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Women's Health Grampians Newsletter
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A Big Year
As 2016 draws to an end we can certainly look back on a quite remarkable year in terms of advancements in our areas of focus – in particular with the Report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence and the launch of the Victorian Gender Equality Strategy. The implementation of the Royal Commission reforms is well underway, a 10 year plan has been released and the Prevention Strategy is in development. The GE strategy is only one week old but holds great potential for progress in many areas. Meanwhile we have seen great success more locally with the launch of the CoRE Plan and strengthening of the family violence sector through increased resourcing. While this is all so very welcome, it must be recognised that it has created a significantly increased workload! We approach the Christmas break feeling quite weary but will return re-energised and ready for what 2017 brings!
I want to particularly thank the professional and dedicated staff of WHG and the Board for their great commitment.
All of us at Women’s Health Grampians would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our partners, supporters and members a safe and wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
WHG will be closed from midday, Friday 23rd December 2016 and will re-open at 9am, Tuesday 3rd January, 2017.
Marianne Hendron, CEO, Women's Health Grampians
#16Days of Activism Almost 6 months to the day since the Communities of Respect and Equality (CoRE) Plan was launched, our Celebration of Local Action event took place in Ballarat on 29 November, and was attended by over 100 people from across the Grampians region. Held in partnership with the Central Highlands Family Violence Committee as part of the 16 Days of Activism, Victoria against Violence initiative, the event marked our achievement of having 50 organisations signed up and committed to the CoRE Plan.
Members were presented with commemorative certificates by Ms Sharon Knight, Member for Wendouree, and photographed for the occasion. We heard experiences of four regional workplaces in the implementation of prevention of violence against women strategies and also launched a suite of great resources to support ongoing work. These include the Taking Action video, Taking Action Guide, a Local Stories booklet and a guide to Gender and Local Planning *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*. The event ended with the surprise announcement of a new $2.7 million grants program for community prevention prevention projects! Further details of the resources and grant opportunities have been included in sections below.
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CoRE Member in the Spotlight: Handy Girl Australia
We were proud to see a story highlighting the work of one of our CoRE members featured on the new Victorian Government website aimed at improving the lives of women and achieving gender equality.
Handy Girl Australia (Director Kim Halbert Pere is pictured right) encourages women to pick up tools *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*and claim non-traditional jobs around the home in the hope of changing the way our children see the world they live in. They believe equality is important and gender shouldn’t be the defining factor of determining what women and girls should do. Handy Girl Australia is a great example of how a business can embody the CoRE vision! *|END:IF|*
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Due to high demand for a session exploring how to engage different population groups, we are delighted to welcome keynote speaker Dr. Michael Salter, University of Western Sydney, an expert in the intersections between gender, *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* violence and culture, and also a lead researcher in best-practice for engaging men and boys in prevention initiatives. To eliminate gender based violence we need to work collaboratively to change harmful attitudes and behaviours towards women. Men and boys in particular need to be agents of change alongside feminists. It should be a great event! *|END:IF|*
Updates across the region
Staffing Update
At the end of this month we will say a fond farewell to two valued staff members, Kate Souter, who many will know, has been with WHG since 2010, and has worked in various roles including the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) Program and has been the Regional Consultant for the Grampians Pyrenees region *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*in the recent past. She has delivered Act@Work and Gender Equality training to many groups across the region and supported the CoRE members coming on board. We wish Kate all the best for what her future holds.
Carolynne Hamdorf has been the face of WHG in the Wimmera region for the past 16 months and has helped raise our profile significantly through her delivery of Act@Work, training of co-facilitators, supporting the work of CoRE and coordinating Maree Crabbe workshops. We thank Carolynne and wish her well in her new role with the Wimmera Mallee Regional Partnership.
We welcome Shiree Pilkinton to the team in the exciting new Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities and Prevention of Violence Against Women Project in conjunction with the City of Ballarat. Shiree comes with a strong background in working with CALD communities especially through her work with Centre for Multicultural Youth and we look forward to the project unfolding in coming months.
