Interviews with 30 women in two shires in Victoria, Australia, confirmed that domestic violence increased following the catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires on February 7, 2009. As such research is rare, it addresses a gap in the disaster and interpersonal violence literature. The research that exists internationally indicates that increased violence against women is characteristic of a postdisaster recovery in developing countries. The relative lack of published research from primary data in developed countries instead reflects our resistance to investigating or recognizing increased male violence against women after disasters in developed countries. This article begins with an overview of this literature. The primary research was qualitative, using in-depth semistructured interviews to address the research question of whether violence against women increased in the Australian context. The sample of 30 women was aged from 20s to 60s. Recruitment was through flyers and advertisements, and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and checked by participants. Analysis was inductive, using modified grounded theory. Seventeen women gave accounts of new or increased violence from male partners that they attribute to the disaster. A key finding is that, not only is there both increased and new domestic violence but formal reporting will not increase in communities unwilling to hear of this hidden disaster. Findings are reported within a framework of three broad explanations. In conclusion, although causation is not claimed, it is important to act on the knowledge that increased domestic violence and disasters are linked.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand what (if any) actual and perceived barriers exist for women to take on fire and emergency management leadership roles within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, Australia. Design/methodology/approach An anonymous quantitative online survey was used to collect data about opinions and thoughts of staff. This informed the qualitative component of the research – in-depth, semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The combination of these techniques provides deeper insight into the nature of the barriers for women. Findings Respondents identified real barriers for women accessing leadership roles in fire and emergency. Reflecting the wider literature on barriers to women in executive roles, those identified related to sexism, career penalties not faced by men for family responsibilities, and assumptions of women helping other women’s careers. There were more men in senior roles, leaving senior women isolated and often overlooked. Women had fewer role models and sponsors than men and less developed networks, finding it harder to access training and deployments. The context was described by most as “a boys’ club”, where men were seen to dominate meetings and stereotype the abilities of women. Originality/value This paper analyses the barriers to women in fire and emergency leadership roles within a masculine workplace and is rare in including a qualitative aspect to the issue in the Australian context.
Issue addressed The lack of a systematic approach to collecting family violence data after a disaster impedes family violence prevention and response efforts. Without evidence, there is little chance that interventions will be planned and implemented to address increased family violence after disasters. Methods A literature review of international and Australian gendered disaster research was conducted, with a focus on family violence following disasters in developed countries. A case study was prepared exploring the complexity of gathering data about family violence in the aftermath of the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires. Results Although increases in family violence in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfire were observed and anecdotally reported by funded family violence agencies, recovery authorities and community leaders, attempts by Women's Health in the North and the researchers to quantify the increase were unsuccessful. The fragmented nature of the family violence data that was collected was a consequence of inconsistent data recording practices and the complex and multifaceted nature of the recovery effort. Conclusions Health promotion theory and service planning demand a sound evidence base for interventions. In the absence of this, family violence following disasters will continue to be overlooked in the face of ‘urgent’ needs. So what? Disaster research that considers family violence should be conducted in Australia. Government and non‐government agencies involved in disaster planning, recovery and reconstruction need to focus on producing data on the occurrence of family violence in this context, and train emergency and reconstruction workers in the dynamics of family violence.
This article examines the paid work experiences of women aged more than 55 with less than Aus$100,000 in superannuation living in Victoria, Australia. In Australia, superannuation is a compulsory retirement scheme in which employers make contributions to employees’ superannuation accounts. This research attempts to discover how participants’ experiences of paid work were linked to their positions of low superannuation. We interviewed 32 participants, 18 from a metropolitan and 14 from a regional setting, and analyzed the results qualitatively. We found that although the participants experienced considerable discrimination in the paid workforce, which contributed to their low superannuation balances, the more important factors were outside the workforce, preventing them from accessing well-paid work. These factors included the deprioritization of women’s paid work compared with men’s, unpaid care, disability, ill health and older age, and violence.
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