Sign up to the challenge

THE City of Casey has encouraged men and women to take the White Ribbon Day stand against gender violence.
The council wants Casey men to show their support to stop violence against women and sign the South East Metropolitan Sub Regional Accord to prevent men’s violence against women.
City of Casey Mayor Mick Morland said the accord would provide a chance for men in the community to help change behaviours and attitudes towards women.
“Men’s involvement in the movement to end violence against women is integral to the achievement of lasting social change,” he said.
“By signing the accord, men pledge to condemn men’s violence against women and commit to personal action to bring about an end to this social problem.
“The pledge is a personal commitment to contribute to making men’s violence against women a thing of the past, so that future generations can grow up in an environment of non-violence, mutual respect and gender equity.”
He added that with a high rate of family violence in Casey, it’s important to sign this pledge and be part of the White Ribbon Campaign – one of the largest global male-led movements to stop violence against women.
The council sought to tackle the problem locally through a Challenge Family Violence Project which was launched in March last year.
The $60,000 project, funded through the Reducing Violence Against Women and Their Children grants program, part of the Victorian Government’s Community Crime Prevention Program, is a joint partnership between the City of Casey, Cardinia Shire Council, the City of Greater Dandenong and Monash Health.
The focus of this project was to stop the violence before it happens.
A huge number of local men in the community attended the Challenge forums and took a pledge to help put a stop to family and domestic violence.
Councillor Morland said the project helped the area take a big step towards ending gender violence.
“The project recruited 30 male mentors and 70 male community leaders from across the three municipalities through settings such as business, sport and faith to champion the project and be part of the change,” he said.
“The men have been supported and trained to promote respect, non-violence, gender equity and to speak out against sexism and aggressive masculinity.”
These men took part in a series of forums and workshops and started conversation about ending gender violence.
As a result the men have developed action plans which aim to facilitate change among individuals and groups in the community.
“Challenge is a great example of an anti-violence program which focuses on prevention by addressing the underlying causes of violence and uses men as agents of change,” Cr Morland said.
Men wanting to make their own commitment to prevent gender violence can sign the pledge on the City of Casey website www.casey.vic.gov.au/menspledge.