It is profoundly challenging to speak of prevention in the face of regular and heart-wrenching reports detailing violent incidents within our communities—incidents where women are harmed and murdered by men they know, trust, and love. These reports are painful reminders of the urgent relevance of our mission to address men’s violence against women. Yet it does not capture the whole story.
As the CEO of a women’s health service based in the Southern Metropolitan Region, I am deeply embedded in the day-to-day realities of primary prevention, of stopping men’s violence before it starts.
Every day, I work alongside a team of skilled professionals dedicated to dismantling the intersecting barriers to wellness and safety in our communities. Our collective efforts are part of a larger narrative—a systemic push across Victoria to transform how we address gender-based violence.
Reports such as those commissioned by the Victorian Women’s Health Services, “Return on Equity” and “Small Change, Big Impact“, serve as beacons of success. They illustrate how deeply-rooted values can translate into effective prevention strategies, reflecting a commitment to safety, equality, and well-being. These initiatives prove that collaborative, values-driven approaches can create safer environments for women.
Our approach is rooted in proactive community engagement. Whether its improving equity of our health system, to helping local councils change their policies to improve access that men have to parental leave, holding workshops on reframing prevention to focus on perpetration, to supporting newly arrived migrant women to talk about their health, to working with youth workers to build their capacity to teach young people about active consent, or facilitating long term partnerships of 30 organisations to work towards a shared vision of preventing family violence including local community campaigns, every moment of our work prevents violence against women.
By prioritising prevention, we not only safeguard our community but also secure substantial economic benefits, evidenced by the $600 million saved annually across the state. These savings attest to the profound impact of our preventive measures, which extend far beyond immediate effects, fostering long-term benefits for societal well-being and equality. Notably, the state has seen a substantial reduction in violence against women, with almost 22,000 fewer women experiencing physical and/or sexual violence annually compared to the national average.
Our initiatives range from tailored community projects addressing local needs to broader programs that enhance mental health and reproductive healthcare. These efforts are meticulously designed to create safer, more respectful environments, advancing gender equality through strategic engagement and capacity building. This work is crucial as it forms part of a larger system of activities aimed at altering the prevailing narrative around violence and promoting widespread community change.
To ensure the effectiveness of our initiatives, we employ a rigorous evaluation framework. This is not just a tool for measurement—it’s a cornerstone of our strategy, ensuring that our actions are evidence-based and lead to real, measurable outcomes. This commitment to transparency and accountability allows us to continuously refine our approaches and demonstrate the validity of our methods.
Collaboration is at the heart of our success. Our network includes government bodies, nonprofits, and other community organizations, each bringing unique insights and strengths. This collaborative spirit enriches our strategies and ensures they are comprehensive and responsive to the diverse needs of our community.
For instance, as the media is becoming now aware, the field of violence prevention, our national plan and policy frameworks have seen an increasing focus on the need to engage men in prevention. As primary prevention experts who have been doing this work for decades, we know with others in our field, that when men and boys try to conform or feel pressure to conform to some traditional masculine norms, they are more likely than other men to consider suicide, avoid help-seeking, assault and rape women, assault other men. Primary prevention supports strategic partnership work to shift entrenched masculine cultures of sexism and stoicism and to end gendered violence. My organisation is part of that change.
Looking at the progress we have made, it’s clear that the journey towards eradicating gender-based violence is ongoing and demands unwavering commitment and collective action. The achievements of our service—and indeed services across Victoria—highlight the critical need for continued support and investment in prevention strategies.
The confronting images on our screens and daily news, just reinforce our resolve to not only continue but to intensify our preventive efforts. We are committed to transforming the societal norms that perpetuate such violence and ensuring that safety and respect are non-negotiable in all relationships.
As we move forward, our efforts serve as a blueprint for effective community engagement in public health. By advocating for and investing in primary prevention, we are not just responding to men’s violence; we are working to prevent it before it starts. This approach is integral to a broader effort to change the narrative around gender-based violence, aiming to build safer, more equitable communities for all. Together, we can lead this change, ensuring that our community—and communities everywhere—can thrive in safety and equality.
Our work is a call to action. It is a reminder of the power of collective effort and the importance of sustained commitment. Together, we can continue to lead the change, ensuring that our community—and communities everywhere—can thrive in safety and equality.