ABSTRACT

Since the 1970s, there have been dramatic shifts in domestic violence advocacy in Australia. Domestic violence activism emerged from the women’s liberation movement with a clear feminist and emancipatory agenda, but this work has now shifted into the mainstream. This has seen the previous focus of domestic violence advocacy, which included women’s freedom and liberation, narrow to an emphasis more on women’s safety and risk management. While this “safety work” is a needed priority, there must also be an examination of what is lost when domestic violence practice does not allow space for “freedom work”. This article explores freedom work with 10 feminist domestic violence advocates in Australia. They detail four principles of their freedom work with victim—survivors, which includes that feminism is central to their survivor-led practice; that safety work can expand freedom when done from a feminist perspective; that advocates’ knowledge needs to meet victim—survivors where they are; and that while freedom is central to their practice, they acknowledge that this freedom is aspirational.

• IMPLICATIONS

• A focus on risk management and safety in domestic violence work can narrow women’s freedom and choices.

• Feminist domestic violence advocates who ground their work in emancipatory politics expand their focus beyond women’s safety to honour women’s freedom.

• This “freedom work” is mainly aspirational but seeks opportunities to expand women’s space for action and freedom alongside broader political activism.

摘要

自 20 世纪 70 年代以来，澳大利亚对家庭暴力的倡导发生了巨大变化。家庭暴力激进主义源于妇女解放运动，具有明确的女权主义和解放议程，但这项工作现已成为主流。这使得之前家庭暴力倡导的重点（包括妇女的自由和解放）缩小到更加强调妇女的安全和风险管理。虽然这项“安全工作”是必要的优先事项，但也必须审视当家庭暴力实践不允许“自由工作”空间时会造成什么损失。本文探讨了澳大利亚 10 名女权主义家庭暴力倡导者的自由工作。他们详细说明了与受害者幸存者开展自由工作的四项原则，其中包括女权主义是他们以幸存者为主导的实践的核心；从女权主义的角度来看，安全工作可以扩大自由；倡导者的知识需要满足受害者——幸存者的需要；虽然自由是他们实践的核心，但他们承认这种自由是渴望的。

• 影响

• 在家庭暴力工作中注重风险管理和安全可能会缩小妇女的自由和选择。

• 女权主义家庭暴力倡导者将其工作立足于解放政治，将关注点扩展到妇女安全之外，以尊重妇女的自由。

• 这种“自由工作”主要是有抱负的，但寻求机会扩大妇女的行动和自由空间以及更广泛的政治活动。