New Guide a Boost For LGBTIQ Family Violence Prevention

A new guide has been released that will help prevent family violence experienced by LGBTIQ communities.

The guide released by Rainbow Health Victoria will be used to help practitioners and policymakers further develop programs and activities to address violence against people from LGBTIQ communities.

The new guide breaks down national and international evidence on the prevalence, nature and drivers of family violence experienced by people from LGBTIQ communities and identifies priority actions.

Victoria’s Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams said the groundbreaking new guide will help build critical evidence and strengthen sector capacity to understand what works to address family violence against people from LGBTIQ communities.

“LGBTIQ Victorians need responsive and inclusive family violence services and, despite our progress, we know they still experience stigma and marginalisation – that’s why programs like this are so important,” Minister Williams said.

As part of the government support $95,000 as been given to support the La Trobe University’s Rainbow Health Victoria service to develop a vital family violence prevention training program to help reduce family violence against LGBTIQ Victorians.

This comes on the back of $600,000 already offered to the LGBTIQ Family Violence Primary Prevention Project, which is a two-year pilot project run by Rainbow Health Victoria, aimed at addressing the critical gaps in LGBTIQ family violence prevention and strengthening the workforce capacity in this area.

Victorian Minister for Equality Martin Foley said they want to ensure Victoria remains the equality state of Australia.

“This means addressing the unacceptably high rate of family violence against LGBTIQ Victorians, which is exactly what these programs are going to do,” Minister Foley said.

The new guide can be downloaded here.

The guide was launched by Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, and Ro Allen, the Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality, joined by Russell Vickery, LGBTIQ representative on the Victorian Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council. The launch also featured a panel discussion with project partners Zoe Bell Gender Collective and Thorne Harbour Health, and leaders in the primary prevention of violence against women, Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria and Our Watch. The launch is available for viewing below at your gay nation.

Last Updated on Jul 6, 2020