16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2023

Moonee Valley City Council believes that everyone deserves to live free from violence.

Violence is a violation of human rights and is unacceptable in all its forms.

Gender-based violence is a serious and prevalent form of violence in our community, but the good news is it is preventable, and everyone has a role to play in preventing it.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign rallying everyone in the community to understand, act on, and speak out against gender-based violence, which includes family and intimate partner violence, sexual assault and street-based or online harassment. (Note: Please see our list of  numbers below if you are in need of support for this type of violence).

The campaign officially begins on 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10th December, Human Rights Day.

2023 Events

Council is proud to join this campaign and encourages the community to get involved! We are thrilled to be involved in the following free events for community:

Walk Against Family Violence

Join the Walk Against Family Violence on Friday 24th November to help create a future where we are all safe, equal and respected. This event marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign calling for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. People of all genders are welcome.

When: Friday 24th November, 11:00AM
Where: Walk begins at Parliament House and ends in Carlton Gardens. Moonee Valley contingent will meet 10:30am onwards at Spring St Grocer, opposite Parliament House, 157 Spring Street.

This WAFV2023 event is supported by Respect Victoria as Principal Partner and is organised by Safe Steps Family Violence Centre.

Make a pledge

Community are invited to make a pledge against gender-based violence.

When: Sunday 26th November, 11am-3pm
Where: Crown Street Stables (part of this year’s FestAble event)

Fair Ground: The power of sport to be a space of safety and inclusion

MVCC in partnership with cohealth and the Moonee Valley Family Violence Network are hosting a community event focusing on the power of sport fostering safety, respect and inclusion for all.

On the night there will be:
• panel discussion from sports inclusion advocates including a youth expert from Women with Disabilities Victoria and an Ambassador from Proud 2 Play
• presentation from cohealth on the power of sports settings for gender equality and violence prevention
• presentation from the MVCC Sports & Recreation Team about the new Fair Access Roadmap
• workshop on identifying priorities for capacity building in the space.

When: Tuesday 5th December, 5:45pm for 6pm start
Where: Djerring Flemington Hub
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/fair-ground-the-power-of-sports-to-create-safety-and-inclusion

If you have any concerns about violence in your life, please know that you are not alone and help is available

If you are in immediate danger, call 000 for police and ambulance

If you are not in immediate danger, you can reach out to these organisations:

1800 Respect is a national 24/7 hotline operated by trained counsellors for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Please call 1800 737 732.

Safe Steps helps people in Victoria who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing family violence. Call 1800 015 188 to contact them at any time, or you could try their live web chat service available 9am till midnight, Monday to Friday.

The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence, and families who need extra support with the care of children. Visit The Orange Door website to find which of their fifteen locations across Victoria is closest to you.

Search Safe and Equal for more services to meet your specific needs, such as Djirra for Aboriginal women, and InTouch for women of migrant and refugee backgrounds.

If you are using violence in your relationships, help is available to stop

Consider reaching out to No to Violence if you have concerns about your behaviour. Respectful relationships support is also available from Relationships Australia, who you can reach on 1300 364 277. If you’re a man, you could also try the confidential Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491, available 24/7.