Safe and Equal

Check out our latest resource 'Engaging Men from Multicultural and Faith-Based Communities in Primary Prevention': https://lnkd.in/gS96e4mP For gender equality and violence prevention activities to be effective, they need to engage everyone, this includes men and boys from multicultural and faith-based communities. By addressing barriers to engagement, highlighting the benefits of prevention activities, and consulting with communities to build trust and capacity, prevention practitioners can support men from multicultural and faith-based communities to meaningfully participate in primary prevention. This resource was developed by the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health and Safe and Equal. Our new resource brings together lessons from members of the Connecting Communities network and existing evidence about engaging men from multicultural and faith-based communities in primary prevention initiatives. #PrimaryPrevention #FamilyViolence #Multicultural #PublicHealth

We are excited to release our newest resource: Supporting Wellbeing For Prevention Practitioners in Multicultural and Faith-Based Communities. Recently launched at our Connecting Communities Around The Table event, this resource brings together insights from the Connecting Communities network, to support decision-makers, organisations, managers and practitioners working with multicultural and faith-based communities to improve and uplift the wellbeing and sustainability of our workforce. The resource outlines ways to strengthen organisational and individual practices around wellbeing, shares key lessons, and proposes calls to action for embedding wellbeing into practice. Working to end family violence and to create major social and structural change is inspiring and rewarding work, but it can also take a toll. A focus on worker wellbeing and sustainability is essential to support people and organisations in their work and to ensure the sustainability of individuals, communities, and projects. We hope you find this resource helpful in advocating with us to transform the prevention sector into an environment where it is easier for us to monitor our needs, ask for wellbeing supports, and create workplace cultures that prioritise and celebrate wellbeing.  You can find the new resource here: https://lnkd.in/g95MP2md Multicultural Centre for Women's Health

Last week, MCWH and Safe and Equal came together to celebrate our achievements with the Connecting Communities Network, a network of 33 organisations that deliver primary prevention projects with multicultural communities and faith based communities across Victoria. Joined by over 70 prevention practitioners, the ‘Connecting Communities Around the Table’ event provided an exciting opportunity for practitioners to reflect, celebrate and share their work. Here's what we heard: 📌 Primary prevention must be community-led, and building a workforce of multicultural prevention practitioners is vital to that. 📌 We must value multicultural practitioners and their communities for their expertise and experience. 📌 Prevention looks different in every community. Setting-based approaches work best when people feel comfortable, included and listened to. 📌 The possibilities for program delivery are endless. A prevention project can look like a puppet show, an art exhibition or even playing board games. 📌 Organisations need longer-term resourcing so that they can be flexible and adaptive in their work with communities. 📌 Partnerships must be encouraged and valued through ethical and meaningful resourcing and commitment. 📌 Sustaining a healthy workforce is essential. Addressing structural barriers to participating in prevention work and investing in the wellbeing of practitioners ensures the longevity of our work and movement. Thank you to all participants who joined us to connect, share food and celebrate your important work. We hope this event is one of many opportunities for our Connecting Communities Network to share space, reflect and learn. #PrimaryPrevention #ViolencePrevention #MulticulturalHealth Alt: Three photos of attendees from the Around the Table event which show people networking, smiling and speaking in a facilitated workshop setting. One photo of the Connecting Community project resources which are available to access on our website: https://lnkd.in/gKff8zA9

Applications are open for Fast Track Leadership Foundations! Swipe through to learn more about this journey for new leaders in specialist family violence and primary prevention.  Leading the work to end family and gender-based violence needs courageous practitioners like you, and we want to help you excel.  Join our Leadership Foundations program to explore how you want to show up as a leader, and develop skills and strategies to lead effectively.  You’ll have the opportunity to test tools and apply frameworks to a range of scenarios, all while drawing on the expertise of sector experts, facilitators, mentors and your peers.   Those new to Fast Track, as well as graduates of our Response and Prevention streams, are encouraged to apply.  This cohort runs for five weeks from 22 August to 19 September 2024 and is delivered online. While places are valued at $2,500 per person, we are pleased to offer this program at the subsidised cost of $350 GST. Free places are available on a case-by-case basis. https://lnkd.in/gvKhYSiq