We also welcome two new staff based in the Wimmera – Annette Jones who will be based in Edenhope at West Wimmera Shire Council and Melissa Morris, on secondment from Horsham Rural City Council for 7 months, who will be based at the HRCC office in Natimuk. Melissa and Annette will between them continue the work of delivering Act@Work to local councils and other workplaces and support CoRE members across the region. Welcome aboard! *|END:IF|*
Regional: Central Highlands
Hepburn Shire Council recently established its White Ribbon Committee and held their first White Ribbon Day Breakfast on 24 November. Keynote speaker, Brad Sewell of Hawthorn Football Club, shared what the AFL is doing to combat gender-based violence through education programs and players leadership to change culture around women. WHG were proud to attend, setting up an information stand to share resources to help networks, clubs, and *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* workplaces to get involved in promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women.
Importantly the day also inducted the Hepburn Shire Council’s White Ribbon Ambassadors. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this diverse group will have on preventing gender-based violence in the local community.
Ballarat White Ribbon Committee hosted its annual White Ribbon Day Breakfast to raise awareness of violence against women. It was great to see St Patricks Pavilion packed with over 90 people in attendance. Keynote speaker, Shaun Maloney, has been actively involved with White Ribbon since 2010, an ambassador and Ballarat and Clarendon College Committee leader, Shaun also played 200 games with the North Ballarat Rooster's during their most successful period captaining the team to three VFL premierships. He has quite a connection to the local community through sport and is a great advocate for promoting equality.
 
Act@Work & DELWP Loddon Mallee WHG and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee came together to pilot Act@Work for the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) in Loddon Mallee, an extension of our work with DELWP in the Grampians region. WHLM have enthusiastically come on board to deliver the program in Bendigo, Swan Hill and Mildura, capturing over 180 staff in an amazing opportunity to challenge sexism, discrimination and gender based violence. DELWP Loddon Mallee has completed leadership briefings and held several action group meetings. We look forward to hearing how things progress in the new year.
For more information or support in this region, please contact Dee Micevski at dee@whg.org.au or 5322 4100. *|END:IF|*
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Regional: Grampians Pyrenees
25 November, White Ribbon Day, is also known as the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women. Grampians Community Health received a grant from the Victorian Government to promote ‘Victoria Against Violence’ with a community event at the Stawell Town Hall.
Local advocate Danielle Jenkins gave a personal account of her experience of violence over years*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* at the hands of her partner, followed by speakers from GCH Family Violence Program, Victoria Police, Central Highlands Community Legal Centre and Women's Health Grampians.
WHG provided examples of how to be active bystanders against gender inequality and highlighted how community attitudes play a key role in any kind of culture change. It was a powerful evening in a beautiful room with a great feeling of support for action.
Farewell from Kate Initially lacking in confidence so severely I was unable to speak at our AGM for 1 minute without knocking knees and trembling lower lip, I can now run training sessions or give presentations and even enjoy it! For such a tiny organisation, WHG has given me so much. A broader knowledge of the inequities women face on a societal scale. Individual responsibility is a tiny part of the way we find ourselves positioned in our communities.
I feel very proud of the No Interest Loan Scheme that I coordinated for 5 years assisting about 170 women and their children along the way to the next step of safety and financial independence.
The positioning of WHG in the political landscape is unique and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been part of this learning environment coupled with a passionate team of professional (and fun!) women.
I have enjoyed being part of some strong networks of men and women that actually contribute to achieving change and inspiring others to jump on board!
The climate is changing and women’s voices are louder than ever, none louder than mine when I’m on the phone in the open plan office though. Thanks for everything. Kate
For more information or support in this region, please contact 5322 4100. *|END:IF|*
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Regional: Wimmera
Rural Northwest Health and Yarriambiack Shire Council have now completed their Act@Work training and have action teams developing plans to progress gender and diversity outcomes in their workplaces.
All Wimmera Councils will benefit from a successful submission made by HRCC to the Municipal Association Victoria’s PVAW grants to improve staff awareness, capacity and knowledge of PVAW, unconscious bias and active bystander responses. In preparation for each council undertaking Act@Work in 2017,*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* leadership briefings have been scheduled for Horsham Rural City Council, Hindmarsh Shire Council and soon to be finalised West Wimmera Shire Council.
