Council supports ending violence against women and children - White Ribbon Day

Council supports ending violence against women and children - White Ribbon Day

This week marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and is being acknowledged here and around the world as a time to raise awareness about the terrible violence perpetrated against women, often by those closest to them.

Council is supporting White Ribbon to do our share to help prevent violence in the workplace and across the community.

These statistics show just how big this issue is:

1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 151 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 151 in 2 women has experienced sexual harassment during her lifetime.On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partnerChildren of mothers experiencing domestic violence have higher rates of social and emotional problems than other children1 in 3 women aged 18-24 have experienced sexual harassmentViolence against women is estimated to cost the Australian economy $22 billion a yearIndigenous women are 32x more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-indigenous womenDomestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and their children.

Council is a proud supporter of the Northern Beaches Domestic Violence Network which held a special breakfast on 23 November.

On Monday 26 November, Northern Beaches Council staff came together for White Ribbon Day to show our support for the campaign and let the community know as an organisation, we play a vital role in standing up, speaking out and ending all forms of violence against women.

Today, staff again gathered (as pictured) for the White Ribbon Walk despite the inclement weather.

The organisation is also well on its way to being an accredited White Ribbon workplace. This is a significant commitment to looking at our culture, our policies and everything to we do to ensure we contribute to addressing this issue.

Northern Beaches Council is leading the way in local government, creating a Family and Domestic Violence Workplace Support Policy which includes up to 10 days paid leave for those employees affected by domestic violence.

Our Policy not only provides access to paid leave, but access to flexible work options, safety plans and confidential support.

Key support contacts are contained within the Policy, and managers have been trained in how to respond and support those experiencing or affected by domestic violence.

We will ensure we provide a safe, supportive and flexible workplace, standing up, speaking out and acting when it comes to violence against women. We will actively challenge the status quo, to treat everyone with equality and respect and we encourage others in our community to join us.

To find out more about White Ribbon visit whiteribbon.org.au