General News
12 December, 2022
New project launched as 16 Days wraps up
The end of the 16 Days of Activism — a global campaign against gender-based violence — marked the beginning of a new initiative targeted towards helping men in relevant situations. Held on December 9 at the Mill House, Dr Lowen Clarke launched...
The end of the 16 Days of Activism — a global campaign against gender-based violence — marked the beginning of a new initiative targeted towards helping men in relevant situations.
Held on December 9 at the Mill House, Dr Lowen Clarke launched a new campaign named after his book The Options Game to draw attention to men’s behaviours and how they can be better managed in the context of family violence.
Hosted by the Maryborough Rotary Club, Dr Clarke said the campaign is a new way of dealing with the social problem.
“We’re really leading the nation in this, we’re really tackling it in a different way all together,” he said.
“[December 10] is the last day of the 16 Days of Activism and we want to keep it going for the rest of the year which is why we’re commencing our campaign about family safety, family violence and how to prevent it.”
Central to the program is Dr Clarke’s book which will be available for free in sports clubs and other groups and organisations in the town.
“The idea is to almost saturate Maryborough with the book, the free book, and then see what happens. And continue on from there,” he said.
“This particular approach is directed towards helping men when they’re just about to lose it. So that they can learn to recognize when they might be falling into a situation where they could get frustrated or angry, and they can pull back from it.”
Based on the community’s response to the book, Dr Clarke said the next step in the campaign would be to set up a coaching program for men — but he said it was important for men to take the first step.
“It’s very important for men to come to the program once we get going. It’s very important that men are seen to be doing something. It’s really important,” he said.
“It’s early days still but I know the books have been moving out into the community quite well.”
For Maryborough Rotary Club president Garry Higgins, the book sets the ball rolling on important conversations.
“I think the campaign started off really well. It gives us another avenue of conversation, awareness, and education,” he said.
“The critical part is to make sure that we distribute it to the right places — places that men frequent.
“[It’ll get men to] think about the consequences of their actions. A number of men have never even considered issues around masculinity and respect.”
Both, the book and the wider 16 Days of Activism campaign would flourish with increased community response according to Mr Higgins.
“It’s about getting the whole community on board and that’s what our project is primarily aimed at doing — getting our whole community to respond to it. Rather than just the service providers, or law enforcement or the judiciary, or the legislature for that matter,” he said.
“It’s about cultural change, that’s the only way to stop it. We’ve come a long way but there’s a lot longer to go.”