We also look forward to commencing Act@Work training with Wimmera Uniting Care in 2017.
Wimmera CORE Members, Kevin O’Brien, Wendy Sturgess, Jo-anne Bates, attended the first planning meeting for a ‘Leading Change’ event to be held in Horsham in 2017. We look forward to announcing the dates, venue and speakers early next year.
Following the great interest in our Maree Crabbe’s ‘Young People and Porn’ workshop hosted in Dimboola in October, we were delighted to see a further session initiated by West Grampians Student Support Services for Department of Education and Training staff on 1 December in Horsham.
We have continued to promote Family Planning Victoria’s Professional Learning workshops to our school networks, thank you to those who attended the most recent Relationships & Sexuality Education: A Whole-School Approach session on the 29 November in Horsham.
Farewell from Carolynne I will be finishing up in my role as the WHG’s Wimmera Regional Consultant on 23 December. WHG has recently undergone recruitment to replace this position and we Iook forward to seeing the work continue to grow and address the drivers of gender inequity. I would like to wish my co-workers, partner organisations and friends all the very best in their endeavours to make a positive difference in the PVAW & GE space. I will be commencing a full time role with Regional Development Victoria as the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership Coordinator, so I am sure I will continue to cross paths with many of you, albeit wearing a different hat.
For more information or support in this region, please contact Carolynne Hamdorf, Annette Jones or Melissa Morris. *|END:IF|*
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WHG AGM & 25th Anniversary
Our AGM and 25th birthday held in November was a great success with approximately 80 members and supporters in attendance to hear our engaging guest speakers, Mary Delahunty and Clementine Ford (pictured top right), who led a stimulating discussion around the role of the media in progressing gender equality, the role of social media and what potentially lies ahead for women of the next generation. Feedback on the forum has been very positive with some of the more provocative ideas and comments still being discussed in our office and elsewhere – it’s good to be challenged in our thinking!
We also thanked and farewelled Debra Gillick and Melanie Albrecht from the Board and were delighted to welcome three new members Amy, April and Rachel. The full Board is now: Amy Rhodes, April Ure, Katherine Cape, Katherine Gillespie, Marita Toohey, Leeanne Greenwood, Jo Millard, Rachel Whittaker and Talei Deacon
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New Project in the Prevention of Violence against Women in CALD Communities
Women’s Health Grampians together with the City of Ballarat is undertaking a prevention project with the purpose of ‘Strengthening the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities by Preventing Violence against Women’. The experience of violence against women occurs across all communities and can vary enormously. However, certain groups of women are more vulnerable to this violence because of the risk factors they are exposed to. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Members of our CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities are known to be at greater risk and their experiences are compounded by factors of migration and resettlement, as well as social barriers to seeking and getting help.
The CALD population of Ballarat is growing quickly and we see the opportunity to develop an innovative project where there is little attention currently. Project funding has been received from the Local Government Preventing Violence Against Women Grant Program, which is funded through the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Victorian State Government. The new program intends to increase the ability of local government to engage and lead community action for the prevention of violence against women and the promotion of gender equality in CALD communities, who are widely accepted to be at higher risk than the general population.
For more information please contact the project worker, Shiree Pilkinton (pictured) on shiree@whg.org.au or ph 5322 4100 *|END:IF|*
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Official Launch Victorian Gender Equality Strategy
On 5 December Women's Health Grampians, Dee Micesvki, attended the launch of first Victorian Gender Equality Strategy. The strategy has been a long anticipated and we applaud the Victorian Government’s initiative to lead the way for the rest of the nation. At the launch Minister for Women and Prevention of Family Violence, Fiona Richardson, announced the Government has set aside $9 million for gender equality initiatives in the 2016-17 budget with *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* reforms and initiatives including:
- A Gender Equality Act
- A new agency dedicated to preventing family violence before it starts
- Reviewing laws against sexist advertising and gender based hate speech
- Gender audits across government and the public sector to create inclusive and flexible workplaces
- Scholarships to encourage young and emerging women leaders
- Gender equality programs in grassroots sporting clubs
The strategy considers six key settings for early action: Education and Training, Work and Economic Security, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Leadership and Representation, Sport and Recreation as well as Media, Arts and Culture.
