Respect Ballarat aims to reduce rates of gendered violence in Ballarat over a 10-year period, with a focus on intimate partner violence. It does this by supporting and coordinating primary prevention and early intervention work, that will 'saturate' Ballarat with activities that include:
- tailored programs and initiatives to challenge the gendered drivers of violence
- partnerships and skill-sharing across local organisations working to prevent gendered violence
- capacity-building and community mobilisation to strengthen support for and take up of prevention efforts
- backbone support from Respect Victoria to connect and coordinate prevention actions, share lessons, and continue building evidence on what works.
Programs and initiatives
Programs and initiatives being implemented as part of Respect Ballarat include those building on years of existing work from local organisations to grow impact, as well as evidence-based pilot programs being rolled out in Ballarat for the first time.
Baby Makes 3 is an evidence-based approach that is being embedded across local maternal and child health services, antenatal education and early parenting programs. It builds an understanding of gender equality and respectful relationships with first-time parents to foster healthy and equal relationships and families. With successful versions of the program already in place across Victoria, the Ballarat Baby Makes 3 program is being co-designed by local organisations and communities. This project is being led by City of Ballarat, Ballarat Community Health, and healthAbility.
Ballarat Allies in Sport is co-designing local solutions to prevent gendered violence with male leaders and allies in sports clubs, equipping men with the knowledge and understanding needed to tailor this work in their clubs. It aims to reframe the role of men in clubs from passive supporters of gender equality to mobilised change agents and promote cultural change within organisations. This is an initiative by Sports Central in partnership with Women’s Health Grampians and La Trobe University.
Building Respect – Construction and Trades Culture Shift is fostering healthy, respectful and emotionally aware expressions of masculinity among men in the construction and trades sectors in Ballarat. Through education and ‘toolbox’ sessions, plus resources and conversation tools, the project will increase understanding of how masculine norms can influence relationships and wellbeing, and how to challenge harmful stereotypes and expectations. This is an initiative by CatholicCare Victoria and Jesuit Social Services.
Culture of Respect Round is engaging leaders in sports clubs in conversations about the gendered drivers of violence, equipping them with the tools to improve the culture and safety of local clubs, and strengthening partnerships between local services and clubs. This initiative is run by Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, Grampians Health, WRISC, SASVic and the Central Highlands Football and Netball League.
Expect Respect, is a relationship education project working in schools to increase student understanding of respectful relationships, consent and gender equality. It is also working to strengthen staff capacity and supports schools to establish referral pathways as needed. This project is led by Ballarat Community Health in partnership with Women’s Health Grampians, Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, headspace Ballarat and Victoria Police.
Equal from the Start is a pilot initiative that is increasing the knowledge and confidence of local early years educators, coordinators and library staff to challenge gender stereotypes and promote respect and equality in their workplaces. The project is also supporting workers with strategies to respond to resistance. This is a program by Ballarat Community Health in partnership with Level Playground.
Faith Communities Focusing on Prevention: Building Respectful Communities is a ‘whole-of-church' approach, with local church networks and community connectors creating opportunities for local faith communities to learn about and reflect on the gendered drivers of violence. This project is reaching ordained and community leaders, as well as parents and families. This initiative is led by St Alipius Parish Ballarat East and Parishes of the Ministry District in collaboration with Catholic Social Services Victoria and the Ballarat Prevention of Violence Faith Network.
For Baby’s Sake is an evidence-based early intervention model focusing on expectant parents, from pregnancy through to their child’s first two years, to break cycles of violence. Working with both parents with the baby at the heart of the work, this program is internationally recognised and is being piloted in Australia for the first time through Respect Ballarat. This program is being run by CAFS in partnership with For Baby’s Sake Trust UK and local participating organisations.
Hannah’s Voice is an early intervention program focusing on respectful relationships and legal education in Ballarat secondary schools. Developed in partnership with the family of Hannah McGuire, this project brings together lived experience, community legal education and prevention approaches to work with young people. This project is run by Allied Justice with support from the family of Hannah McGuire.
Join us for Change is working with young people, parents, carers and faith leaders from culturally diverse communities to challenge the drivers of gendered violence through community-led education and storytelling. It aims to strengthen the knowledge and leadership of local young people in understanding gendered violence, and deliver education in a way that works for communities. This project is led by Centre for Multicultural Youth.
