Kempsey Shire Council have once again partnered with Kempsey Families this year to promote the message of ending gender-based violence.
Each year between 25 November and 10 December, the United Nations champions their international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, challenging violence against women and girls.
Nearly one in three women aged 15 years or older around the world have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. On average, in Australia, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.
These figures are as confronting as they are alarming, and this is why the 2021 theme is ‘Orange the World: End violence against women now!’
A global issue like this can seem overwhelming, however we can all make some impact to prevent it, and eventually eliminate it.
During the lockdowns due to Coronavirus there was also a ‘shadow pandemic’ of domestic violence. One Queensland university study found that most domestic family violence service providers saw a surge in demand, and nearly half said their clients reported an increase in controlling behaviours.
By not turning a blind eye to actions that we all know are wrong, by calling out stereotypes and stigmas regarding gender-based violence in our community, we can really start to tackle this issue. Victims are not just a number. They are people with families, friends, dreams and careers.
So, between 25 November and 10 December, let’s orange our worlds. Wear orange clothes, decorate your space orange. Even your virtual space. Let’s get talking about this issue and those alarming statistics.
Council are once again proudly displaying the banners supplied by Kempsey Families which feature the artwork of two students from local Kempsey High Schools created through the Love Bites Healthy Relationships in Schools Program and sharing the messages of the campaign.
