Macedon Ranges Shire Council

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council organised, supported and partnered on a series of events and activities aimed at raising awareness and promoting gender equality as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign in 2023. The campaign featured film screenings, a community walk, a multicultural lunch, and the creation of educational resources to engage the community and foster conversations about resilience and gender equality.

They share some of their highlights and learnings below.

• General public
• Local community members
• Local sports clubs
• Families with young children
• Multicultural communities
• Gender equality advocates

• Two film screenings were delivered by local community/health organisations in partnership with Council. The first was The Fort, led by The Zonta Club of Kyneton, which addressed themes of family violence and coercive control and sparked meaningful discussions among attendees. The second was Equal the Contest, a documentary on gender equality in sports led by Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health in collaboration with Women’s Health Loddon Mallee. This was followed by community conversations on inclusion and breaking gender barriers to participation in sports.
• A community Walk Against Family Violence led by Council with support from the Centre for Non-Violence and The Orange Door and featuring guest speaker Dr Niki Vincent, Gender Equality Commissioner for Victoria. This was followed by community conversations that highlighted the connection between gender equality and the prevention of family violence. View a video story of the event here.
• A multicultural lunch on the last day of the campaign, bringing together diverse community members, promoting resilience and gender equality. This was delivered by the Regional Victorians of Colour, using grant funding provided through Council’s Community grants program.
• The development of Early Years focused resource hubs with picture books, art resources and activities to support conversations and learning around gender equality, respect and inclusion.

“The main learning for me was the strength of working in partnership with other organisations/groups. This allowed us to reach a wider audience and to explore a range of themes that would not have been possible if we were working alone. This also helped to open up new opportunities to extend on these events for future campaigns.”

– Melissa Telford, Free From Violence Project Officer.