Yet again we are reeling at the news of another woman’s death due to men’s violence. Annette Brennan (67) was discovered late last week in horrific circumstances, in the north of Melbourne. A man known to her has now been charged with her murder. We extend our deepest condolences to Annette’s community and loved ones. Violence against women is a national crisis. We will keep saying this and we will keep advocating until we see real, meaningful change from all levels of government and across all parts of the community. Because each of these women deserved more. And because all family and gender-based violence deaths are preventable. https://lnkd.in/gBShZyZR

We are devastated at the deaths of three young children in Lalor Park in NSW on the weekend, in what police have described as a family violence incident perpetrated by their father.   We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones and communities of these three children, and particularly to their mother and siblings who remain in hospital.   A recently released report from ANROWS shows that filicide is the second most common type of domestic homicide in Australia, after intimate partner homicide.   And yet, in contexts of family violence, children and young people are so often forgotten or invisible.   It’s crucial government, the service system and the broader community recognise children and young people not just as extensions of their parents or caregivers, or ‘secondary victims’ of family violence, but as victim survivors in their own right.   We must not forget - all family violence deaths are preventable. But we need sustained, coordinated action from across the community and across all levels of government.   Safe and Equal will continue to advocate for tailored supports for children and young people affected by family violence. We will work to embed their voices and experiences, and to ensure all system responses prioritise their safety and wellbeing.

"Lately we've been hearing a lot about the deaths of women who have experienced family violence which is really critical … but I also think we have to remember that there's a lot of injury and harm being done outside of homicide." Safe and Equal CEO Tania Farha spoke to Hayley Gleeson at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on the link between family violence and long-term brain trauma, following the recent findings of the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in two women who had experienced decades of intimate partner violence. https://lnkd.in/gg2UbNZd

"[Prevention in Practice] created a sound foundation for the primary prevention workforce. Feeling I belong to part of the field of practice/expertise is great." - Past training participant Safe and Equal’s Prevention in Practice training supports practitioners at any stage of their careers to strengthen their shared understanding, connect with other practitioners and bolster their professional toolkits with the resources, tools and frameworks to mobilise communities and workplaces for change. 📅 6 & 13 August 2024 ⏲️ 10 am - 4 pm 💻 Online via Zoom 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gZNKzubd

Safe and Equal is committed to meaningful allyship and upholding self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge and respect the resistance and sovereignty of Aboriginal communities, and their enduring connection to Country.    We are proud to support NAIDOC Week each year, and in particular year’s theme: ‘Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud & Proud.’ This theme celebrates the strength and spirit of First Nations communities and invites us all to stand in solidarity and amplify the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.    As a non-Aboriginal peak body, we have a responsibility to address all forms of racism and discrimination that create barriers to support and safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, both within our organisation and across the family violence sector. As part of this work, we are dedicated to learning from and celebrating the cultures and identities of the First Peoples of these lands.    For more information on NAIDOC Week 2024, including events in your area, visit www.naidoc.org.au. 

If you work in gender equality or primary prevention of violence against women then you’ve most likely experienced backlash and resistance.   Dealing with it comes with the terrain and is a normal part of any social change. That doesn’t mean that figuring out how to navigate resistance isn’t challenging, and sometimes a bit scary.   Our training will give you the confidence to respond to resistance when it arises. Don't let resistance stop you on your mission to prevent violence against women and achieve gender equality.   Creating behavioural change is at the heart of this work and it’s no easy feat!We’ve purposely designed our training program to support and equip you with the strategies and tools you’ll need.   📅 Thursday 25 July 2024 ⏲️ 10 am - 4 pm 💻 Online via Zoom 👉Register here: https://lnkd.in/gUvPJ3dr