AWE Newsletter – May 2024

Violence against women

AWE, along with many other organisations, is calling for an end to gender-based violence. During April, rallies and demonstrations were held across Australia in response to a sharp rise in the number of women who have been killed this year, with men believed to be involved in their deaths. As of the end of April, 27 women had been killed by men, which is almost twice the number compared to the same period in 2022. This pattern of violence against women is present in all parts of society, including displays of disrespect in schools. This situation is of particular concern to AWE and its members, given gender-based discrimination in the workplace, and the compelling evidence that emergencies and disasters disproportionately impact women and girls, with reports of gender-based violence increasing in disaster settings. AWE calls for significantly more funding for prevention and response services, and to address the drivers of violence against women across all areas of society.

If you or anyone you know needs help visit the AWE Support webpage or access the following:

• Australia: 1800RESPECT is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1800 737 732
• New Zealand: Are you ok?  0800 456 450

Scholarship winner!

We received more than 20 applications for the May Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarship. We are excited to announce that the winner is AWE member Melissa Oudshoorn. Melissa, who works for St John Ambulance in South Australia, says that completing the course will not only benefit her personally but will also augment St John Ambulance’s ability to deliver effective and compassionate support during times of crisis. Melissa is also looking forward to establishing a network of peers engaged in disaster recovery to enrich her personal learning journey and increase cross agency collaboration in tackling post-disaster challenges. Congratulations Melissa!

Applications for the August Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarship are now open. See our Scholarships section for details.

Looking to learn more and develop new skills? Check out our Professional development section below!

Wanted: AWE Mentoring Sub-Committee Members

We are looking for people who can commit a small amount of time on an ongoing basis to help us strengthen the AWE Mentoring Program, ensure it remains sustainable, and support mentors and mentees on their development journey. Have your say about what a Mentoring Program can and should be!

If you are interested please email [email protected] 
 

 
New Zealand Sign Language Week 6-12 May

Everyone has the right to accessible information and support during an emergency. Accessible communication is critical to the success of emergency and disaster mitigation, planning and preparedness, and to response, relief, and recovery. Check out the Get Ready website whcih has been translated into New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)

AWE recognises that NZSL is the preferred language of many deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people across Aotearoa.This New Zealand Sign Language Week we say thank you to all those NZSL interpreters for helping our safety messages get through to everyone.

 
National Volunteer Week 20-26 May

AWE recognises and celebrates the extraordinary contribution of volunteers to emergency management and disaster resilience every day, and especially during Australia’s National Volunteer Week! Volunteers play critical roles before, during and after emergencies and disasters, and our communities are significantly strengthened by their skills, time and dedication. This National Volunteer Week, AWE says a huge thank you to its members and to all those who volunteer to help keep communities safe.

We also say thank you to the many volunteers who are supporting AWE, with a special shout out to our IT volunteers Kylie Wallace, Laura Cooney and Lisa Jackson who have spent many hours over the past few weeks upgrading and securing the AWE website.

 
National Reconciliation Week 27 May-3 June

AWE recognises National Reconciliation Week as an opportunity to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians. AWE acknowledges that the emergency management and disaster resilience sector has much to learn from Indigenous people about supporting sustainable environments, and about how we can best enable Indigenous communities to lead their own resilience efforts before, during and after emergencies and disasters.

Next week, over 100 Indigenous women will gather on Kaurna Country in a first-of-its-kind National Indigenous Women’s Fire Workshop. Hosted by Firesticks, the Kaurna Fire Team and Kaurna Elders, ‘Ngangkirna Kardlatidli: Women With Fire’ will emphasise the key role of Indigenous women in caring for Country

AWE is also pleased to see the important work of the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience (NIDR) research project progress. This project is championing Indigenous leadership in disaster resilience and working toward embedding a caring for Country mindset across Australia’s emergency and land management sectors.

