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“I’m not free when any woman is unfree, even if her shackles are very different from my own,” Audre Lorde

On Thursday 27 February, expert panellists Hana Assafiri, Adele Murdolo, Julie Kun and Sue-Ann Hunter joined moderator Tania Farha (link to profiles) to discuss Gender-Based Violence and Community Action. These passionate women generously gave their time to build our understanding of this pressing issue.

The event was possible thanks to sponsors Canva, which hosted us in their super-cool Collingwood office, and Fernwood Fitness. We were superbly fed by Free to Feed, a Melbourne-based social enterprise that creates employment opportunities for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. As usual, the buzz of warm connection filled the room.

Shifts in the Landscape: A Message of Hope

The evening began and ended with messages of hope. While hopelessness dominates newsfeeds, our panel laid out the nuanced reality. Significant reforms, increased attention, higher rates of reporting and more funding have brought support to many. Gaps remain, particularly within communities facing enduring racism and sexism. Our panel explored progress, threats and opportunities.

Barriers to Change

Deeply entrenched biases impact marginalized women’s lives daily. Whether it’s within the health system or the very services that are meant to support women fleeing violence, structural inequities form barriers to enduring change and protection.

Despite good intentions behind new frameworks and policies, projects may be abandoned at the next political cycle if they lack accountability, evaluation and meaningful, committed funding. Crisis intervention, while essential, is insufficient. Women in danger deserve long-term solutions that offer the financial sustainability they require to be free of unsafe environments.

Piecemeal policy change does not address systemic issues. Modest increases in benefits and anti-racist laws are useful steps, but on their own, cannot provide adequate protection. Systemic oppression – manifesting as racism, sexism and discrimination against people with disabilities – silently undermine efforts to create a truly inclusive, just society.

Reimagining Men’s Role in Gender Equality

Blaming men in general isn’t useful. Too often, perpetrators have been influenced by social norms which require awareness and change. Instead, better to engage men in, and raise their awareness of, solutions for ending violence.

Taking Action: Where To from Here?

Despite tough challenges, there is hope. Our panellists emphasized the importance of community-driven solutions. Grassroots programs that provide truly equal access to all women who experience gender-based violence, and address ways for men to perceive and approach their interactions with women differently, have impact. Through our collective efforts to support programs like these, we can help bridge the gaps, support those in need, and drive systemic change.