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Ahead of the AFL Grand Final, national violence prevention organisation Our Watch is calling for the sporting community to address the increased risk of violence facing women during football finals.
Major sporting finals should be an occasion where everyone feels safe to gather and celebrate. Unfortunately, for many women, this is a time when they face an increased risk of violence from men. On AFL Grand Final day, Victoria Police prepare for a 20% spike in violence against women. On State of Origin nights, domestic assaults in New South Wales increase by up to 40%.
This increase in violence is not about the game itself. The introduction of alcohol and high emotions into environments where women are not treated as equals causes a volatile mix. For men who already hold harmful ideas about women and relationships, these factors can increase the severity and frequency of their violence against women.
Research shows that alcohol can weaken men's empathy, care, concern and respect for those around them, particularly women. On Grand Final day, where rates of heavy drinking increase, male aggression towards women happens more frequently, especially in male-dominated spaces.
Violence against women is never acceptable, and everyone has a role to play in its prevention. We encourage fans celebrating over the football finals to think about steps they can take to foster a safe environment. Sporting leaders also play a powerful role in shaping culture, and a zero-tolerance approach to disrespect and violence is integral for changing attitudes.
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly encourages actions across the sporting community that address the drivers of violence against women, including reinforcing factors such as alcohol.
"Violence against women is unfortunately too common, but it's not inevitable and it certainly isn't normal.
"Everyone can think about what they can personally do to ensure violence against women is not tolerated. Whether it's calling out disrespect when they see it, cheering on their team without resorting to aggression, or looking out for their mates, we can all make Grand Final day a safer celebration."
"Our Watch supports efforts across the community to reduce harm caused by alcohol. We know that contributing factors, when combined with disrespect and harmful gender stereotypes, can make men's violence towards women more frequent and severe."
"To prevent violence from happening in the first place, we need to improve club cultures across all sporting codes. That begins with promoting respect for women, adopting codes of conduct that have zero tolerance for violence and disrespect, and ensuring the responsible service of alcohol. We want everyone to be safe from violence on Grand Final day."
About us:
Our Watch is Australia's leader in the primary prevention of violence against women. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the practices, norms, and structures that lead to violence against women and children.
