BENDIGO will next week be given the chance to help shape Victoria’s first gender equity strategy.
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Minister for Women Fiona Richardson has been leading consultations across the state, and will visit Bendigo on August 24.
The strategy aims to embed equality within as many private and public organisations as possible and push for change at Commonwealth level.
It is also part of Victoria’s response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which found violence against women begins with bad attitudes towards women.
The minister made the strategy a priority because of the “direct link between gender inequality and rates of family violence’’.
“The well-researched and well-understood link between, for example attitudes towards women and rates of family violence, is not something that is understood by the greater community and at times we’ve seen some push back from some sections of the community that our attitudes towards women is not linked to rates of violence against women,’’ she said.
“But the research has shown that countries that have better attitudes towards women and better equality, also enjoy lesser rates of violence against women.
“We know we need to deliver a gender equity strategy that can talk about this issue, but also put in place some measurable outcomes – there’s no point just talking about it.’’
Ms Richardson said people experienced gender inequality differently, and solutions that worked for one group might not work for another.
“We want our gender equality strategy to be useful for all Victorians, reflecting the community it serves,’’ she said.
“The sorts of issues that are being raised within rural and regional communities first and foremost has been transport – and ‘how can I be a full participant in employment if I can’t actually turn up at work at 9am because the transport options are jut not there for me?’.
“You need to build a network of service response in order to ensure everybody has a fair go
“The ability to get around town is one of the issues women have raised as a barrier to full economic participation.
“The others kinds of issues women have raised are around flexible workplace arrangements, but I also hear the same thing from men – men who want to parent their children, particularly young children.’’
For information, go to http://dpc.vic.gov.au/index.php/news-publications/gender-equality-have-your-say.
To register for a session, email genderequality@dpc.vic.gov.au