Gannawarra goes orange to call out violence against women 

Published on 21 November 2019

Gannawarra Shire Council is joining municipalities across Victoria to support Respect Victoria’s Respect Women: Call It Out campaign.
 
Following on from participation in the high profile National Stop it at the Start Campaign, Council is again working in partnership with other key local health organisations to lead the conversation in asking residents to call out the drivers of family violence and violence against women.
 
“The Respect Women: Call It Out campaign runs as part of the Victoria-wide 16 Days of Activism, starting on Monday, 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and finishing on Tuesday, 10 December, which is International Human Rights Day,” Mayor Lorraine Learmonth said.
 
As part of the campaign, the annual Gannawarra Goes Orange community pledge ceremony will be held at the Gateway to Gannawarra Visitor Information Centre at Cohuna on Monday, 25 November from 10.30am.
 
Mayor Learmonth will join other residents in pledging to call out any form of violence against women, with festivities to end with a morning tea.
 
“As a society, if we can change the conversation, we can change the culture that enables family violence and violence against women to occur in the first place,” Mayor Learmonth said.
 
The Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign, now in its third year, is a partnership between Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Victoria Police, Mallee Family Care and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.
 
Northern District Community Health, Chief Executive Officer Mandy Hutchinson said that the partnership was working to address family violence throughout the Gannawarra.
 
“Although the calling out of any form of violence against women – which includes acts of physical, sexual, emotional, economic and psychological abuse – is improving, we still have a long way to go,” Ms Hutchinson said.
 
“One way to prevent violence against women from occurring is to continue to raise awareness and educate people in the wider community to call out disrespect towards women. If we call out disrespectful language and behaviour we will have a much more respectful society that is safer for everyone.”
 
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, please phone 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

CAPTION: Mayor Lorraine Learmonth (left) pledged her support to calling out violence against women during the 2018 Gannawarra Goes Orange event.