Elspeth Kernebone
7 December 2023
Leaders have called on more churches to sign up for programs to prevent violence against women, as the Melbourne diocese pushes for change during the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.
The program hopes to expand its support into more churches during 2024 and grow its training offerings for multicultural churches.
The 16 Days of Activism is an international movement to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls, which affects one in three women worldwide.
Read more: Cultural diversity, whole-of-parish focus as diocese steps up anti-violence plans
Preventing Violence Against Women Program manager Kerryn Lewis said the time was a chance for the Melbourne diocese to show it was part of the solution in the prevention of violence against women by showing its involvement and leadership.
During the 16 days, diocese Preventing Violence Against Women representatives have marched in Melbourne’s Walk Against Family Violence, organised a special Evensong, a social media campaign, distributed a prayer guide and will run a tour of family violence support service Orange Door.
Ms Lewis said the events allowed the Melbourne diocese program to engage with the sector, raising awareness and leading to opportunities to share about its work.
She said it was also a way of letting people on the ground know that churches were a place they could come to get help.
Ms Lewis said the period was also a call to action, saying the Preventing Violence Against Women program wanted more churches signed on to the whole of church approach.
She said asked people to step forward to take this on, saying leadership could come from anywhere in the church.
Read more: Chance for churches to improve violence response, prevention
“We want to make their churches safe for everyone, and also a place people can come to if they need help,” Ms Lewis said.
“We want our churches to be positive safe environments for women and everyone, so [that means] creating cultural change that supports the prevention of violence against women, and [being] a place that can respond if someone is in crisis or needs supports.”
Ms Lewis said as the Preventing Violence Against Women program gained momentum, involvement in the 16 Days of Activism had grown.
She said her dreams for the program was to get more Melbourne churches signed on to the program and supported by the communities of practice, and to continue growth in the program for culturally and linguistically diverse churches.
Ms Lewis said PVAW had a training day on 23 January for clergy from multicultural backgrounds to experience violence prevention training, and give feedback on how it could be tailored for their cultural group.
The 16 Days of Activism is an international movement to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
The period runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until December 10, which is Human Rights Day.
If you or someone you love needs confidential information, counselling or support contact 1800 RESPECT.
To sign up to Preventing Violence Against Women program newsletters visit bit.ly/PVAWnewsletter.
To sign up for the multicultural training day, visit: trybooking.com/events/landing/1148580.
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