On the 14th of December 2016, ACHRH convened the first ever national summit to address dowry related violence in Australia. The forum brought together a diverse group of community stakeholders concerned with domestic violence – medical professionals, members of the legal fraternity, members of parliament, policy advisers, business leaders, journalists, not for profit organisations, academics and also survivors of dowry abuse. Several speakers delivered eloquent and thought evoking speeches about the impact of dowry related violence. They spoke about the need to join together to foster effective prevention of the problem in various ethnic communities. Attendees also participated in small group workshops where they developed recommendations for Government and discussed practical ways of responding to the problem. The cultural paradigm surrounding dowry needs to be looked at carefully. The Summit was an important first step in doing this and examining whether it is possible to continue the cultural tradition of dowry without causing harm.
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