Preventing family violence with women’s health services

More Victorians will be trained in preventing family violence with new funding to teach people how to call out sexism and create gender equality policies in schools, health services, councils and workplaces.

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams has announced $1.2 million to support 12 women’s health services across the state.

The funding to the 12 services will help promote gender equity, deliver bystander training to call out sexism, develop toolkits and support creation of gender equality policies in health services, councils, schools and community groups.

It will support nine regional and three statewide women’s health services – Women’s Health Victoria, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health and Women with Disabilities Victoria.

Family violence is a national emergency, with one woman killed at the hands of a current or former partner every week. It is the leading cause of death, disability and illness in Victorian women aged 15 to 44 years.

The Andrews Labor Government established an Australian-first Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2014 and has since invested more than $2.7 billion to implement all 227 recommendations made.