Meet Dr. Zora Simic, a Senior Lecturer in History and Gender Studies at UNSW's School of Humanities and Languages. Her current project, alongside Ann Curthoys and Catherine Kevin, delves into the history of domestic violence in Australia, covering the period from 1850 to the present day.
The focus of their research lies in the pivotal era of 1970 to the present, during which there was a significant shift in public perceptions and responses to domestic violence, which was previously referred to as 'wife-beating' or 'wife-battering'. In today's paper, they will outline the overarching story of domestic violence in the public sphere, with a particular emphasis on the 1990s – a period marked by a backlash against feminism, where the issue of domestic violence was heavily implicated.
Throughout the paper, they raise important questions that arose during that time, including whether domestic violence should be criminalised or not, and the persistent dismissive attitudes surrounding the issue. Remarkably, some of these questions continue to be relevant even in contemporary discussions, highlighting the need to understand the role of history in addressing domestic and gender-based violence today.
Dr. Zora Simic's expertise spans histories of gender, sexuality, feminism, and migration. Her dedication to teaching and research makes her a valuable contributor to the academic community. Together with her co-authors, she aims to shed light on a critical aspect of Australian history, providing insights that can inform our understanding of domestic violence and its implications for the present and future.
