Survivors as Media Advocates
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Multi-Media Stop Violence Against Women ProjectSurvivor Advocates
This project ensures that the voices of women who have experienced family violence are heard through the media. The project seeks to influence a change to community attitudes and promote prevention of violence against women.
Journalists appreciate the personal stories and insights that our advocates can bring to their reporting and the greater impact that their reporting has when they have a survivor to interview.
The project started with a VicHealth seeding grant in 2007. Fourteen women were trained to be volunteer media advocates, available for public speaking and media work. VicHealth has continued to fund the project with an additional group of advocates being trained in 2010.
We also offered training to a group of Aboriginal women in rural Victoria and are hoping to extend this activity over the next three years.
The Victorian Government is also now supporting this project, and we shall be expanding our recruitment and training to include; survivor advocates from the Western and Eastern suburbs; more mature advocates; aboriginal women and their networks; community leaders and White Ribbon Ambassadors. We shall also be expanding our web-site to include more news articles, photos and links to items of interest. As well as providing a Family Violence and Sexual Assault media comment contact list, and media tool kit.
Our training ensures that our advocates; can counter many of the commonly held beliefs around family violence; can correct misconceptions and stereotypes about victims; and can support the Victorian Government and Victorian Police in ensuring that perpetrators be held accountable.
Our advocates safety and welfare is central to our work and advocates can remain anonymous should they need to do so, while still able to participate in our program.
During 2010 we were part of 58 advocacy/media/PR opportunities, with input into many White Ribbon Campaign events, Local Government Primary Prevention Initiatives, State Government Enough Campaign events, input into National, State and local print and electronic media.
Survivors of family violence interested in becoming a media advocate should contact Jane Ashton by email at jane.a@wdvcs.org.au
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“It took me a long while to realise that it was more than black eyes and broken bones... the emotional abuse and psychological games went on all the time” |
