Q&A panel shows why we can't move beyond the basic questions in domestic violence
Q&A panel shows why we can't move beyond the basic questions in domestic violence
Instead of capitalising on their expertise in family violence, Rosie Batty and Natasha Stott Despoja were used on a Q&A special to interpret and validate men
Only two women panelists featured on a six person panel to discuss an epidemic that almost exclusively harms and kills women.’ Photograph: www.abc.net.au
Simon Sentosha said “we need to start listening to women”. It’s a shame Q&A wasn’t going to give them the opportunity. Instead, only two women panelists featured on a six person panel to discuss an epidemic that almost exclusively harms and kills women. Facing online outrage, the show insisted we needed to listen to men’s views on domestic violence.
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The lack of questions and in depth responses illustrated a superficiality that raises a far more troubling point – people keep asking basic questions about domestic violence because we’re prevented from discussing it deeply to move past those initial helpless reactions.
Because deep discussion involves listening to women, something that mainstream media and the general public is loathe to do. Talk about an issue that almost exclusively impacts women (two deaths a week in 2015 so far) and it’s automatically filed away as a “women’s issue”, a niche concern that only concerns a small amount of the population.
But it is a national issue – domestic violence costs Australia more than $13bn per year. Domestic violence kills more than king hits, terrorism and the pink batts scheme combined – all incidents sparking national outrage, swift laws and unlocking funds. Not so for domestic violence, with Tony Abbott refusing a call for a royal commission while busily axing more services and funds that had kept crucial frontline services and women alive.
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Perhaps it’s not as compelling to include academics who delve deep into the models of abuse or the women on the frontline in the courts, shelters and services. The decision to not include a woman from the Indigenous community, where abuse is disproportionately high, and instead include a man defies logic not only in terms of entertainment but also in providing deep expertise and knowledge.
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Which just shows the fight for equality has barely begun.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/24/qa-panel-shows-why-we-cant-move-beyond-the-basic-questions-in-domestic-violence