16 Days of Activism

Commencing on 25th November 2020 through to 10th December 2020 is 16 Days of Activism. The 16 Days of Activism campaign raises awareness and galvanises action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

East Grampians Health Service is in the final stages of implementing the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence initiative.

This initiative aligns with recommendation 95 from the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which calls for a whole of hospital response to family violence. This initiative provides EGHS with a model for change.

At EGHS we have:

• Adopted a Family Violence Workplace Support Policy and Procedures to inform and guide how we respond to staff and volunteers personally impacted by family violence
• Appointed Family Violence Contact Officers
• Trained all current and new staff so they are able to recognise, respond and refer.
• Made family violence information available across the health service.

In 2021 we will continue to train our staff and promote this work more broadly, including within the community and to our patients.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism, we have placed an Orange Door in our two reception areas which symbolises ‘the orange door network’. The orange door network has recently been implemented for people living in the Central Highlands region, which includes Ararat.

This network proves services to women, children and young people who are experiencing family violence, or families who need assistance with the care and wellbeing of children to access the services they need to be safe and supported.

Throughout the 16 Days of Activism, our staff have been encouraged to wear a touch of orange, the colour dedicated to the campaign and symbolising a brighter future, free from family violence.

The issue of family violence can have a far reaching impact on the community and all of us as individuals.

Whether we have our own personal experience of family violence or whether it be through the stories we hear, family violence can have an impact on our health and wellbeing.

I encourage all of our community to continue to work together to raise awareness of family violence and gender-based violence.

Together we can create change to build communities of respect and equality.