General News
28 November, 2022
Groups unite against family violence
Rows of orange took over the streets of Maryborough last Friday when locals marched down to Phillips Gardens, signalling the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. An annual campaign held on an international scale, the...
Rows of orange took over the streets of Maryborough last Friday when locals marched down to Phillips Gardens, signalling the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
An annual campaign held on an international scale, the initiative will run on until December 10, which is marked as Human Rights Day.
Launched on November 25, also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, community members and representatives from the Central Goldfields Shire Council, the Orange Door, Maryborough District Health Service, Maryborough Rotary, Anglicare Victoria and the Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, participated in the event.
Attendees walked from Parkview Bakery to Phillips Gardens with Rotary’s statement elephant Ellie leading the procession on wheels. Ellie is part of the club’s #sayNO2familyviolence campaign and was built to start conversations about domestic abuse, which is often the ‘elephant in the room’.
The walk was followed by a smoking ceremony and the launch of Zonta’s flower bed — featuring the letter ‘R’ for respect and two ‘Zs’ displaying Zonta’s involvement — where Jane Martin, a member of the organisation placed an Orange Lady, which represents victims of violence.
“Gender-based violence against women and girls is one of the worst manifestations of discrimination against women and remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation worldwide affecting more than an estimated one in three women,” Zonta Club of Central Goldfields chair of service and advocacy Bronwen Haywood said.
“I know this also happens in our community so we need to raise awareness.
“We’ve got to start at the coalface and make sure people know that services are available so they can get help, both male and female.”
Over the next couple of days, the focus will be on starting conversations, learning more about the issue and educating people on the resources available to them — and community involvement is key.
“These are things that are hard to talk about so we’re trying to organise events that actually start the conversation. We need to start making people aware that it is not okay for this to happen,” Ms Haywood said.
Addressing the crowd, Mayor Grace La Vella reiterated the important role all residents serve in eliminating gender-based violence.
“16 Days of Activism, including the physical symbolism crusade right here in our beautiful Phillips Gardens is further testament of how our community works together as a collective — spreading the message wider to rule out this insidious scourge which destroys so many lives, young and old,” she said.
“[The problem is] preventable if the perpetrators could take charge of their own fears, insecurities and anger by reaching out for help.
“As a community we are committed to doing what we can to develop a culture where violence against women and girls is unacceptable, or against anyone for that matter.”
This year, a range of events have been organised, including workshops, activities and speeches, to create that culture of intolerance against violence.
Residents are urged to attend as many programs as they can to support victims and facilitate better understanding of their situations.
“It’s important that people show up. It’s about demonstrating to the women in our community that they’ve got support, and that they should have the confidence to be able to go forward, report and seek assistance. And it’s about all the service providers, as well as the community showing that we support them, because we don’t want this problem in our community,” Maryborough Rotary Club president Garry Higgins said.
“Community response is more important than anything. The community drives the behaviours that they’re prepared to accept. And if we can have zero tolerance on accepting violence against women and children, then everybody’s going to be safe.
“That’s what our campaign is about, it’s about mobilising those resources within our community, to help the service providers as well. We can’t just let them be the sole responders to the issue. It’s about that cultural and institutional change.”
To join and view all activities happening in support of the campaign, visit the Central Goldfields Shire website on centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au
