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16 Days of Activism at SWH

Friday, 06 Dec 2024

South West Healthcare is proud to participate in this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign in Victoria.

This year’s campaign encourages all Victorians to work together to prevent violence against women, with South West Healthcare focussing on giving Victim-Survivors a voice and presenting a unified message that gender based violence is not accepted or tolerated in our community.

South Western Centre Against Sexual Assault Manager, Megan Bragonje, said the statistics regarding gender-based violence are alarming.

“More than 1 in 4 women in Australia have experienced intimate partner violence, with 22% of women aged 15 years and over experiencing sexual violence. Over 90 Australian women have lost their lives to violence this year, with an overwhelming percentage of these deaths allegedly perpetrated by intimate male partners.’ Ms Bragonje said.

“For our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, 3 in 5 women have experienced violence from a male intimate partner and they are 30 times more likely to be hospitalised for assault. Safety for women is not a given in any community – and neither is respect.”

Reports of family violence in the Warrnambool region have risen significantly from 2022 – 2023 with over 2045 reports being made,” she said.

Executive Director of Primary and Community Care, Kerryn Anderson, said gender-based violence is a significant public health issue in the southwest region, and we all have a part to play in preventing and eliminating violence against women.

A number of South West Healthcare staff participated in our local Warrnambool Walk Against Family Violence activities on Friday 22 November as the 16 Days of Activism campaign commenced in Victoria.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Violence against women is preventable. This 16 Days of Activism and beyond, we have an opportunity to come together to progress a future where all Victorians are safe, equal and respected,” said Respect Victoria’s Chair Kate Fitz-Gibbon.

“To eliminate men’s violence against women we need to address the harmful attitudes and behaviours that drive violence in society. Importantly, everyone has a role to play. This 16 Days of Activism let’s work together to challenge harmful ideas about gender and power, and to create a future where all women live free from violence,” said Professor Fitz-Gibbon.

The campaign will end on Sunday 10 December, which marks the global Human Rights Day.

For more information head to the Safe and Equal website for the community calendar of events happening across the state, and the Respect Victoria website for tips and tools.

Page last updated: 22 January 2025

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