Men’s Engagement is working with men in Ballarat to build their understanding of and capacity to act on sexism, inequality, and gender discrimination. This project includes delivery of the Women’s Health Grampians Men’s Initiative, as well as community-based engagement and training with men in Ballarat to support prevention efforts, and training through the Communities of Respect and Equality alliance. This project is led by Women’s Health Grampians.
Positive Wellbeing in Sports Clubs is working with junior players at five local sporting clubs to explore gender stereotypes, respect, the role of being an upstander, and how to seek help and support others. This project uses theatre-based education to shift knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. This initiative is led by Ballarat Community Health and Women’s Health Grampians.
Primary Connections: Respectful and Safe Relationships in Middle Childhood is an early intervention program for families with children aged 8-12 years old who have experienced family violence. Using a trauma-informed approach, this program is working with both caregivers and children, to embed prevention learning into their relationships and routines. This project is led by CAFS.
Respect in Sport is a whole-of-sport approach, challenging the gendered drivers across the sporting sector in Ballarat. Working with leaders, administrators and coaches, this approach is engaging local leaders to drive equitable and inclusive sport environments by building knowledge, understanding and action. This program is led by Sports Central in partnership with Women’s Health Grampians, City of Ballarat and Regional Sport Victoria.
Respectful Queer Relationships is working with young people in local school-based Pride groups to increase their knowledge of safe, healthy relationships and their capacity to recognise and respond to violence. Workshops co-designed with young queer people are using creative, peer-led approaches exploring safe relationships within a queer context. This initiative is run by QHub, Ballarat Community Health and Women’s Health Grampians.
Safe Futures Mentoring - Workplace Prevention is working with men from three local male-dominated workplaces to understand and challenge the gendered drivers of violence. Through this project, men are also being trained and supported to mentor young people who have experienced family violence through Big Brothers Big Sisters Ballarat, who are leading this work.
STRONG Trades: Reflective Supervision for Respectful Trade Workplaces is working with supervisors in trades settings to support monthly guided conversations with apprentices. Focusing on young people aged 15-25 and their supervisors, this approach is supporting workers to understand and address the gendered drivers of violence within the workplace. This project is run by headspace Ballarat (Ballarat Community Health), in partnership with Apprenticeship Support Australia, Federation TAFE and Women’s Health Grampians.
Trade Voices: Understanding Help Seeking and Respect is working with students and educators in trades courses to build an understanding of attitudes towards masculinity, help-seeking and respectful behaviour. It aims to identify barriers that prevent young men from accessing support and explore how peer expectations influence behaviour and communication. This project is led by headspace Ballarat and Ballarat Community Health with support from Federation TAFE.
Women with Disabilities is working to ensure Ballarat is a city where women with disabilities feel safe, respected and valued. Led by a Gender and Disability Adviser, this project encompasses consultation and co-design with women with disabilities to better understand the attitudinal and physical barriers they experience. Capacity-building activity with organisations will be led by women with disabilities to embed accessible and inclusive practice and prevent violence against women with disabilities in Ballarat before it starts. This project is led by Women’s Health Grampians.
Prevention across community sport and early years
In addition to the programs above, the City of Ballarat is coordinating prevention work across Ballarat’s community sport setting and its early years education setting. This ‘whole-of-setting’ approach aims to achieve greater reach and impact by connecting organisations, people and best practice. The City is providing backbone support to coordinate action and learning across each setting to embed sustainability and shared ownership of work.
First Nations-led prevention
Respect Victoria is working closely with First Nations organisations, networks and leaders to support a self-determined approach to prevention in Ballarat. We are working with local organisations to understand the best way to ensure that Respect Ballarat aims supports work that is community-led, self-determined and grounded in culture.
Mobilising local communities
Community mobilisation is a community-led approach to social change. The evidence tells us it’s a critical element in the success and sustainability of place-based initiatives.
Respect Ballarat supports local organisations and communities to build their own approaches to and momentum for challenging the gendered drivers of violence. Support might include providing communities with tools, education, information and resourcing.
Community mobilisation helps connect and reinforce the outcomes from settings-based interventions in the model, by increasing their collective reach and influence across Ballarat. It is especially important for ensuring that communities historically under-served by prevention efforts are connected to the vision and efforts of Respect Ballarat.