Project Overview
Purpose
Our vision is, every member in Sikh community to feel safe in their homes and neighbourhood, seek guidance/ assistance where required to prevent family violence and most importantly live life free from family violence.
Background: The scale of the problem
Every week, at least one woman is killed/ murdered in Australia by her current or former partner. Violence contributes towards more preventable death, disability and illness for women between the ages of 15 – 44 in Victoria than any other preventable risk factor.
It has been proven that there are severe effects of family violence on women’s and children’s, families, relatives, friends and peer groups, workplaces and communities. Families who are experiencing family violence are at risk of poverty, dislocation, social isolation and loss of community.
Children’s exposure to domestic violence have adverse effects on their behaviour at home, community, their learning at school, their cognitive, mental and physical development. An increase in mental illness has also been reported over time due to family violence.
In 2016, Victorian Royal Commission issued a report on Family Violence. As per report there were 227 recommendations made towards different ways to respond and prevent family violence. Different communities were selected by government to plan and run the pilot project towards prevention and raising awareness on family violence.
Sikh community has taken a step forward to prevent and create/ establish a specific strategic plan for the Victorian Sikh Community to prevent family violence.
This pilot project is funded by the Victorian Government.
The project started in February 2020 and to be completed by the end of June 2021.
This pilot project is for Sikh community, created by Sikh community members and to raise awareness among Sikh community members to reduce and prevent family violence.
Sikh Community Project
Purpose
Faith leaders/ Community Leaders play vital role in promoting peaceful, healthy and safe environments among the community.
A resource/ training program has been developed to enable faith leaders to have discussions about family violence prevention within faith community. To effectively assist in identifying different attitudes and beliefs that can contribute to family violence.
This project will provide a model for faith leaders to be actively involved in the prevention of family violence. The model includes studies, policies and training to equip faith leaders to address the issue within the faith setting.
After the training, faith leaders will be able to promote peace in Families, guide community members to right pathway and various channels available within Australia to assist victims suffering from family violence.
Over the next 12 to 18 months, various steps will be taken to establish the foundations of a prevention of family violence:-
- Works with the leadership across all our Gurduaras to develop understanding and awareness of family violence and what can be done to prevent it in our community
- Establishes a number of programs and seminars for our community to build their knowledge of what can be done to create positive and respectful relationships at home and in our community
- Creates an information portal for our Sikh Community in Victoria on how to support those in the community suffering family violence, information how to refer members in the community to support services that are appropriate to our community
- Develops a community wide information campaign on family violence and what we can all do to prevent it
- The project, overseen by the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council and a project steering committee. In 2019 the project is funded by the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet, aims to work with our community to establish a sustainable strategy that our community will own, support and run to reduce and prevent family violence.
Over the life of the project, there will be a range of opportunities within community to be involved and make a difference – see project update for key activities that have already taken place.
More information, contact VSGC Secretary on 0403001674, [email protected]
Project Update
Various activities have been undertaken to establish the foundations of a prevention of family violence, on behalf on the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council the Project Steering Committee have complied a summary of activities and they will continue to update the community and let you know about opportunities for you to be involved and make a difference.
Key Activities
To provide a way for the Victorian Sikh Community to continue to provide support around prevention of family violence beyond the project activities undertaken include:
- Monthly project meetings held, first meeting took place in Feb 2020, nine (9) meetings held so far.
- Steering group members include Chair and four members – profiles available on the VSGC website
- Established a working party to help organise Focus Groups
- Held five (5) focus group discussion (9 May, 20 June, 25 July, 12 and 19 August) –In total 27 (20 women and 7 men) representatives from across the following Gurdwaras Hoppers Crossing, Craigieburn, Keysborough, Blackburn, Shepparton, Tarneit, Geelong, Pakenham/Officer participated – we thank everyone for their participation
- Thematic summary produced to support the development of the communication strategy and a series of training and capacity building resources
- Established connections with the following group Young Sikh Professionals Network
- Project Steering Committee members have also been interviewed on four separate occasions on Radio Haanji.
High points
- Strong community interest in becoming a member of the Steering Committee and joining the Community Advisory Groups (aka Focus Groups)
- Recruitment and selection of Project Steering Committee (PSC) led by Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council (VSGC) and supported by Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) (backbone organisation) completed in December 2019
Future Steps
- Establish key messaging and communication strategy
- Create a quality and usable referral pathway
- Establish a program of capability events, forums and workshops
Project Support
The Steering Committee recognises the support from the following organisations
- Women’s Focus Group
- Men’s Focus Group
- Faith Leadership Focus Group
- Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE)
- In Touch Multiculture Centre for Family Violence
- Kulturbrille
- Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH)
- University of Melbourne
More information, contact VSGC Secretary on 0403001674, [email protected]