A Boom for Whom? Exploring the Impacts of a Rapid Increase in the Male Population Upon Women's Services in Darwin, Northern Territory. (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ennis, Gretchen; Tofa, Matalena; Finlayson, Mary; U'Ren, Julie
• Is Part Of: Violence against women. Volume 23:Number 5(2017)
• Page Start: 535
• Page End: 558
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: boomtown -- defense force -- mining -- women's services; Abused women -- Periodicals; Women -- Crimes against -- Periodicals; Violent crimes -- Periodicals; Femmes victimes de violence -- Périodiques; Femmes, Crimes contre les -- Périodiques; Crimes violents -- Périodiques; 362.8292
• DOI: 10.1177/1077801216644994
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8012

Abstract

A rapidly expanding natural-resource extraction industry and a growing military presence mean an increasingly male-skewed population for the city of Darwin, Australia. This has sparked concerns about the potential for increased violence against women. In this article, we present qualitative research detailing the views of 13 participants from 10 women's support services in the Darwin area. We argue that women's support services bear witness to and are tasked with responding to the impacts of population change on women, yet their work is undermined by uncertainties that stem from neoliberal funding rationales and limited demands on companies to address social issues.