16 Days of Activism Walk 2023

Published on 31 October 2023

This year on 29 November, Murrindindi Shire Council and Mitchell Shire Council will be co-hosting and participating in a walk against family violence. The shared community walk is aimed at raising awareness of family violence, building knowledge of local support services, as well as demonstrating the strong stance we have as a community against violence.

It is your chance to show your support during the 16 Days of Activism campaign for action towards violence against women. We would like to invite members of the community to participate in the walk with us. Group transport will be arranged free of charge.

Details:

• Where: Free bus departing 28 Perkins Street, Alexandra.
• When: 9.00 am 29 November.

The event and walk will commence at 10.00 am at GoTafe in Seymour (Loco Street), with the bus departing from Seymour (back to Alexandra) at approximately 1.00 pm. The walk will commence and conclude at Goulburn Park with a community BBQ, stalls of support services and other activities and goodies available on the day.

What is the 16 Days of Activism?

16 Days of Activism is a campaign that calls for action against one of the world's most persistent violations of human rights - violence against women. It's a global campaign that begins on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and finishes on 10 December (World Human Rights Day). These dates were chosen to highlight the links between violence against women with human rights issues - violence (in any form) is a violation of human rights.

Why is it important?

Violence against women is any act of gender-based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of harm or coercion in public or private life. In Australia, the most unsafe place for a woman, is her own home. Women are at greater risk of family, domestic and sexual violence than men - and they are more likely to know the perpetrator (often their current or a previous partner) and the violence usually takes place in their home. Men experience violence too, but are more likely to experience violence from strangers in a public place. One in five women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a current or former cohabiting partner. It amounts to one police call out every two minutes and on average, in Australia, one woman is murdered per week by a current or former partner.

Acknowledgement

In 2023, Respect Victoria and Safe and Equal are working together to support local community engagement with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Murrindindi Shire Council has been funded under Respect Victoria's 16 Days of Activism grassroots initiative.