The 'underbelly of disregard for women's rights' allows politicians like Pauline Hanson to suggest domestic violence is a 'two-way street' and her staffers to compare it to inconvenient media scrutiny, writes managing editor Michelle Pini.
* CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses domestic violence
PERHAPS the resurgence of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is necessary. Sort of like undergoing a colonoscopy in order to find an underlying disease.
If it weren’t for her spewing hate at every turn, how else would we be made aware of the small but persistent underbelly of fear and hate festering beneath polite society all along?
Why is nearly every woman who's killed by a man known to her killed in the context of separation?
...It's about power.
~ Campaigner to end violence against women Phil Cleary
One Nation toxicity
The elevation of Pauline and her predominantly baseless opinions by the legacy media may be abhorrent to most thinking, caring Australians, but thanks to this incongruous licence afforded her, many uncomfortable conversations are coming to the fore.
For example, conversations about rampant racism, bigotry and the rights of First Nations Australians.
Like Pauline, these are not issues that will just go away if we choose to ignore them.
One such uncomfortable conversation we need to have, about which Pauline has many opinions, involves the behaviour of half the population.
And it is not “gender-based” violence about which we need to talk.
The language
The conversation we need to have concerns male violence — violence which is responsible for the deaths of 49 women and 19 children at the hands of men, so far this year alone.
Male violence in Australia also accounts for the following statistics:
- an average of 18 women a day hospitalised;
- two in five women experiencing violence since the age of 15; and
- one in four men aged 18 to 45 admitting they have used physical and/or sexual violence against an intimate partner.
Further, national data collected by Women’s Legal Services Australiareveals women fleeing domestic violence are turned away at the rate of 1,000 women each week, or 52,000 women a year.
Let’s call it what it is, says long-time campaigner to end violence against women, Phil Cleary, who told IA:
“If everyone is saying men are suffering violence from other men, and women are suffering violence from men, can we not say men’s violence?”
Overwhelming though the evidence may be, Pauline Hanson is never one to bother with the facts, claiming domestic violence is a “two-way street” and that women should simply “not put up with it”.
The statistics quoted above indicate that domestic violence is about as much a “two-way street” as a freeway entrance.
However, as newly defected One Nation – but long-time retail bargain basement – politician Barnaby Joyce claimed on Monday, “people are tired of facts”, or words to that effect.
Barnaby was referring to the inconvenience of costing economic policies and having them reviewed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, but this, of course, is a handy refrain for the ignorant, made popular by their icon Donald Trump, and one on which One Nation pollies are happy to hang their hats.
After all, why bother learning anything or even looking for evidence to support your thought bubbles if you can get away with just making it all up?
Which may also explain why One Nation continues to select candidates and hire staff with histories of domestic violence and sex abuse, such as convicted rapist Sean Black, who was sentenced to five years in gaol for raping his former wife.
Black reportedly also threw his wife down the stairs and crushed her hand in a door. After assaulting her while she held their infant son, Black reportedly commented that she “should change her diet because she bruised easily”, before dragging her out of the shower and raping her.
What a “two-way street”.
Black continued to work as a One Nation adviser for five months after he was committed to stand trial.
Meanwhile, One Nation party director James Ashby – who is now refusing attendance by the ABC and The Guardian at One Nation media conferences – likened being questioned by the ABC to:
As founder of Australian Femicide Watch and The Red Heart Movement Sherele Moody put it:"...going back to some domestic violence relationship and just getting beaten every time they come through the door."
Open media access to government and politicians is a foundation of a democratic society.
Yes, it can be uncomfortable. But you know what it doesn't do? It doesn't kill you, it doesn't break your bones or leave bruises, it doesn't lead to suicidal ideation, it doesn't destroy your psychological well-being and it doesn't deprive you of your right to safety.
The language is important.
The framing
The framing is also important.
Last month, four Sydney Swans players were linked to a Victoria Police sexual assault investigation, after a reported incident at the hotel where the players were staying. The Sexual Crimes Squad investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
The story was first reported by Seven’s Tom Norris, who referred to the incident as ‘believed to be sensitive and potentially very damaging to star players’.
There was no mention as to the welfare of the women at the centre of the allegations or how they may have been "damaged".
Following the alleged incident, Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich said the club was also making its own internal inquiries, and:
"Safe to say, we're extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation."
“Bullshit”, says Phil Cleary:
“The boys put themselves in the situation. The boys orchestrated the situation. The boys created the situation.”
Phil's sister, Vicki Cleary, was murdered at the age of 25 by a violent former partner in 1987. Her killer received a four-year prison sentence.
"The prejudice against women runs deep, and the misogyny runs deep", says Phil:
"For people like myself who've got the lived experience of losing their beloved sister, and have seen the abuse of women in trials and lived with the 'provocation' defence, which was the epitome of misogyny across the country."
He adds:
"So when I see a candidate selected or I see Pauline Hanson say it's a 'two-way street', I'm not stunned. I just say we shouldn't be surprised because there is this underbelly of disregard and disrespect for women's rights, or opposition to women's rights. So it's just a reminder."
We don’t know yet what happened at the alleged incident involving several Swans football players, which police are still investigating.
But we do know that the language used in media reports and the framing around all such incidents, as well as the validation of violent men by politicians like Pauline Hanson, only contributes to the problem.
Not all men?
Then there's the “not all men” defence favoured by politicians such as then-Liberal Party Senator Hollie Hughes, who claimed that the "problem" with violence against women is people who cast:
“...all straight white men as some kind of demon and that all women should be believed.”
Maybe not all men, Hollie and co, but it is almost always men.
Male violence against women is at epidemic proportions. Women are murdered at the rate of one a week, every year.
This is not, as Pauline says, “a two-way street”. Women do not ask to be sexually abused, attacked, beaten, raped or murdered.
And it is certainly not a situation abusive men accidentally “find themselves in”, like taking the wrong bus or coming back to their parked car to find someone had dented it.
Phil says:
Why is nearly every woman who's killed by a man known to her killed in the context of separation?
...It's about power.
* If this article has raised any issues for you, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or online at 1800RESPECT.org.au.
This is an abridged version of an editorial sent to subscribers in the weekly newsletter. Read the full story by subscribing to Independent Australia HERE.
Follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter/X @vmp9 and Bluesky@michellepini.bsky.social, and Independent Australia on Twitter/X at @independentaus, Facebook HERE and Instagram HERE.
