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25 November 2020

Safer Community: part of the movement to end violence against women

Today, Wednesday 25 November, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It’s also day one of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign that runs until Human Rights Day on Thursday 10 December. The dates were chosen to highlight that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights.

Here at Deakin, our culture is defined by safety, inclusion and respect. As a University community, we must stand together against violence, and challenge expressions of gender inequality that allow and reinforce gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence: the facts

In Australia, we’re now talking more openly and regularly about violence against women. The facts make for sobering reading:

Research also shows that people of all genders are more likely to experience violence at the hands of a male perpetrator. On average, the effects of this violence are more severe for women and more frequent for gender-diverse people.   

Unfortunately, we know that incidents of family violence often increase during and after times of emergency or national crisis, and this has been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Our Watch says that violence against women and their children is preventable, it’s up to all of us to make this a reality. Actions that will support the prevention of violence against women include:

You can also be part of our #16DaysDeakin campaign by following us on Deakin Life Facebook and Instagram.  

Safer Community is here to help

Safer Community is Deakin’s central point of contact for reports and disclosures of family violence and sexual harm. We also respond to reports of concerning behaviour. This includes anything that makes you feel threatened or unsafe, makes you worried that someone may harm themselves or someone else, offends you or just doesn’t feel quite right.

If you feel unsafe in your home, or COVID-19 restrictions mean that your personal situation could become dangerous or unsustainable, Safer Community is here to support you, including to assist you with a safety plan if appropriate or to provide advice.

Our trained professionals are experienced in dealing with this kind of trauma – and it doesn’t matter if it’s recent or historical, or where it happened. So while access to our campuses is limited at the moment, we still want everyone to feel safe while they’re at Deakin – whether that’s while you’re physically on campus for an approved reason or as you study online.

Visit the Safer Community website to find out more, including information on what will happen if you make a report, how we manage your privacy, and what ongoing referrals, support and monitoring are available.

How to contact Safer Community

Safer Community is not an emergency or crisis response service – we only operate during business hours. If you or someone else needs immediate help, please contact Victoria Police by calling Triple Zero (000).

For confidential assistance, contact Safer Community during business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm) by:

Other information and help



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