In Sydney last month we had a small turnout for Sydney members for dinner and drinks. But it isn’t the size that counts, but rather the company and conversation. A small group meant we were able to have  a great conversation about AWE and how we can better support members in Sydney and NSW. If you would like to host an event, or want to express interest in attending our next event, please send us an email at [email protected]

AWE SA

AWE members, friends and allies are all invited to come along to a networking breakfast at 7.30am on Wednesday 15 May at the Community Coffee Bar, Lot 14 North Terrace, Adelaide. RSVP [email protected]

AWE VIC

AWE VIC is planning a visit to the Victorian State Control Centre in the coming months and would like to get an indication of numbers of members who would be interested in this type of event. Please email Amanda at [email protected] to register your interest.

AWE members who live, work or play in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne are reminded that we meet monthly for breakfast on the second Wednesday of the month. Come along and have a coffee with us at 8.30am on Wednesday 12 June at Hutch & Co, Lilydale.

We would love to see you there – RSVP here.

Left – Glynis and Amanda at breakfast 

Last Tuesday the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office and AWE NZ were thrilled to host Lisa Keedle for a knowledge sharing session on connecting cultural lived experiences and disaster management. Lisa leads one of the largest local government emergency management teams in Victoria,  and led spirited discussion around emergency management, resilience and recovery with an Indigenous culture lens. Hosting was switched from Zoom to Teams – apologies to those that had problems joining as a result.

Hawke’s Bay also held their most recent event last week, where 12 women in emergency management met in Napier and enjoyed a laughter-filled pottery and pizza networking event. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to do something creative together and get their hands dirty rolling and moulding their creations out of clay before painting them to take home.
Congrats to Kate Boersen for organising such a smashing event!

Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarship – did you know that New Zealand members can apply for this exciting Melbourne University scholarship? Check out our Scholarship section or email [email protected] for more information.

• Climate Resilience Toolkit: These new arts-based activities for changing climates have been developed from extensive research and collaborative efforts involving artists, educators, and climate scientists from Auckland and Sydney
• North Island Severe Weather events: The final report of the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events has been released. It identifies lessons from three severe weather events that impacted the North Island in early 2023 including Cyclone Hale, heavy rainfall in January and  February, and Cyclone Gabrielle
• Resilience Webinar: This webinar featuring Dan Neely, WREMO Community Resilience and Group Recovery Manager, will share experiences, lessons, and thoughts on societal resilience to disasters and the creation of the Community Emergency Hub model in New Zealand (Tuesday, May 14, 8 – 9:30pm NZST)
• Planning For Non-Planners Course: This guided online course is for natural hazards researchers and scientists whose work has the potential to inform land use planning outcomes. 
• Job opportuntiies: Check out NZ job opportunities in our Sector job opportunties section

Leadership in Mental Health and Wellbeing
TODAY 12pm Wednesday 8 May
This free webinar will explore how leadership can profoundly influence mental health practices across various sectors, emphasising the need for a shift in language and strategy within leadership roles to better incorporate mental health considerations. Panel guests include Grant Edwards, former AFP Commander, mental health advocate and Fearless Ambassador; Esther McKay, Trauma Specialist; and Paul Milne, CEO of Fearless PTSD. This event is pivotal for leaders aiming to implement effective mental health and wellbeing initiatives and for anyone interested in the future of leadership in mental health. Register here.  

Understanding Community Dynamics, Grief and Mental Health Impacts of Disasters
12.30pm AEST Tuesday 14 May
In the second webinar of the Red Cross and AIDR Recovery Uncovered series, you will learn about the intricate dynamics of communities with Disaster Recovery Mentor Kris Newton who will provide her personal experiences and professional insight into local leadership. We will then explore effects of grief and loss, and the impacts of mental health and well-being on children, families and relationships with psychologists Rose Glassock and Dr David Younger. Register here.

Responding with respect: Centring local knowledge in aid and development
1-3pm AEST Thursday 16 May
This is a free lunch and discussion at the intersection of academia and practice in aid and development brought to you by the University of Melbourne Masters of Development Program and the Humanitarian Advisory Group. Join this collaborative event with aid and development practitioners, academics, and students to converge for an insightful discussion. Register here. 

