We want to live in a community in which women and girls are safe, equal and respected, and not murdered at a rate of 1 every 4 days. This means including men in the conversations and solutions, and educating boys, and girls, to change attitudes and break cycles. If we all play our part and support one another in this cultural change, we will be safer together.
Women and Children First, a local domestic violence service, has been operating for 49 years on the Northern Beaches. This year they launched their Safer Together program.
A comprehensive program, it aims to reduce and then eliminate Domestic Abuse and Violence through education, awareness, advocacy and community engagement. Its multifaceted approach addresses the vital positive qualities of healthy relationships as well as the root causes of abuse, fostering crucial conversations within communities, businesses, schools, and sporting clubs, uniting efforts to stop abuse before it begins, and offer hope, knowledge and support to those who need it.
Everyone needs to be part of the solution. As men play a pivotal role in modelling positive examples of masculinity, we look at how society expects men and boys to act. By sharing knowledge and understanding we create a platform for boys and men to reflect, talk about their mental health, become emotionally aware and feel confident in their choices.
Topics cover what are healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships; how do they each sound, look and feel for intimate partners and the family dynamic. Tools are provided to improve relationships and other topics can also cover the different kinds of coercive control, technology-facilitated abuse, affirmative consent, and the latest coercive control legislation.
Facilitators lead discussions on the impact of stress and trauma on individuals, from children to adults, and the importance of people’s family of origin, to better understand our patterns in relationships and within ourselves. The aim is to equip everyone to step up and not stand by, providing strategies to build healthy, respectful relationships.
Safer Together sessions are available for workplace, community club, athletic club, corporate and private custom workshops for men, or women and men together.
The Upstander Award program in the Safer Together program is designed to recognise and celebrate youth, particularly boys, but not exclusively, who exemplify upstanding behaviour, respect, inclusivity, compassion, and good character. The program integrates education about respect, gender, and upstander behaviour with positive reinforcement, commendation and celebration.
Upstander awards are presented to nominated youth who show this upstanding behaviour of challenging disrespect and demonstrating respect at the end of each sport season and school year. Unlike a bystander, and upstander acts.
Behavioural change drives societal change and breaks cycles. The program, with award, is offered free of charge to every school across the Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore, and any community or school sport club or team who would like to take part.
We are safer together if we stick together, learn together and change together.
Learn more about the Safer Together program on the Women and Children First website at wacf.org.au