Women. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
World Employment Social Outlook (2017) “Trends for women 2017: Gender gaps in the labour market: Indonesia.”
URL:<http://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_558033.pdf>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) Public Transport Use for Work and Study. URL:<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Chapter10102008>(accessed 10 April 2015)
Norashimah Bt Abdul Jalil and Tuan Muhammad Azhari Bin Abd Rahman (2011) “Women's rights regarding safety in public transport in the eye of Islam: An analysis.” IPEDR vol. 5: V2221-224.
The Nation (2017) “Campaign launched to end sexual harassment on public transport.” The Nation, 22 November.
URL:<http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30332196>(accessed 14 November 2018)
Taylor, Michael (2018) “After reports of sexual harassment and murder, ride-hailing apps from Grab to Didi turn to technology to improve safety.” South China Morning Post, 30 October.

SI Beenleigh members over time have built up a partnership with the Beenleigh Eagleby NGC Domestic & Family Violence Outreach Service. Domestic Violence in any household impacts on the children in the home, even though they may not have been physically abused.

To support the children who have been traumatized by the violence, upheaval, confusion, counsellors from the Beenleigh Eagleby NGC Domestic & Family Violence Outreach Service developed a 1 and 2 day workshop to assist mothers and children reconnect and work through their emotional feelings about how they felt whilst they were in a violent situation and how they now feel, now that they are in a safe place.

Additionally a 1 day workshop was developed for teenage children, where they could connect with other teenage children and use art therapy to work through their emotional feelings.

The mothers, children and teenagers received professional counselling as well as working with an art therapists. SI Beenleigh provided the funds for the counsellor, therapist, rooms to hold the workshops, art materials, morning and afternoon tea and lunch. SI Beenleigh also got to meet the mothers and children during a lunch break.

Two, mother and children 2 day workshops have been conducted, as well as two 1 day teenage workshop.

Information received after a followup meeting was held with the staff from the Eagleby NGC Domestic & Family Violence Outreach Service, feedback at this session was that the 6 teenagers had realised that they were not alone in experiencing the trauma, that they had formed friendships with others from the 1 day workshop, and were able to speak about the trauma to others who really understood.