2024 WIN DRR Leadership Awards: Nominations for the 2024 Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards are now open. You can nominate yourself or others by 14 June 2024.

Bushfire smoke and health: A research team has developed a world-first platform to define the impact of exposure to landscape fire smoke on the heart and lungs.

Crisis communications for people with a disability: This article states that people with disability are not provided with enough thorough, timely and up to date, accessible information during recent crises.

Disability inclusion in DRR: This new report on disability inclusion in disaster risk reduction and prevention maps the International and European frameworks for the protection of the rights of people with a disability, focusing on disaster preparedness and response.

Disaster recovery needs assessments: The recently released National Disaster Recovery Needs Assessment Guidelines provide nationally compatible approaches that support the design and implementation of disaster recovery needs assessments.

Disaster Relief Australia: A new Wellbeing Study was commissioned by Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) to investigate whether service in DRA can lead to improved mental health and wellbeing.

Flash flood increasing inland: New research shows east coast lows – intense low pressure systems carrying huge volumes of water – are developing further out to sea, both southward and eastward.

Gender and sexuality in DRR: This webinar explores the issues relating to a broader definition of gender in disasters, and shares work that is being progressed on this important issue, both internationally and here in Australia.

Girls on Fire Camps: Girls on Fire work with schools, fire and emergency services, regional towns, and youth-related organisations to introduce young people aged 14 to 19 to fire, emergency and disaster management skills. There are Girls on Fire Camps coming up in Melbourne Airport on 9 May and  Corryong on 17 and 18 May. You may like to come along and volunteer/observe, or share with young women you know aged 14-19 years old. Watch a promo video here. Email a[email protected] for more information.

National Emergency Worker Support Service: The Black Dog Institute offers free and confidential mental health support for emergency service workers and volunteers including a quick and easy online mental health check, and up to 12 free sessions with the Institute’s clinicians.

PTSD and first responders: New Presumptive Legislation for PTSD for first responders passed in the upper house recently. View a summing up here.

Wildfire smoke and pregnancy: A new investigation shows that pregnant women who are exposed to particulate matter from wildfire smoke face a higher risk of preterm birth than women who were not exposed.

If you’ve got news or resources you would like shared in the AWE Newsletter, please email us the details by the end of the calendar month in time for publication the first week of each month.

NSW
Climate Adaptation Manager, The Green Recruitment Company
Manager, New England, North West, Hunter, and Central Coast, Department of Communities and Justice

QLD
Regional Community Engagement Coordinator – Readiness and Response, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Cairns
Principal Disaster Management, Lockyer Valley Regional Council

SA
Program Officer Incident Management, SA Country Fire Service
Liaison Officer – Recruitment, Disaster Relief Australia

TAS
Sustainable Asset and Emergency Management Coordinator, Department of State Growth
Senior Bushfire Management Planning Officer – Northern Region, Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management

VIC
Project Coordinator Place Based Resilience, Yarra Ranges Council
Co-Lead Community Organiser, Australian Conservation Foundation ·

WA
Emergency Services Pillowcase Presenter Volunteer, Australian Red Cross ·
Administration Officer, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Bunbury

NZ
Senior Emergency Management Advisor (Response), Horizons Regional Council
Emergency Management Officer, Palmerston North City Council
Advisor Risk Reduction, Dunedin, Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Programme Coordinator, Wellington, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

If you’ve got a job vacancy you would like to promote in the AWE Newsletter, please email us the details by the end of the calendar month in time for publication the first week of each month.

21-24 May                  2024 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference

11-12 June                  The Future is Now: Biodiversity, Climate and Us (NZ)

16-17 July                   Emergency Management Conference 2024

22-23 July                   2024 Disaster & Emergency Management Conference

3-6 September            AFAC24

8-10 October               The Global Nature Positive Summit 2024

October                       Australasian Women in Emergencies Day

13 October                  International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

14-17 October             Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (PH)

9-10 September          Climate Change and Business Conference Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland NZ.

7 – 9 November           Australasian Conference on Traumatic Stress

1-2 December             International Conference on Climate Change and Global Warming (NZ)