Community rallies against gender-based violence

THE community gathered at Johnstone Park last weekend to launch the region’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, a global initiative that encourages action to end domestic and family violence against women.

The campaign officially began on Monday this week, coinciding with International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and will run until International Human Rights Day on December 10.

The launch event, hosted by the Zonta Club of Geelong, brought together local MPs with representatives from the City of Greater Geelong and several community groups including Rotary clubs, Women in Local Democracy and Soroptimist International of Geelong.

“We join groups all around the world gathering, marching, supporting, making their voices heard to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls,” Zonta Club of Geelong president Beryl McMillan said.

“Zonta envisions a world in which women’s rights are human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.

“In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis.

“With men, we’re not asking for more, we’re asking for equal… and in such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.”

A variety of community-led initiatives are set to take place across the 16-day campaign, while close to 40 orange cardboard ladies have been scattered across the region at public buildings, hospitals, community centres and libraries to bring further awareness to the campaign.

Member for Western Victoria Sarah Mansfield spoke of the women she treated while working as a general practitioner, women living in fear, women with “unspeakable injuries”, women forced to use aliases.

She said every death was a stark example of how the system continues to fail women and called on the government to take action by increasing public housing, accessible and affordable healthcare and childcare, raising welfare payments, improving food security and properly fund community legal centres and family violence support organisations.

“It should not be left up to under resourced, non-government organisations to try and pick up the pieces.

“A family fleeing domestic violence should not have to choose between putting food on the table or seeing a doctor.

“They shouldn’t have to wait up to two years on a public housing waitlist… experiencing homelessness every single night.”

The city’s executive director of corporate services Troy Edwards said there were 4,865 reported incidents of family violence in the Geelong region in the 2022-23 financial year, equating to 13 incidents each day.

“That very much sounds like an epidemic to me that we need to deal with.

“The violence is widespread, but I think just as importantly, we don’t have to accept it. It is preventable and that starts with changing the culture that allows it to happen.

“It starts with addressing the power imbalance that supports the culture, and it starts with promoting respect.”

He said everyone had a role to play in fostering a culture of respect, rejecting discrimination and calling out harmful behaviour.

“Over the next 16 days, I encourage you all to take appropriate actions, have some conversations with people, do some listening… and really try to think about how you can progress this issue, no matter how difficult that might be.

“It’s up to all of us to make a difference.”