Loddon Mallee women face poor representation, family violence: experts

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Women fill as few as 30 per cent of seats on management boards across the Loddon Mallee region, a women’s health advocate has said.  

Women’s Health Loddon Mallee executive officer Linda Beilharz said an as-yet unpublished study conducted by her organisation found there were twice as many men on the region’s boards than women.  

Ms Beilharz shared the concerning statistic in time for International Women’s Day, which this year is asking the public to undertake a pledge for parity and challenge gender bias in their community. 

She urged central Victorian leaders and businesses to support the global campaign. 

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The status of rural women was often poorer than metropolitan women and rural men, Ms Beilharz said, a result of rigid gender stereotypes that exist outside of urban areas.  

“Women try to juggle work and childcare with less input from men because stereotypes are stronger,” she said.   

“Women need the opportunity to choose education, choose work, choose how to access services.

“Then they will be able to contribute more to the community and also live their lives to the potential they've got.”

WHLM will also use International Women’s Day to launch an action plan combating the scourge of family violence, which Ms Beilharz said was the biggest health concern facing central Victorian women today. 

When City of Greater Bendigo councillors unanimously voted to endorse the plan in January, a policy document outlined the seriousness of family violence in the region. 

“The Loddon Mallee region has the second highest regional incidence of reported family violence in Victoria,” the document said.

It also said four of the five Victorian municipalities with the highest rate of family violence are in the region, and six of the region’s municipalities report rates higher than the state average.

Centre for Non-Violence spokeswoman Cheryl Munzel told the Bendigo Advertiser her organisation had contributed to the prevention plan.

She welcomed the Pledge for Parity initiative, explaining gender inequality was an underlying cause of domestic violence.  

“While services like ours can provide support for women and children escaping violence, all of this is like an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff if we don't address one of the root causes,” Ms Munzel said.  

Like Ms Beilharz, Ms Munzel also asked leaders to support gender equality initiatives, saying it was otherwise difficult to bring about social change. 

Homelessness support workers have used International Women’s Day as a chance to draw attention to the plight of women escaping family violence. 

Between 2011 and 2014, 36 per cent of demand for homelessness services was from victims of family violence. 

The Women’s Services Network chairwoman Julie Oberin said women living in regional, rural or remote areas were particularly susceptible. 

She called for perpetrators of family violence to be held to account so female victims were not forced to leave their homes. 

“But if they do because they no longer feel safe there, then they must have access to safe affordable housing and support,” she said.

She said increased media coverage of family violence meant people might assume there was always support available.

“Currently, front line services can't meet the demand, and the demand is increasing,” she said.

“The most dangerous time for these women is when they leave, so unless they get access to an appropriate service, it can leave them open to risk.” 

Homelessness Australia chairwoman Jenny Smith said women who leave face the “daunting” task for finding affordable alternative accommodation on a reduced household income. 

“Often people ask the question ‘why didn’t she leave?’ The data begs the question ‘where could she go?’” Ms Smith said.