The inaugural Partners in Prevention function, held at the National Press Club, encouraged leaders to discuss and brainstorm strategies to address violence against women in the ACT.

Women who had been affected by violence shared their stories at the event, while attendees included ABC journalist Virginia Haussegger, ACT Minister for Women Joy Burch, and Chairman of the White Ribbon Foundation and media personality Andrew O’Keefe.

Executive Director of the Women’s Centre for Health Matters Marcia Williams says the function doesn’t focus on discussing perpetrators or victims, but on approaching people who can make a difference from a workplace, industry or community awareness perspective.

“Workplaces are a community of individuals and play a strong role in influencing the behaviour of individuals and groups,” she says.

“So they are an ideal place to raise awareness of an issue such as violence against women, and work to prevent it. Workplaces can be involved in ways to prevent violence against women at all levels –from commitment of the CEO and Board, to adoption of a violence prevention policy, to building the skills of individual employees to know what to do as a ‘bystander if seeing violence against a woman and her children for example.”

With one in three women experiencing some form of violence in their lifetime, O’Keefe says feeling fearful was an “injustice” to women.

“If I can feel safe walking down the street after a night out at a pub, so should my wife,” he says.

“It is important we encourage all men to choose non-violence, and educate them early.

“As individuals and as a whole we can contribute to creating a community that respects the rights of women and children to live free from the fear and experience of violence.”