Preventing violence in our community
Maroondah City Council is committed to preventing all forms of violence, including family/partner violence, child abuse, parental, carer, elder and sexual abuse before it occurs, by focusing on gender equality. Council is committed to working towards a community where everyone is safe, valued and enjoys equity of opportunity and outcomes.
The link between violence, unequal relationships and gender equality
Family violence is a serious issue in our community, with research showing a strong association between sexist attitudes, unequal relationships and the perpetration of violence.
In 2021/22 Maroondah Police responded to 1,385 callouts for family violence. In Victoria, one in 50 children witnessed a police recorded family violence incident in 2018/2019.
While anyone can experience family/domestic violence, it is predominantly committed by men against women, children and other vulnerable persons. Women are at least 6 times more likely than men to be the victim of physical assault by a current or former partner. Furthermore, the rates of family, partner and sexual violence in the LGBTIQA+ community is estimated to be equal to, or higher than that experienced by non-LGBTIQA+ people.
Sadly most incidents of family violence and sexual assault go unreported. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey estimated that only 36 per cent of female victims of physical assault and 19 per cent of female victims of sexual assault in Australia reported the incident to police.
Council initiatives
Council is involved in many initiatives to prevent violence against women in our community, including:
Past initiatives
- Gender equity, family violence and active bystander training for employees, sporting clubs and early childhood educators
- One Million Stars to End Violence project, where more than 5,000 community members and 50 community groups and schools engaged in the project.
- Ask for Angela is a global safety campaign supported by the Maroondah Liquor Accord that promotes safety in licensed venues
- Development of Council’s Gender Equity Policy 2018 and Workplace Equality Project 2020
- Beyond Sparkles and Superheroes gender equality booklist
- and the See Past the Stereotypes series.
Webinar recording
In December 2024 we hosted a 16 Days of Activism webinar: The Start The Conversation: Family Violence Prevention is Everyone’s Business.
The webinar focused on impacts of family violence, support available to those experiencing family violence and key drivers of family violence, such as gender inequality, as well as strategies for preventing family violence.
The webinar was moderated by Patricia Karvelas, a prominent Australian journalist, television and radio host, podcaster, political journalist, and commentator.
The panel of speakers included: Professor JaneMaree Maher from Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research, Sociology, Monash University; Julie-Ann, an advocate with lived experience; and Trent Larkman, a primary prevention and inclusivity educator.
Council supported the event in partnership with Monash City Council and Knox City Council.
You can view a recording of the webinar below.
Further information
For information on these and other Maroondah City Council initiatives, contact Council's Community Development team on 1300 88 22 33, or go to family violence and sexual assault services.