Sector engagement

There is substantial evidence that violence against women and domestic and family violence (DFV) is driven by gender inequality and other forms of discrimination that give rise to power imbalances3 .

Prevention engages people and communities through the many different environments where they live, work, learn, socialise, and play. These environments are called ‘settings’. Effective prevention requires the coordinated efforts of multiple stakeholders to engage. Throughout the three-year project Council engaged with key sectors in Wagga Wagga, to embed activities that would generate meaningful actions and cultural change. These activities focused on behavioural change and impacts on others and the principles of challenging societal barriers to create action.

3 Family Violence Reform Rolling Action Plan 2020 - 2023, Department of Premier and Cabinet, VIC.

“To change the attitudes and behaviours often ingrained in sport, we need to create programs, which provide learning opportunities and skills that will not only benefit them in their sporting careers, but also in their personal development as community ambassadors.”

Southern Sports Academy Chief Executive Officer, Mark Calverley

Readiness to address gender inequality and DFV

Findings from the Community Attitudes Survey conducted in 2016 indicated that Wagga Wagga was underprepared to address domestic violence4, with an overall score on the Readiness for Change Model, between vague awareness and the preplanning stage. As part of theDVproject:2650, actions to address workplace readiness internally at Council and within key sectors was a priority to ensure there was buy-in, capacity and awareness of primary prevention activities. A set of key principles for engaging with sectors was established. This guided implementation of prevention activities by looking at workplace co-design and readiness.

4 Wagga Stakeholders survey & interviews, Wagga Community Attitudes Survey, 2016.

David Barnhill, William Farrer Hotel Wagga Wagga

Is your organisation ready?

1. Current state of your organisation

Assess the current state and context of your organisation / workplace. Are there already primary prevention activities occurring? Existing activities can be incorporated into a broader equity strategy? E.g. Celebration of key awareness dates like International Women’s Day, workplace surveys assessing culture, or policy guides that include a gender lens.

2. Governance and leadership

Does your organisation have a clear commitment to gender equity in the workplace? Establishing the commitment from your leadership team will influence the scope of primary prevention activities that will occur internally, and how they will be embedded within your organisations values. E.g. Our Watch training is a great place to start for the leadership team, establishing a baseline understanding of violence against women, gender equality and how workplaces can embed change.

3. Be values driven

Does your workplace already have defined organisational values? Leveraging and linking to existing values of your organisation, will help drive positive cultural change towards gender equality. E.g. Incorporating your organisational values, mission statement or goals into activities can promote respect and gender equality internally.

4. Relationships

Does your organisation have any existing, established relationships with potential partners? This may include the sector your organisation is positioned in, and how you build relationships in your community to influence positive prevention activities. E.g. If you are a small business owner, it could be linking in with your local business chamber and networks to share resources from this toolkit with others. This is a proactive action to embedding prevention change in the wider community.

Where to start? Spend time and effort on the discovery and research process, listen and engage in consultations and connect with key stakeholders and organisations. For example, local community organisations that support people from culturally diverse backgrounds and the First Nations community.

5. Start small and build upon it

Depending on the size of your organisation, start with small actions or activities to gain a sense of success, which will keep you inspired to continue and moving forward. E.g. Sharing the education program and having this readily available to staff online or in hard copies, is a small step to increase awareness and education among staff on the foundations of equity and respect.

6. Co-design

Consider a co-design approach to primary prevention activities. Designing and delivering community services in a partnership is a better way to get things done and to really meet people’s needs. E.g. Partnering with a local women’s health centre / group to host an event or similar is a great way to contribute to important social change, creating a shared platform for information and opportunity for the audience.

A cross-sector Steering Committee was established to support and promote the activities of the project, while also committing to implement change and drive advocacy efforts in Wagga Wagga. Through continued support, the focus on primary prevention of domestic and family violence has been incorporated into each Committee member’s business operations and networks, which has been fundamental to the project’s success.

theDVproject:2650 placed particular emphasis on strengthening primary prevention understanding, working in partnership with contacts across a range of sectors and settings in Wagga Wagga.

7. Accountability

Regular monitoring, evaluation and review of your objectives, time frames and milestones will help ensure that your organisation’s commitment to primary prevention activities and gender equity stays on track. E.g. Following implementation, deciding what types of activities will be embedded long-term in the organisation.