PreventX: Messaging for a movement will look at one of the fundamentals of primary prevention: how we craft and deliver messages that shift hearts and minds to deliver long-term and sustainable social change to prevent family and gender-based violence. 

A key to successful primary prevention messaging is engaging people’s deeply held values to motivate action. We need messages that address the drivers of violence against women, and the multiple and intersecting forms of power and oppression that affect so many communities. We need messages that shift attitudes, stereotypes and behaviours so that family and gender-based violence are no longer a part of our reality. 

Crafting powerful messages is a skill and practice that sits at the heart of prevention. We need messages that speak to evidence of what drives violence, and engages with deeply held values in all our campaigns, communications, advocacy, policy and our programs delivered out into all places where people live, work, learn and play. In addition, we need to focus on messaging in order to respond effectively to resistance and backlash and ensure ongoing and increased investment from state and Commonwealth governments in primary prevention. 

This PreventX conference will bring a fresh focus on how to frame and communicate primary prevention at every level of the socio-ecological model – individual, community, organisational and institutional and systemic. Drawing from extensive work related to values-based messaging, effective campaigns, grassroots mobilising and advocacy, this PreventX will showcase and build knowledge about how to craft messages that resonate and effect change.  

Effective messaging for advocacy will also be crucial as we move forward with a new National Action Plan and a post-Royal Commission era in Victoria. For prevention policy and investment, we need persuasive, relevant and meaningful messages that will ensure government action to truly end violence for all people, in a generation.