What price do we put on a life? That was the question posed by a family violence survivor at a community forum in Kyneton on Friday.
Woodend’s Belinda Spence was among more than 50 people who took part in the forum, held as part of the state government’s month-long Victoria Against Violence campaign.
Counsellors, teachers, students and MPs, including Family Violence Prevention Minister Fiona Richardson and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, were also involved in the event, titled Let’s Talk About Respect. Ms Spence said it was a good chance to dispel myths about the problem that affected thousands of Victorian women every day.
‘‘It’s not always physical: in my case it was emotional abuse, control and isolation,’’ she said.
Ms Spence said that when her former partner, who has since died, couldn’t get to her he stalked her on social media and even killed her daughter’s pets.
The forum, which also involved senior police and Centre for Non-Violence chief executive Margaret Augerinos, heard that family violence was a problem affecting people across the community and not restricted to certain neighbourhoods or socio-economic groups.
Survivors and experts said continuing to eliminate inequality between men and women could help solve the problem.
“Gender inequality and poor attitudes towards women are one of the key underlying causes of family violence,” Ms Richardson said.
More emergency housing needed
Ms Spence said emergency housing needed major investment.
‘‘Every day, the places in Bendigo are full, the places in Melbourne are full,’’ Ms Spence said. ‘‘There’s just nowhere for women escaping family violence to go. Funding has to stop being an excuse.’’
Also on Friday, organisations helping schools teach students about healthy relationships were given a boost, with Ms Richardson announcing a $100,000 program during a visit to Gisborne.
Run in conjunction with the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, the Partners in Prevention program will support a pilot initiative being run at schools, including Gisborne and Kyneton secondary colleges.
Education Minister James Merlino, who joined Ms Richardson for a tour of Gisborne Secondary College, said schools would get help to teach young people how to foster safe relationships.
The Gisborne and Kyneton schools are among 19 involved in a trial that will be used to develop a program to be rolled out for prep to year 10 students across the state from next year.
