Mr Oberin was recognised for her significant service to women and children experiencing family violence.

The full Central Victoria honours list can be found here.

Initially thinking it was a joke, she had mixed feelings when hearing the news.

"I do this work because I am passionate about ending violence against women and until we do end it, to make sure that victim/survivors get the best possible response that we as a society can give," she said.

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"I felt very privileged that my peers and colleagues had taken so much time and effort to put together what I have been doing in the family violence field so that they could nominate me. "They did this behind the scenes without me knowing, which makes me smile.

"I also thought that it was good to highlight the issue of family violence in this way so that we can get more people in the community involved in recognising it and preventing it."

Ms Oberin is the chief executive of Annie North and the national chair of the Women's Services Network.

She has worked in the domestic and family violence sector for more than 25 years and is involved in a variety of committees and boards.

Ms Oberin said one in three women in Australia have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a man since the age of 15.

"I am one of those women," she said.

"It was a long time ago, and I didn't get a very good response from police, lawyers, the courts or counsellors.

"I became determined to do everything I could to make things better for other women and children who experience violence and abuse."

Ms Oberin has been working at Annie North for almost 30 years and said she remains inspired by the resilience of the women and children who come through the refuge.

"Despite the damage and trauma inflicted on them, once the violence stops and they see an entire system around them that is working together to protect them and hold the perpetrator to account, they start to recover and look forward to a safer and better future," she said.

"The response to family violence isn't always perfect, and there are still slips here and there and from time to time, however overall it is much better than it was when I was attempting to seek help, and it will continue to get better."

"Unfortunately, it is not quick enough and that makes me sad about all the lives lost, damaged and the resulting grief in families and communities.

"Women and children will continue to be killed or harmed until we can create the social change needed to prevent the violence in the first place."

Ms Oberin said she hopes to see more to change and assistance provided to women and children experiencing domestic violence.

"More women are reporting violence and seeking help than ever before," she said.

"It is vital that we are able to provide the best possible response to them at the same time as work on the prevention for the future.

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"Annie North saw a huge spike in women and children seeking refuge during the recent COVID-19 circuit breaker lock down. Unfortunately when we are full we have no option but to put these families in motels or hotels. This is not ideal.

"If we had more refuge facilities and more affordable social housing to move families into after refuge to free up the facilities, then less women and children would have to go into hotels or motels. Our staff are incredible.

"They do the very best they can but we really need more of them as well."

Ms Oberin has been involved with Annie North since 1990 and has worked there almost 30 years.

She said one of her highlights of her career has been her involvement with Annie North.

"When I needed a refuge there wasn't one in Bendigo," she said.

"One of the women who offered for me to stay at her home that night went on, with a number of other local women, to lobby government to provide a women's refuge in Bendigo.

"They were successful and that is how Annie North came into being.

Ms Oberin became involved in the Women's Services Network (the peak body for domestic and family violence services across Australia) in 1997 and has been a long term chairwoman.

She co-founded the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance in 2010 as one of the federally funded National Women's Alliances.

AWAVA advises government on all forms of violence against women.

Ms Oberin is also a member of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey Advisory Group, the National Community Attitudes Survey Advisory Group and the Victorian Family Violence Reform Advisory Group.

She also is the chairwoman for the local Loddon Family Violence Systems Leadership Group.

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"I was a member of the COAG Advisory Panel on Preventing Violence Against Women and their Children with Rosie Batty and others where we delivered 28 detailed recommendations to all governments," she said.

"I have presented at conferences in Australia, Japan, Canada, US, UK, Taiwan and The Netherlands."

A highlight for Ms Oberin over the last 10 years has been to participate each year in the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women presenting on violence against women at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

"I am co-Deputy Chair of the Global Network of Women's Shelters who are working on developing a global data base of vetted crisis shelter phone numbers for women experiencing violence," she said.

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