Jenan Taylor
11 November 2024
Melbourne Anglicans hope to signal to the community that churches can be part of the solution when it comes to preventing violence against women during an upcoming global initiative.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign aims to raise awareness about gendered violence and call for an end to it.
Holy Trinity Hampton Park will be among other Melbourne diocese parishes hoping to make a difference through participating in the campaign.
Vicar the Reverend Argho Biswas said the church’s City of Casey local government area had a high rate of family violence, and it was important that Holy Trinity responded to this.
“There is a need for a responsible response, and it matters that the community knows the church is not dormant, but very active about this,” Mr Biswas said.
He said Holy Trinity would display a billboard throughout the initiative so that people would know the church was a space that stood for their safety, and feel encouraged to participate.
Mr Biswas said he was a part of an ecumenical group of church ministers in Hampton Park and hoped to encourage them to also get their members involved.
He said Holy Trinity members would participate in the annual Walk against Family Violence during the campaign, and would be trained about the issue in the near future.
Read more: Churches can protect against harm, national gender violence conference told
Figures from Counting Dead Women researchers show 59 women in Australia were killed by men by early November, and homicide figures revealed that Indigenous women were disproportionately affected.
The high levels of violence led to widespread protests and rallies calling for culture change to better address the matter, this year.
Melbourne diocese Prevention of Violence Against Women program manager Kerryn Lewis said the campaign was an opportunity to show support for victims and survivors.
Ms Lewis said the Walk Against Family Violence presented a chance to be united as a diocese on the problem.
She said participants would hear from speakers and get to chat to people from other churches about how Christians could make a difference for the safety of women together.
“If many people across the diocese get involved in just one activity each, together we are showing support for people affected by this issue and making a difference,” Ms Lewis said.
She said there was also a prayer guide for churches, an ecumenical service of lament, and other initiatives for people who wanted to be involved in the campaign.
Walk Against Family Violence participants are invited to meet on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral at 10.30am on Friday 22 November. To find out more, see here.
To find out about the ecumenical service of lament to be held at Wesley Mission at 5.00pm on Thursday 28 November, see here.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December. For further information, see here.
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