Premier Daniel Andrews has said “gender inequality isn’t just happening in our homes. It’s happening in our workplaces, in our school yards, on our television screens and on our sporting fields. As a state, we must stand together and commit ourselves to a better future.”
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Funding Opportunity: Community Partnerships for Primary Prevention Grants Program
The Victorian Government has set aside $2.7 million funding for community organisations to make women safer and stronger in their homes and workplaces. Programs working to prevent violence against women in local communities are eligible to apply for grants up to $150,000 http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/funding-to-stop-family-violence-in-local-communities/
CoRE Taking Action Infographic: This new three minute video provides an overview of CoRE with easy to understand examples of how organisations can get involved and take action to prevent violence against women in our region.
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CoRE Gender in Local Planning: New publication providing an overview of using gendered data and gender analysis in local planning to meet current and future needs of local residents, both men and women.
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CoRE Local Stories: New publication providing an overview of how local organisations in the Grampians are taking action to end violence against women and their children. Organisations share what enabled their work, how they overcame challenges and what they have learned along the way.
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Unconscious Bias Community of Practice Discussion Paper: This new discussion paper summarises the findings and outcomes of our most recent Grampians Community of Practice in Preventing Violence against Women. The report features an overview of Unconscious Bias by Dr Victor Sojo of Melbourne University.
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Sexual & Reproductive Health
SRH NewsCondom Vending Machines
We applaud the news that Hindmarsh Shire Council has agreed to place eight condom vending machines in male and female public toilets at Jeparit, Nhill, Rainbow and Dimboola. The scheme which will run as trial for two years is a bid to provide everyone with accessible protection from unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Great to see Hindmarsh Shire Youth Councillors proposing the idea as a way to overcome embarrassment or stigma *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
surrounding access to contraception. As well as the community support shown by West Wimmera Health Service.*|END:IF|*
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SRH Research
WHG is very pleased to announce we have appointed Melbourne University to lead research into the referral practices for unplanned pregnancies in the Grampians Pyrenees and Wimmera regions. Associate Professor Louise Keogh and Dr Danielle Newton from the Gender and Women’s Health Unit, both come with extensive research experience in women's sexual health and reproductive rights. This project, *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* which is funded by the Victorian Women’s Benevolent Fund, is led by WHG in partnership with Western Victoria Primary Health Network, and will receive advice from a steering committee made up of health professionals from the catchment. Assoc. Prof Keogh and Dr Newton, who work at the Gender and Women’s Health Unit at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, have a strong background and expertise in research in gender and sexuality, women’s health and reproductive rights. We very much look forward to working with them on this important area which will inform planning for improved access to services for women in the Grampians region. Please do not hesitate to contact our CEO, Marianne Hendron or Shannon Hill if you have any questions. *|END:IF|*
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In recent news, leading women's health researcher Louise Keogh stated fears that publicly funded abortion services have deteriorated across Victoria, causing women to travel long distances for private care that can cost hundreds of dollars. Louise will be working with WHG on research into the experience of GPs referring and providing abortion services across our region.
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SRH Training and EventsAnnouncing 2017 Family Planning Scholarship Opportunities
Family Planning Victoria is pleased to offer a final round of education opportunities for health professionals working within Local Government Areas where populations are most at need of reproductive and sexual health care. Scholarships will be available for courses up until 30 June. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*We are seeking applications for the following scholarships:
For information on how to apply read more *|END:IF|*
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Deakin University Research Study Calling for Participants
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Employment Opportunity: Women's Empowerment Program Manager
Are you passionate about advancing the rights of women with disabilities?
Women with Disabilities Victoria is looking for a Women's Empowerment Program Manager to provide program management to all aspects of the WDV's Women's Empowerment Program. Applications close 9am 19 December 2016. For further information read more
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