MICHAEL BRANDENBURG
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Chairman of the Grampians Integrated Family Violence Committee
BALLARAT has spoken – family violence is everyone’s business. No longer are police, courts and welfare services lonely voices working to end violence against women and children. No longer is family violence “behind closed doors”. From sporting clubs to schools, workplaces to local councils, neighbourhood centres to public forums; family violence is now more than ever an open conversation.
Ten years ago you would rarely hear a conversation about violence against women, rarely see an article in the newspaper, rarely hear the stories of women and children and rarely see perpetrators being held accountable. Things are changing.
The Ballarat community can – and is – making a difference in the lives of women and children. The community is supporting victims, holding perpetrators accountable and delivering programs that educate all about equality and respect.
We all have a responsibility to end the violence against women and children, to make our homes and streets safe, to provide an opportunity for everyone to reach their potential free from inequality and discrimination.
By working together as a community we are making a difference, we can stop violence against women and children and we can build a community for the next generations where violence in the home is not acceptable and won’t be tolerated.
Be a part of making a difference, speak up, and support our community – say “no” to violence against women and children.
The Grampians Integrated Family violence Committee believes that by working together as a community we can make a difference.
SARAH*
A victim of family violence
WHITE Ribbon Day means a great deal to me and my little family, as we were once victims of family violence.
“Why didn’t you leave him?” was something I heard numerous times from many people.
I wanted to leave him, sure. But where would I go? How could I pack up my children and leave our home without the monster knowing and becoming aggressive again? And cash? How could I afford to set up a new home?
These were problems I could not see a way around so I stayed, hoping family life would get better.
But it didn’t.
During the course of another violent episode where the police were called, I was put in touch with an organisation called Berry Street (Lisa Lodge).
Berry Street were amazing and not only provided my children and myself with immediate accommodation, food, information and many other necessities, but they also offered me an incredible amount of support.
They put me in touch with the various counsellors and organisations that were needed for us to begin our new lives.
CASA (Centre Against Sexual Assault) was absolutely amazing for myself, while WRISC has helped my children grow into happy, confident kids.
CAFS (Child and Family Services) helped me with the astronomical bills that my former partner left me with.
Today, I am set up in my own home. My children are wonderfully happy and my heart is full of so much gratitude for the ongoing support of these important organisations.
If it was not for them, my children and I would still be stuck in a life of family violence.
* Not her real name
JOE CAHIR
Ballarat White Ribbon Day Committee chair
THE Ballarat White Ribbon Day Committee began in 2006 as a group of people who wanted to make a difference within their community by standing up and spreading the message to stop men committing violence against women.
The White Ribbon campaign is an opportunity for men to take ownership of men’s violence and to stand up and swear an oath to:
• Never commit violence against women;
• Never condone violence against women; and
• Never remain silent about violence against women.
I personally need to talk to my son and explain the importance of treating women with respect and to show him what that respect looks like.
As a man, I need to condemn any of my mates who think it’s okay to insult or treat women badly.
The Ballarat WRD Committee has achieved much over the years and continues to raise awareness in the community of the prevalence of men’s violence against women in our local area.
As the chairperson of the Ballarat WRD committee and a male who is lucky enough to have many women in my life, including a wife, mother and two daughters, I want this violence to end.
Campaigns such as the Ballarat WRD is the only way men and women can stand up, take charge, make changes in our community and stop this violence.
The White Ribbon Day campaign is about men taking responsibility for our own gender’s violence and filling the vacuum of male leadership on this issue.
DENIS NAPTHINE
Premier of Victoria
IT’S time we speak up as a community. It’s time we stand as one and say no to family violence.
I am committed and my government is committed to preventing family violence and preventing violence against women.
But governments can’t do it on their own.
Police can’t do it on their own.
The courts can’t do it on their own.
Putting an end to family violence is something we all must strive towards together as a united community – it’s up to us.
I urge you all to do your part in helping to stop family violence.
You can help by speaking up. We need to bring this issue out of the shadows.
Make sure everyone knows that violence against women is totally abhorrent and never acceptable.
Talk to your mates, talk to your sons and daughters, discuss the issue at the family dinner table.
I want all men to speak up and pledge to take a stand against family violence.
We need to change attitudes.
We need to change behaviour.
As Premier, as a father, as a husband, I commit to doing all I can to speak up.
I appeal to everyone to do the same – it’s up to us.
DANIEL ANDREWS
Opposition Leader
WE hear a lot about crime on our streets, but sometimes it’s all too easy to ignore the horrible crimes that happen quietly in our homes.
I’m relieved that so many in our community have come out strongly against family violence, speaking an urgent message.
They are important words, but we shouldn't encourage victims to report without support.
Preventing this crime requires more than just words.
It requires action.
In the past few months, I've hosted three detailed community forums with family violence victims and support workers. They know what counts.
Family violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness in women aged between 15 and 44.
It’s a crisis that quietly wrecks our communities and it’s simply unforgivable.
We must do better. We must work to improve practical support and intervention across Victoria.
Our duty extends beyond awareness. We must take action.
TONY LOVETT
Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association officer and City of Ballarat Citizen of the Year
FOR my part, I was happy to lend my support to The Courier campaign with the view to raising awareness of family violence and how it affects so many people in so many different ways in our Ballarat community.
Family violence is not determined by race, religion or status in the community and to tackle this issue it needs to be brought out into the open; as The Courier has successfully done.
One change I have noticed is that people are prepared to discuss the issue of family violence with me, whereas previously this was not necessarily the case. Of particular note is that victims of family violence have talked to me about their situations and how following The Courier’s campaign has helped them to deal with their own issues related to their experiences.
I believe that as an educated and informed society, we are moving to the place where family violence is no longer tolerated by anyone and that support services are becoming increasingly available to all parties involved.
While it is always shocking to know cases reported to police are increasing, it is also a good sign that police responses are being effective. Ideally, police wouldn’t have to respond if there were no incidents, and while that scenario may seem a long way off, it is an achievable target for the community to set.
JOSHUA MORRIS
Mayor of Ballarat
VIOLENCE in any form is unacceptable in a civilised society like ours.
To perpetrate violence against women or children – often the most vulnerable people in our community – is among the worst possible crimes.
We cannot and must not turn a blind eye to this problem, which we know is even more widespread than statistics show.
Many victims are too terrified or too intimidated to report the perpetrator; they fear further attacks and they fear for their families and loved ones.
White Ribbon Day gives us all an opportunity to send a strong message that violence against women is unacceptable in any form.
By supporting White Ribbon Day we can help to make it clear this sort of terrible violence will not be tolerated in the Ballarat community.
We can, and should, send a clear message to the men who commit crimes against women that it’s not OK, that it will not be tolerated, that they will be caught and punished.
We can show women we are here to support them and that if they do report abusive behaviour they will be listened to and action taken.
I urge all Ballarat residents to show their support on White Ribbon Day. We don’t tolerate violence on the streets, neither should we turn a blind eye to it in homes in our city.
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