Women And Violence

In the wake of the latest scandal to hit Defence, Defence Minister Stephen Smith has announced six inquiries, and says the Government will fasttrack changes so women can fight in all the most dangerous frontline positions. The Punch spoke to Australian Defence Association executive director Neil James about the move.

Q. Do you think women should be on the front line?

A. We support the fact that women in the Australian Defence Force serve on the front line and in combat (to the extent they currently can)... we also support the current scientific study into expanding the range of roles for women on the front line. We support evidence-based decisions - not emotive sloganeering.

This topic comes up every six to eight months and the discussion is never intellectually robust. Too many people enter it from an ideological viewpoint or they’re not across the facts. This is clearly a diversion by the minister - to divert attention from the fact none of the inquiries he’s called will investigate his apparent abuse of ministerial authority. He’s announced six reviews but none of them will include an investigation of him.

Continue reading "Consider this before you send women to the frontline" »

Some might charge me with politicizing Football – but here I go, here I go, here I go …

With the last places being filled for the 2010 Football World Cup in Sth Africa, I’d like to propose a new international FIFA award, to be launched at the opening ceremony next year- the Eudy.

The Eudy would be the short name for the Eudy Simelane Leadership Award and for the foreseeable future it should be awarded for ‘Outstanding Contribution by a Male Footballer to the Campaign to End Violence Against Women’.

Continue reading "The Eudy: a new global sports award" »