Preventing Violence Against Women

Women’s Health In the North (WHIN) has developed a two-pronged program of work challenging violence against women in Melbourne’s Northern metropolitan region, including:

• Coordination of a region-wide strategy to prevent all forms of male violence against women and children; and
• A lead role in the Northern Integrated Family Violence Services team, which implements the Victorian Government’s family violence reforms.

Coordinated Prevention Work

This short animation was created by Beeworld Pty Ltd in 2010, funded by Darebin City Council, Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service, and Northern Integrated Family Violence Services. It has been screened at Federation Square as part of the Not1More event on White Ribbon Day, and is also projected on the outside of Northcote Town Hall as part of the 16 days of activism against gender violence (25 November – 10 December).

Northern Integrated Family Violence Services

Working to prevent family violence

WHIN’s Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS) team leads the implementation of the Victorian Government’s family violence reforms in Melbourne’s Northern metropolitan region. The team works to strengthen and resource the sector’s response to family violence and aims to ensure that women and children who experience family violence receive the best response from services.

WHIN’s NIFVS team oversees the Counselling and Support Alliance for the planning, implementation and evaluation of counselling and group work services within the integrated family violence service system. The NIFVS team also supported the establishment, and resources the ongoing operation, of the Northern Crisis Advocacy Response Service (NCARS), a 24/7 face-to-face counselling response for women experiencing family violence. This service has been so successful that the Victorian Department of Human Services has introduced a statewide rollout of funding for enhanced after-hours services with guidelines heavily informed by the NCARS model.

With funding from the Victorian Women’s Trust, the NIFVS team has also developed a short film, Love Control, aimed at educating young women about the early warning signs of abusive relationships. This film is available as a resource to schools, health agencies and community organisations.

For more information, visit our NIFVS website.