This week’s SoroptiVoice comes from Paula Siddle,
SISWP Assistant Federation Programme Director & Donna Kennedy, SI Nelson, NZ. They explain why NZ SI clubs selected this campaign at their New Zealand
Conference for Clubs in March 2011 to be their National project for the next few
years.

This project is based upon research that was
undertaken by a social anthropologist, Dr Donna Swift. Donna is also the
strategic advisor for a stopping girls violence service in
Nelson. Dr Swift became involved with Soroptimist International in 2009 when President of Soroptimist
International of the South West Pacific, Yvonne Simpson,
organized for her SI Westland club to support Dr Swift’s work in the Hokitika
community.  

Currently, teenage girls under the age of 17 make
up 30% of youth coming to the attention of Police for violent offending. This
increase has been gradual over the last ten years. The nature of young women’s
violence, including those under the age of 14, has changed dramatically and now
involves premeditated actions, sometimes with weapons, and serious
injuries.  However, long before the first
punch is thrown, girl fighting begins. Relational aggression, or the
backstabbing, bullying and belittling that happens in the school yard, attacks
a young girl’s confidence, reputation and friendships.  The advancement of technology has added to
the problem of girl fighting and cyberbullying, by phone or social networking
sites, inflicts devastating harm on young female recipients. As a cruel
twist, technology, through video games and celebrity images, is also glorifying
the girl fighter as the new sexual role model who is flaunted to inspire young
women caught up in the competition for male attention.

This is where many violent female offenders get
their start.

The New Zealand Project is aimed at supporting a
minimum of eight New Zealand
communities to receive Dr Swift’s presentations. This would benefit those
communities and contribute to Soroptimist International’s reputation as a
vibrant and dynamic organization working for the betterment of girls and young
women throughout New Zealand.  

As girls’ violence is a very topical issue and Dr
Swift is New Zealand’s
leading expert on this subject, these occasions have been highly successful and
have spread appreciation for the plight of our girls as well as introducing the
work of Soroptimist International to more women in our region.   

While Police statistics tell us that teenage boys
are involved in violent offending more than girls, the gender gap is closing.
We must never lose sight of the fact that these girls will be the mothers of
the next generation and it is through them that the cycle of violence can be
broken.  These girls need help and some
of it will come from Soroptimists of New Zealand. 

Cliques, crews
and catfights: Moving beyond girl violence will be an awareness project, where NZ SI clubs will find appropriate
venues and audiences for each presentation. Each community will receive two
presentations.  One is for
community services and school staff, and the other is a public presentation for those
raising girls. 

If you require further
information you can contact Paula via SISWP website.

Many thanks to Paula for sharing this project with us! We wish SI New Zealand every success with this fantastic project and look forward to hearing how it progresses. Join us on Tuesday as we start a Facebook discussion on what clubs are doing around the world to combat girl violence.