Five trailblazing family violence prevention organisations are receiving a boost from the Andrews Labor Government to expand their critical work eliminating family violence and all violence against women.
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams visited Banksia Gardens Community Services in Broadmeadows this week to announce continued funding of $300,000 for the Good People Act Now youth-led family violence prevention initiative.
The program trains a class of young people each year to understand and raise awareness about the causes of violence against women.
More than 100 young people have completed the program since it was established, with the goal of becoming gender equality champions and active bystanders in their communities.
As part of a total $1.5 million boost to successful programs, four other organisations will also receive an additional $300,000 to continue to scale up their specialised family violence prevention programs across Victoria.
They include Women’s Legal Service Victoria’s Starts with Us initiative, which will continue to address high rates of sexual harassment in the legal sector by undertaking workplace research and co-designing prevention programs with legal sector organisations.
Drummond Street Services will continue its All Come Out to Play! educational show, which teaches
children and their parents about respectful relationships and gender equality using music, song, and comedy at community playgroups and online.
Save the Children’s Rural Communities Creating Change program will be supported to continue its work with children and their parents to prevent family violence in regional areas.
GEN VIC will work directly with sport (AFLW), politics and media industries to develop recommendations for online safety for women, while also continuing to work with young men to understand online safety issues that women face, to call it out and intervene in ways that help to drive a safer online culture for women.
This funding is part of the Labor Government’s world-leading Free from Violence Strategy to Prevent Family Violence and All Forms of Violence Against Women, and its action plans.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams
“Whether it’s engaging with young leaders on the sporting field, or helping them lead their peers away from gendered abuse online – we’re backing our young people to be empowered against problematic attitudes to women.”
“Funding innovation in prevention gives us a real chance of preventing violence before it starts for future generations.”
“We’re giving proven prevention programs the best possible chance to make a real difference as we get on with delivering our nation leading system-wide family violence reforms.”
Reviewed 09 July 2021